Foreign population hits record 4.28 million in Asia's 6th most populous country
Japan's foreign resident population reached a record 4.28 million at the end of June, making up 3.48% of the country's population, according to the Immigration Services Agency.
Foreign residents in Japan reached a record high of 4.28 million in 2026, according to the United Nations Population Division. This marked a 3.8% increase from the previous year, slightly slower than the 5% rise observed in the first half of 2025. Excluding short-term visitors, Japan's population remains around 122.4 million. Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita emphasized the country's commitment to secure and smooth immigration management, ensuring the safety and well-being of both Japanese citizens and foreign residents.
Chinese nationals continued to be the largest foreign population group, comprising 941,031 individuals or 22% of the total. Vietnamese nationals followed with 693,750 residents, making up 16.2% of the foreign population. South Koreans ranked third with 408,682 residents. Among technical intern trainees, Vietnamese accounted for the largest share at 176,865 of 457,509, and Specified Skilled Worker visa holders at 176,915 of 444,256.
The Specified Skilled Worker visa, introduced in 2019 to address labor shortages in sectors like nursing care, agriculture, and food service, saw the largest growth, increasing by 53,960 to 444,256 holders. The Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, covering a broad range of white-collar jobs, rose by 40,394 to 516,184. International student numbers also increased by 14,842 to 479,626, while those on the technical intern trainee program grew by 891 to 457,509.
Tokyo hosted the largest number of foreign residents, accounting for 824,486 or 19.3% of the national total. New foreign arrivals decreased by 0.1% from the previous year to 19.71 million in the first half of 2026. South Korea was the primary source of new arrivals, with 5.55 million individuals, up 19% from the prior year. Taiwan followed with 3.77 million new residents.
The agency noted a 57.3% drop in short-term visitor arrivals from China, primarily due to a diplomatic dispute sparked by remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding a potential attack on Taiwan. Tighter visa requirements also likely contributed to the decline, particularly the Business Manager visa, which saw an 80.9% drop, reflecting the recent increase in capital requirements from 5 million yen to 30 million yen.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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