A Chinese restaurateur in a town next to Osaka's Umeda was refused renewal of his business manager visa and ordered to leave Japan within 30 days, even though his family met the new, stricter criteria, Diamond Online reported.
The family says the refusal came without a clear reason. The father, in his late 40s and identified only as Guo, ran a Shanghai restaurant and had opened a second outlet.
Japan has tightened the 経営・管理 (keiei kanri) visa, the status for foreigners who run or manage a business here. The family's case turns on a gap between the published standards and how they were applied.
A new life in Osaka
The Guo family arrived in 2022, during Shanghai's lockdown, after a journey to the airport that the father described as life-threatening. They settled in Osaka as a family of four: Guo, his wife and two sons.
Guo told the writer he found Japan better than he had imagined and was moved by something almost every day. He spoke at length about the kindness of Japanese neighbors and how they helped when the family was in trouble.
The difficulties were real. The family struggled to secure premises for a restaurant, and the younger son was bullied at school. Teachers and neighbors stepped in each time, the family said.
Guo built the menu around Chinese dishes familiar to Japanese diners rather than the newer, more authentic style known as ガチ中華 (gachi chūka). He kept buying a premium rice brand as prices rose, and had staff cook each dish to order instead of pre-making it.
Regulars from nearby office buildings and the neighborhood filled the restaurant. Asked why they came, customers gave the same answer: the food and Guo's character. One said the cooking was deep in flavor and showed how hard the cook worked.
The older son entered a private university in April, and the younger son had settled into school and made friends. The family planned to stay and watch the boys grow up.
The refusal
Then came the visa decision. In September, immigration did not approve the renewal, and the family was ordered to leave within 30 days.
The family says it met the new requirements. The article does not say what reason, if any, immigration gave for the refusal.
Japanese friends and regular customers rallied around the family after the order. The family says it will never forget what people in Japan did for them.
“We will never forget the kindness of everyone in Japan for the rest of our lives.”Guo, restaurant owner