Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, new visa regulations are compelling some foreign entrepreneurs in Japan to depart.
For three years, Mahendra Dharmapriya, a Sri Lankan restaurateur, filled his rural Japanese neighborhood with the aromatic scents of his native cuisine: creamy lentils, fish curry, egg hoppers, and black tea with ginger.
Recently, Mr. Dharmapriya prepared his final meal at Daiya Ceylon, his Sri Lankan eatery in Shimotsuke, located about 66 miles north of Tokyo. He had to close his restaurant due to an inability to comply with new visa regulations intended to control the influx of foreigners into Japan. He plans to return to Sri Lanka within the week.
“I felt so alone,” Mr. Dharmapriya, 40, who moved to Japan in 2015, said as he gave away unopened bags of spices and cassava chips to friends at his restaurant. “I have no hope for the future right now.”
Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, secured her position last year by pledging to regulate immigration and tourism more strictly. Her administration is now attempting to fulfill this commitment by closely inspecting the approximately 47,000 foreigners residing in Japan on business manager visas, like Mr. Dharmapriya.
Historically, Japan has been cautious about immigration, with foreigners constituting only around 3 percent of the population. Some experts suggest that increasing immigrant numbers could help address labor shortages and mitigate the effects of a rapidly declining population. Yet, a surge of nationalist sentiment has recently emerged, with certain activists advocating for tighter controls under a “Japan First” movement.
Conservative voices claim that foreigners are manipulating Japan’s visa regulations to remain in the country indefinitely. In response, the government has tightened the criteria for obtaining business manager visas. Applicants now need $188,000 in capital, up from the previous requirement of $31,000, and must employ at least one full-time staff member.
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