[mc3301]

If it were me? I would keep in my focus the concept of the "Third Place."[1]

FYI, some owner-run stores in Japan have been in the family for generations, so the overhead is lower. And lots of those owners work 7 days a weeks, all day.

If they don't fall into the above category, some little shops here in Japan don't last very long at all. They're passion projects with naive entrepreneurs who just want to break out of typical society role they've been given.

Others are family funded businesses that lose money, but save face as it gives the otherwise-not-working "business owner" something to do.

Others still are part-time hobbies. Like a coffee stand or tepanyaki place that is open once or twice a week. Either funded by their full time job or elsewhere. Not money-makers.

Japan also has a lot of support for small businesses; your local municipality can help you out with money, marketing, and more.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place