Indian restaurant owner living in Japan for 30 years breaks down in parliament: 'We are being told to return to India'

When a family moves to another country, it holds hopes in their hearts and dreams in their eyes. They imagine a different life, where possibilities are endless and opportunities are plentiful, albeit they work hard and well. And when they realise these dreams, it adds to their confidence and their self-worth.

But imagine achieving all that in a country only to be suddenly ordered to go back to where you came from? Not only would it shatter one's life but they would also have to start everything from scratch, while leaving a country that they have fallen in love with over the years. Something similar is happening with Manish Kumar, an Indian-origin restaurateur who has been living in Japan for the past 30 years.

The man who has been living in the country for the past three decades recently went viral when he broke down during an event in the Japanese parliament while sharing his story. He shared that due to stricter immigration rules, Japanese authorities have denied his business visa and forced him to shut down the restaurant that he had operated for the past 18 years.

Kumar runs a restaurant in Japan's Saitama Prefecture and shared that the Immigration Services Agency denied his application under the country's revised immigration rules, leaving him worried about the future of his family and children. He broke down while delivering an emotional speech at an event on May 13, saying: “My children only speak Japanese...and we’re told to go back to India.”

Visibly fighting tears, he said in Japanese, “My children were born here and are now in high school; they can only speak Japanese and have only Japanese friends. I worked hard and even bought a house. To tell me unilaterally to go back to India - how is that humane?”

He also said that he had spent decades building a life in the country with support from customers, community and local authorities. “I’ve worked hard to get this far thanks to the support” from fellow chefs and customers, he said, adding, “I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s cruel to tell people to return to their home country just because the rules have suddenly changed.”

Kumar who continued renewing his visa instead of applying for permanent residency or Japanese citizenship, reportedly failed to meet the revised requirements.

Japan's renewed immigration rules

Japan revised its business manager visa rules in late 2025. It raised the minimum capital requirement for applicants from 5 million to 30 million (around $190,000).

As per authorities, the changes were introduced amid concerns that the visa system was being misused for migration purposes and following investigations that reportedly discovered shell companies operating under the programme. According to a KPMG report, applicants or full-time employees are now required to demonstrate Japanese language proficiency, typically at around the JLPT N2 level.

A Change.org petition seeking a review of the revised visa rules has gathered nearly 60,000 signatures and was submitted to Japan's Immigration Services Agency this week.

According to data released by Japan's Immigration Services Agency (ISA), visa applications reportedly dropped by around 96% after the new rules came into effect. Reports said monthly applications fell from nearly 1,700 to only around 70 after the policy change

However, earlier this week, Kimi Onoda, the Minister of State for Economic Security defended the stricter rules, saying concerns that the visa programme “might be misused for the purpose of migration have been largely allayed.”

Kumar's case highlights how sudden policy changes can disrupt the lives of long-term residents who have embedded themselves within the community and formed deep roots in Japanese society.