Public Outcry Over Business Manager Visa Amendments 

What Has Changed? 

On October 16, 2025, the Japanese government made amendments to the regulations governing the “Business Manager” visa, significantly changing the eligibility criteria. There have been three major changes. First, the capital requirement was raised from 5 million yen to 30 million yen, a sixfold increase. Second, whereas businesses were previously required to employ two or more full-time workers as an alternative to the capital requirement, they must now employ at least one full-time worker who meets the following criteria, in addition to the capital requirement: a Japanese national, permanent resident, long-term resident, or the spouse of a Japanese national or permanent resident. Third, a new Japanese language proficiency requirement has been introduced for either the applicant or the full-time employee. 

The changes came in response to concerns about the misuse of the Business Manager visa. The Tokyo Immigration Bureau found that 90% of the 300 suspected cases of business fraud were linked to shell companies. Critics have pointed out, however, that business owners with sufficient financial resources to run shell companies can easily meet the new requirements, making the amendment not only largely ineffective but also detrimental to small business owners, such as those in the food industry.  

What Does This Mean? 

According to a survey by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd., 45.2% of respondents said that these new regulations would “have some kind of impact” on them. This change has already started to affect business owners. Chan Ka Yee, a Hong Kong-style “congee” restaurant owner in Nerima Ward, decided to close the restaurant after struggling to meet the new visa requirements. To renew visa statuses, a transitional period of three years has been granted, but business owners fear that their applications will be rejected, and similar to Chan, some have already decided to close down their businesses. 

Journalist Hirokazu Murohashi stated that this amendment will directly affect Nepali, Thai, Vietnamese, and other foreign business owners who have been running restaurants in Japan, instead of impacting fraud businesses. Many areas in Tokyo such as Shin-Okubo, Ikebukuro, and Nishi-Kasai attract local and foreign tourists. One of the reasons being the various food options available in those areas. The closure of restaurants could lead to a steep decline in local tax revenue and even the closure of other shops affected by the decrease in tourists. 

How Does It Impact Japanese Society? 

Indian, Nepali, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai restaurants have become an integral part of Japanese society, meaning that any impact on them will have consequences for Japanese people as a whole. Many Japanese people work at these restaurants, meaning that many people would lose their jobs if these businesses were to close down. These restaurants also offer meals at affordable prices, attracting students and workers on a budget. Their closure would mean fewer dining options and the loss of convenient, reasonably priced meals for many. 

The organizer of the petition, “#推しエスニックといつまでも” (“Please Stop the ¥30 Million Rule That Is Destroying Curry Shops”), argues that the new regulations could threaten the ecosystem that sustains Japan’s multicultural food culture and is calling on the government to reconsider them. As of July 16th, the petition has gained over 68,000 signatures. 

Written by まりか