We bring you the top headlines about immigration in Osaka.
Osaka’s Foreign Resident Population Surpasses 214,000, the Highest Among Japan’s Designated Cities
— Date: July 13, 2026
— Author: Osaka City Citizens Bureau, Diversity Promotion Office, https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/
— Osaka City had 214,337 foreign residents from 161 countries and regions at the end of 2025, accounting for approximately 7.7% of the city’s population. Both the number and percentage were the highest among Japan’s ordinance-designated cities, and the foreign population increased by 25,056 in just one year, highlighting Osaka’s rapidly growing international resident community.
Osaka Expands Program to Recruit and Retain Foreign Workers
— Date: January 1, 2026
— Author: Osaka Prefectural Government, https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/index.html
— Osaka Prefecture has expanded its “MEET IN OSAKA” initiative to help local companies recruit and retain foreign talent, including international students seeking employment in the prefecture. The 2026 program adds seminars on workplace preparation and recruitment planning as well as job-placement experiences, while recruitment events are also planned in Indonesia and India to connect Osaka businesses with overseas workers.
Foreign Worker Policy Becomes a Major Election Issue in Osaka and Across Japan
— Date: January 28, 2026
— Author: Kantele NEWS / news Runner, https://www.ktv.jp/news/
— Foreign-worker and immigration policy emerged as an important political issue, with some voters calling for tighter controls while businesses stressed that overseas workers have become essential to industries facing severe labor shortages. The report highlights the growing tension between concerns over the pace of foreign population growth and the economic reality that many Japanese companies increasingly depend on foreign labor.
Osaka Case Exposes Illegal Employment and Problems Facing Foreign Technical Interns
— Date: January 1, 2026
— Author: Kantele NEWS / news Runner, https://www.ktv.jp/news/
— An investigation into foreign-worker exploitation examined a case involving Vietnamese technical interns allegedly employed illegally at a waste-collection company in Yao, Osaka Prefecture. The report also explored broader problems including abusive workplaces, unauthorized employment brokers and the large number of technical interns who disappear from their assigned workplaces, raising questions about how Japan manages and protects its growing foreign workforce.
Substitute Test-Taking Scheme Uncovered in Osaka for Japanese Exam Required for Residence Status
— Date: June 19, 2025
— Author: MBS News, https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/
— Police arrested a Vietnamese national suspected of arranging for another person to take a Japanese-language examination in Osaka that applicants must pass to obtain a residence status for working in nursing care. Investigators believe applicants were recruited through social media and that intermediaries received payments for arranging substitute test-takers, highlighting enforcement challenges surrounding Japan’s expanding foreign-worker visa system.