Thousands of foreign businesspeople in Japan face deportation as new visa rules come into effect.
The move is a blow to small business owners who have called Japan home for years.
The new visa guidelines have significantly increased the minimum required investment amount from 5 million yen ($30,000) to 30 million yen ($185,000).
Additionally, visa holders must hire a Japanese citizen or permanent resident, which is difficult due to the lack of labor in Japan.
This is due to citizens’ growing fear of overtourism and sky-high land prices due to foreign investments.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has also increased tourist visa fees five-fold and the departure tax for everyone three-fold.
More than 67,800 signatures have been collected through an online petition calling for the suspension of the recently introduced laws. The opposition claims that the law penalizes genuine companies rather than scam companies.
Daisuke Komori, a management affairs adviser, warned: “Tightening regulations are hurting small restaurant owners and young entrepreneurs,” even as Japan’s aging population desperately needs immigrant labor to sustain its economy.
