00:00This is one of the greatest deals you can get in Japan these days. You've got two curries,
00:04salad, drink, all-you-can-eat naan, all for about an average of a thousand yen.
00:10That's only about six US dollars these days. This isn't Japanese-style curry. This is
00:15Indokare or Indian curry, although most of these places are actually run by Nepalese entrepreneurs.
00:21But this lunch is under threat right now from two separate issues. The first is a tightening
00:26of rules for business manager visas. And the second, the increasing difficulty of eateries
00:32to hire foreign staff. New visa rules are hiking capital requirements from 5 million yen to 30
00:39million yen. That's a death sentence for some of these small family-run businesses. And food services,
00:45an industry heavily reliant on foreign workers, has hit its cap of 50,000 visas, forcing authorities to
00:51suspend new issuance. The issue reflects a kind of impossible trinity. With its population declining,
00:57Japan can have only two of these three things. Cheap everyday services, rising wages, and minimal
01:03immigration. It can't have all three at once. For decades, Japan chose low prices and little
01:08immigration. Wages didn't rise much, but that was okay, so long as the lunch stayed cheap.
01:12But things have changed. Inflation is here, and the population is shrinking.
01:16Prime Minister Sanaya Takeuchi is tightening policies around immigration. That makes sense
01:22in a country that's weary of too much change too fast. But changes to prevent abuse of the
01:27immigration system shouldn't also ensnare entrepreneurs who keep people fed and keep
01:32the economy moving. Japan can still have its cheap curry lunch, but only if it accepts that someone,
01:38workers, employers, voters, or diners, is going to have to pay for it.
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