[timlod]

I don't think it is, not for a business such as the one described in the article. I'm currently living in Japan, and in a relatively short amount of time I've personally met several business owners who might have acted similarly, sincerely.

There is a large amount of small and niche businesses here which are not profit-driven.

[rjh29]

I am inclined to agree with you, e.g. the number of very long-running family businesses in Japan, traditional arts being kept alive, etc.

otoh unless you've lived in Japan for a very long time it's pretty hard to tell what is sincere and what isn't in a public forum.