Ever since St. Francis Xavier arrived in Kagoshima in August 1549, official Japan has preferred foreigners of a certain type: prestigious leaders who are status-quo-oriented and have a large organization backing their ventures here.
On the other hand, small, scrappy foreign entrepreneurs wanting to start a Japan-based business have not historically been the kind of guests Japan's political and social elites welcome to take up residence. Especially if they are young.
Today, as is the case with young Japanese, foreigners with dreams of succeeding in Japan tend to overwhelmingly think of Tokyo as the place they're most likely to get an official or unofficial welcome. Kansai, by contrast, is all but off the radar. And that, said Wayne Kim, founder of Kinder Kids International School — which now has 18 branches in Kansai, Chubu and Kanto — is not necessarily a bad thing.