The Court found that in this case, the burden on the defendant was severe based on both the geographic distance and legal dissimilarities between Japan and the United States. Cheng Shin was not a California resident, diminishing California's interest in the case.
In this context, the Court established that the defendant faced a substantial hurdle because of the considerable distance and legal differences between Japan and the U.S. As Cheng Shin was not a resident of California, his connection to the state diminished its interest in the matter.