"Go Back To India": Restaurant Owner Ordered To Leave Japan After 30 Years
The case highlights growing concern among foreign entrepreneurs as Japan records a 96 per cent fall in visa applications following major policy changes.
An Indian restaurant owner in Japan has broken down in tears after authorities rejected his business manager visa renewal, forcing him to shut down a restaurant he has run for 18 years. Manish Kumar, who owns an Indian restaurant in Saitama Prefecture, said Japan's Immigration Services Agency recently denied his application under the country's stricter immigration rules.
Speaking at a protest rally in Tokyo, Kumar said he was devastated by the decision and feared for his family's future in Japan.
Manish Kumar has lived in Japan for 30 years and ran a restaurant there for 18 years.
"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.
Kumar's case has become a symbol of growing anxiety among small foreign business owners after Japan introduced sweeping changes to its business manager visa system last year.
According to official data, applications for the visa have fallen by 96 per cent since the new rules came into effect in October 2025. Monthly applications reportedly dropped from around 1,700 to just 70.
According to Japan Times, authorities say the tougher rules were designed to stop people from using the visa as an easy route to long term residency without operating genuine businesses.
