Tokyo's small, owner-run eateries specializing in regional Chinese dishes are being hit by Japan's tightened management visa rules. The Oct 2025 reform raises the capital requirement to 30 million yen, requires permanent Japanese staff, and demands higher qualifications such as a master's degree or N2-level Japanese, affecting both new applications and renewals. A Henan beef noodle shop in Itabashi opened in May 2025 and closed in February 2026 after renewal issues; another Guizhou rice noodle shop in Otsuka was sold and rebranded as a Uyghur restaurant, with no official reason given but suspected visa problems. The changes mainly affect small, family-run shops that offer niche regional cuisines, unsettling the local Chinese community in Japan.