- owners of small businesses → shops, restaurants, and small factories → suffered
- they struggled to attract customers as many Japanese felt the effects of the crisis
- 1930 → there were twice as many closures of small businesses as an average year.
- Many of these business owners - joined protest movements - such as that led by the imperial middle class federated alliance
- alliance - claimed that political parties were looking after landowners, banks and zaibatsu - while letting small business owners go out of business.