Indian Restaurant Owner Breaks Down Over Japan Deportation Fears

An Indian restaurant owner living in Japan for more than three decades has sparked widespread debate on immigration policies after an emotional public appeal over fears of deportation under Japan’s tightened business visa regulations. Manish Kumar, who runs a curry restaurant near Tokyo, broke down while addressing a gathering on May 13, questioning how long-term residents could suddenly be asked to leave the country despite building their entire lives there. His speech, captured on video and widely shared online, has triggered fresh discussion over the human impact of Japan’s revised immigration rules.

In the viral clip, Kumar said he had spent 30 years in Japan and had built deep roots in the country with the support of local authorities, customers, and the business community. Speaking in Japanese, he explained that his children were born and raised in Japan, attend high school there, and speak only Japanese. Kumar also said he had purchased a home after years of hard work and could not understand how authorities could “unilaterally” ask him to return to India after decades of residence. His emotional remarks drew sympathy online, with many social media users expressing concern over the future of immigrant business owners in Japan.

The controversy comes amid growing criticism of Japan’s revised business manager visa rules introduced in 2025. Under the updated policy, applicants seeking or renewing business visas are now required to show capital of ¥30 million, approximately ₹1.8 crore. The previous requirement had been ¥5 million, or roughly ₹30 lakh. Japanese authorities reportedly tightened the rules following concerns that the visa system was being misused. However, immigrant entrepreneurs and advocacy groups argue that the steep increase has made it nearly impossible for many long-term small business owners to continue operating legally.

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According to reports, thousands of people have signed petitions demanding that the Japanese government review the new immigration framework. Petitioners argue that the policy unfairly affects immigrants who have spent decades contributing to Japanese society and local economies. Kumar, during his address, said he had “done nothing wrong” and described the situation as cruel for families who had established permanent lives in Japan. The issue has especially resonated with immigrant communities involved in the restaurant and hospitality sectors, where many small businesses operate on limited capital margins.

Several business owners have reportedly already decided to shut down operations because they cannot meet the revised financial threshold. A restaurant owner from Hong Kong identified as Chan told Japanese media that she would close her establishment because she could not bridge the massive capital gap created by the new rules. She described the decision as painful but unavoidable. Reports in Japanese newspapers have also suggested that applications for business manager visas have fallen sharply since the policy change, with some estimates indicating a drop of nearly 96 percent.

The debate has highlighted Japan’s broader challenge of balancing tighter immigration controls with the realities of an aging population and labor shortages. While the government maintains that stricter oversight is necessary to prevent abuse of the visa system, critics argue that the policy risks driving away long-term residents who have integrated into Japanese society. Kumar’s emotional plea has now become a symbol of that tension, drawing attention not only to immigration law but also to the personal struggles faced by families caught between legal requirements and the lives they have spent decades building.

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