Japan gov't seeks major budget hike for immigration control, Japanese language measures

Japan's Ministry of Justice has allocated 80.7 billion yen, or approximately $504.3 million, in its budget plans for fiscal 2027 to fund the expansion of immigration and residency management. This represents a significant increase compared to the current fiscal year, with the funds earmarked for an electronic travel authorization system and addressing illegal overstays.

The government aims to strengthen measures concerning foreign nationals, as stated by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration. In addition to these efforts, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology has set aside 11.3 billion yen, or around $70.6 million, for Japanese-language education measures, a substantial rise of 3.6 times this fiscal year's amount.

The increased revenue from residency-related fees, which will be raised in October, will be used to fund the expanded measures. The electronic travel authorization system, known as JESTA, is expected to be introduced during fiscal 2028. Foreign tourists and visitors will be required to submit their passport information, purpose of travel, place of accommodation, and other details online.

The system will check for false applications and verify the applicant's history of illegal residence in Japan. Those without authorization will be denied entry.

Additionally, the justice ministry seeks about 15.5 billion yen for a system that utilizes My Number identification numbers to centrally manage tax and social security information for residency screening. They also allocated 1.2 billion yen for measures such as a "zero plan" to promote the deportation of illegal residents.

Meanwhile, the education ministry is preparing a comprehensive package to support Japanese-language education. The budget includes approximately 5.5 billion yen for promoting the establishment of preschools and pre-classes, where children can receive intensive Japanese instruction before or just after entering school. The ministry also earmarked about 3.2 billion yen to expand the number of Japanese-language instructors and incorporate external personnel to enrich the language instruction system for students.