The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing owners of small businesses in Japan to make difficult decisions on whether to close up shop or search for a successor.
Some 50,000 small businesses in the country closed in 2020, a record high, according to Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd., with the pandemic acting as the final nail in the coffin for many businesses already struggling to find successors to continue operations.
Unable to view this article?
This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.
Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.
If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see this support page.
We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
PHOTO GALLERY (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.