Until you start getting impediments in your starter squares...
My first 3 japanese settlements had 2x1 stones right next to the town hall, what luck.
They should buff the supply buildings to give more beans. Shrine gives 100 beans per hour, you'd need 3 shrines per good building or 5 shrines per 2 good building to make goods. Motivated houses don't really offset the cost considering later houses are collected on an 8/24 hour basis. And then it's impossible to get these amount of shrines because they need a lot more population and then you've run out of space because there's dang stones everywhere.
Since it's using the egypt system there should be no impediments in your starter squares ever. But an impediment in every not-starter square.