Japanese municipalities with over 5% foreign nationals up more than twofold

The number of Japanese municipalities with foreign residents comprising over 5% of the local population surged more than double from 53 in 2020 to 132, according to the latest census data released by the internal affairs ministry in 2025. This significant increase reflects not only growth in large cities and industrial hubs but also in previously rural areas heavily reliant on tourism and agriculture.

The total count of foreign residents in Japan reached a record-high 3.84 million, representing 3.1% of the nation's total population, a 40% jump from the 2.74 million recorded in the 2020 census. Concurrently, the number of prefectures with municipalities exceeding the 5% threshold rose from 17 to 27, including Miyagi and Hyogo.

In regions like Hokkaido, the count of such municipalities expanded from five in 2020 to 22. This trend in rural areas suggests the impact of labor shortages, driving the employment of foreign workers. Kawakami, a town in Nagano Prefecture, saw the highest proportion of foreign residents at 26.5%, up from 19.0% in 2020. The rise was attributed to the influx of foreign workers in the local lettuce farming industry.

Similarly, Shimukappu in Hokkaido experienced a nearly doubling of its foreign resident share to 21.7%, thanks to the opening of a resort facility in 2017 that increased demand for foreign staff to serve overseas tourists. For the first time, census data identified municipalities with foreign residents making up over 20% of the population, with four exceeding the 20% mark.

Notably, 65 municipalities recorded foreign resident increases that outpaced declines in their native-born populations, contributing to overall population growth.

Tokyo's Nerima Ward, Urayasu in Chiba, and Higashihiroshima in Hiroshima, home to many foreign students, are among the municipalities experiencing this demographic shift. While China's national population remained the largest foreign group at 24.0%, the share of Southeast Asian nationals, particularly from Vietnam and Indonesia, saw notable growth.