We bring you the top headlines about immigration in Japan.
Japan’s Foreign Resident Population Surpasses 4 Million for the First Time
— Date: March 27, 2026
— Author: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, https://www.moj.go.jp/
— Japan’s foreign resident population reached a record 4,125,395 at the end of 2025, surpassing 4 million for the first time and increasing 9.5% from the previous year. China remained the largest nationality group with 930,428 residents, while the number of Specified Skilled Workers increased sharply to 390,296. Tokyo had the largest foreign population at 801,438, followed by Osaka with 375,319, where the foreign resident population increased by 41,755 in one year.
Is Japan Already an Immigration Society? Understanding the Changing Face of Immigration
— Date: December 2023
— Author: Yu Korekawa, https://www.hitachi-zaidan.org/
— Japan is already becoming an immigration society, with approximately 3.22 million foreign residents as of June 2023, of whom about 63.8% were classified as permanent-type migrants. The article challenges the common perception that Japan is largely closed to immigration, noting that the country ranked 10th among major developed countries in annual permanent-type migrant admissions before the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explains that temporary statuses such as student, technical intern and Specified Skilled Worker can serve as pathways toward longer-term residence in Japan.
Japan Considers Quantitative Controls on Foreign Worker Admissions Amid Labor Shortages
— Date:August 26, 2026
— Author: Yusuke Kizu, https://www.sankei.com/
— The Japanese government is considering a new “quantitative management” policy to control the number of foreign workers admitted to Japan, as it seeks to balance severe labor shortages with concerns about the rapid growth of the foreign population. In the food service sector, the number of workers under the Specified Skilled Worker visa approached the government’s 50,000-person limit much faster than expected, effectively forcing a halt to new admissions. The government has established an expert working group and aims to formulate its basic policy within the current fiscal year.
Japan’s Foreign Resident Policy Caught Between Economic Needs and Public Sentiment
— Date: August 9, 2025
— Author: Naoko Hashimoto, https://www.jiji.com/
— Japan’s foreign resident population reached approximately 3.77 million at the end of 2024, about 3.6 times the 1990 level, as the country has increasingly relied on foreign workers amid labor shortages and an aging population. The article argues that Japan’s growing foreign population, record inbound tourism, misinformation on social media, and economic anxiety have fueled public concern over immigration. It calls for a comprehensive national immigration policy, including clearer integration rules, stronger coordination among government agencies, municipalities and employers, and better communication of Japanese social norms.
Fact-Checking Claims That Japan Is Becoming an “Immigration Nation”
— Date: February 3, 2026
— Author: Mutsuo Taniguchi, https://www.komei.or.jp/
— The article examines viral claims that Japan is rapidly becoming an “immigration nation,” arguing that many of these claims misrepresent the country’s foreign-worker programs. It explains that the widely circulated figure of 1.23 million people refers to a projected five-year acceptance ceiling for Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, rather than 1.23 million immigrants entering Japan within two years, and emphasizes that this status does not automatically provide permanent residency. The author argues that Japan’s growing reliance on foreign workers should be debated using official data rather than exaggerated or misleading claims circulating on social media.