‘Go back to India’: Owner forced to shut 18-yr-old Japan eatery

An Indian restaurant owner in Japan broke down in tears after authorities rejected his business manager visa renewal, forcing him to shut down a restaurant he has run for nearly two decades. Manish Kumar, who owns an Indian restaurant in Saitama Prefec­ture, said Japan’s Immigration Services Agency (ISA) denied his visa renewal under stricter rules introduced last year, leaving him and his family facing an uncertain future. Manish Kumar said he was devastated by the decision and feared being forced to leave a country where his kids were born and raised.

“Two weeks ago, ISA told me to go back to my own country. My children were born and raised in Japan, they only understand Japanese, their only friends are Japan­ese but we are being told to go back to India. What am I supposed to do?” he said.

Visa Crackdown 

Applications for Japan’s business manager visa have reportedly fallen sharply since the new rules took effect in October 2025, with monthly filings dropping from around 1,700 to just 70. Officials argue the overhaul is meant to prevent misuse of the visa system as an easy route to long-term residency without operating genuine businesses but the tightening has swept up legitimate small business owners who have operated for years.

The revised business manager visa framework has introduced significantly tou­gher requirements for foreign entrepreneurs. The minimum capital requirement has been raised from 5 million yen (`30 lakh) to 30 million yen (`2 crore), sharply increasing the entry barrier for small business owners.

Applicants are required to employ at least one full-time local worker, where earlier such hiring was not always mandatory. The system has also introduced Japanese language proficiency expectations, typically around JLPT N2 level.