Fukuoka City announced that, starting this April, it will adopt a three-year grace period before revoking the permits of yatai operators running food stalls under other people’s names, effectively banning the practice of name lending in accordance with the Yatai Ordinance enacted last year. The City suspects that approximately 30% of the 130 yatai in operation are being run by people other than those who were issued permits. City officials will interview operators to assess the situation and give those operators who do not depend on their stalls to make a living three years to find other work. The City also said it plans to begin public offerings of new yatai licenses “within three years”, after yatai operations have normalized. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 2/6
