One downside I've noticed in Japan is that when the owners get older, even after stopping work on the shop they might still want to continue living in the space

One downside I've noticed in Japan is that when the owners get older, even after stopping work on the shop they might still want to continue living in the space above, but reluctant to let anyone else use it as it is directly connected to their living space. This can result in shopping streets with many small stores that are permanently shut down. I always assumed those closed stores were just a sign of bad economy or dwindling population and I am not completely convinced that that is the real reason, but this was explained to me as one major reason according to someone working in a project where they try to convince these building owners to let younger people use the space for their small business.