Interview with Mr. Z

"When I first tried to rent a space for my restaurant, I quickly learned how discrimination works in Japan. Most landlords don’t want to rent to foreigners at all. If they do, they’ll often only offer properties in poor locations—places that are cramped or far from heavy foot traffic. The prime spots are usually reserved for Japanese tenants.

I found ways to work around this. At first, I relied on landlords and agents I already knew, people who trusted me. I also started small, renting less desirable locations. Once a shop proved profitable, I could expand to better areas. That way, I managed both costs and risks, while building confidence for future moves.

The challenges weren’t only social, but structural. Japan’s government policies don’t really encourage entrepreneurship—for Japanese or foreigners. Taxes on businesses are high, and opening a restaurant here comes with a lot of financial hurdles. Still, despite the barriers, I’ve never had Japanese customers come to my restaurant to cause trouble. Discrimination exists, but once the doors are open, the real test is whether you can make the business work."