Dream Businesses: 'Cafes,' 'Restaurants,' and 'General Stores' Top the List! What Are the Reasons Holding People Back from Opening Their Own Shop?

■ Have you ever dreamed of owning your own shop?

Have you ever seen a stylish cafe or a unique general store and thought, 'I wish I could own a shop like this'? However, it is a fact that there are significant hurdles between that dream and reality.

Therefore, in collaboration with Aquanet Co., Ltd., we conducted a survey of 500 men and women across Japan regarding 'owning your own shop.'

※ When citing the contents of this press release, please follow the guidelines below:

・State that the source is a 'Survey by NEXER Co., Ltd. and Aquanet Co., Ltd.'

・Include a link to Aquanet Co., Ltd. (https://aqnet.co.jp/)

'Survey on Owning Your Own Shop' Overview

Method: Internet survey

Period: March 12, 2026 – March 23, 2026

Target: Men and women nationwide

Valid Responses: 500 samples

Questions:

Q1: Have you ever thought, 'I want to own my own shop someday'?

Q2: What kind of shop did you want to own?

Q3: Please tell us the reason. (For 'Other,' please specify the type of shop.)

Q4: What triggered this thought? (Multiple choices allowed)

Q5: Please share any specific episodes regarding wanting to own your own shop.

Q6: What are the reasons you cannot take the step to actually open a shop? (Multiple choices allowed)

Q7: What kind of support would make it easier for you to take that step?

※ Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding to the second decimal place.

■ 13.0% answered 'Yes' to having thought about owning their own shop someday

First, we asked whether they had ever thought about owning their own shop someday.