Japan says hosting record number of foreigners

Japan has recorded a record number of foreigners residing in the country this year, despite rising anti-immigration sentiment. As of the end of June, there were 4.28 million foreigners in Japan, marking a 156,000-person increase from the previous year, according to the Immigration Services Agency. This represents roughly 3.5% of Japan's total population, based on government estimates.

Immigration expert Toshihiro Menju noted that Japan is grappling with a workforce shortage, requiring reliance on foreign workers, including highly skilled professionals and service workers. Menju emphasized that government measures such as AI, robotics, and increased participation from women and older individuals cannot fully compensate for the shortage.

Japanese businesses have called for a comprehensive policy to support foreign residents, but the government's recent tightening of permanent residency rules has prompted Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to advocate for stricter regulations. The "Japanese-first" Sanseito party, which views immigration as a "silent invasion," gained significant ground in the previous upper house election.

Social media misinformation has spread claims that foreigners receive substantial welfare payments and pose safety risks. Menju believes the new regulations may already be affecting the number of foreign residents, with the count rising by about 300,000 over the past year compared to the previous year. He anticipates the foreigner population to reach 10 million by the 2040s due to the ongoing labor shortage.

The Justice Ministry reported that illegal overstayers had dropped to around 65,000 as of July 1, a 4.8% decrease from the beginning of the year.