Immigration Japan government rolls out foreign residents policy ahead of snap election

The government has put together a new package of measures aimed at tightening rules for foreign residents while strengthening social cohesion, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks to show a clear direction ahead of the snap election on 8 February. Presented as steps toward "well-ordered and harmonious coexistence" (秩序ある共生社会の実現 Chitsujo aru kyōsei shakai no jitsugen), the package was approved by Cabinet ministers and includes stricter conditions for permanent residency and naturalisation, as well as efforts to crack down on unpaid taxes and social insurance contributions. It also calls for talks on setting rules for land purchases by foreign nationals, an issue increasingly linked to national security, and for considering a programme to teach Japanese language skills and social norms.

How Japan should engage with its growing foreign population has become a key issue in the election campaign. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government has created a new framework focused on public safety and security, with measures that can be rolled out quickly. The proposals would require longer residence periods for those applying for Japanese citizenship and introduce tougher screening. Taking part in the planned education programme could also affect residency decisions, though the government has yet to decide which visa categories would be covered. A set of rules on foreign land ownership, based on examples from other countries, is expected by the summer. As of June 2025, about 3.95 million foreign nationals were living in Japan, accounting for roughly 3.2% of the population. Chinese residents made up the largest group, followed by Vietnamese and Koreans.

It's heartwarming to see some common sense and civic action:

A small rally in Tokyo on Friday brought together residents who expressed concern about the spread of false claims and discriminatory rhetoric about foreign nationals, as campaigning for the 8 February general election officially began.

Debates over policies aimed at foreigners have gained momentum since the last national election in the summer, a shift highlighted by the growing visibility of the fringe Sanseito party, which promotes a "Japanese First" agenda that many critics regard as exclusionary and xenophobic.

At the rally organized by a civic group comprising lawyers and university faculty members, participants voiced concerns that xenophobic rhetoric could spread during the election campaign and called for "a society in which everyone is respected." "We need to make visible the voices of citizens who are against candidates trying to win elections with false information and discrimination," said lawyer Keiko Ota, who organized the event in front of the busy JR Shinjuku Station. Kihei Maekawa, a former top education ministry bureaucrat, criticized the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for trying to win voter support by "treating foreigners living in Japan as a nuisance."

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Asahi, too, observed that the government seems to shift away from the inclusion of foreigners.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet appears to be placing greater emphasis on maintaining control over foreign residents than on treating them as part of local communities. On 23 January, the Cabinet approved a wide-ranging policy package on foreign nationals that could make access to public assistance more restrictive. The measures were presented as a way to ensure public order and provide reassurance to the public, with the idea that order should form the basis of an inclusive society. Following the creation of the specified skilled worker visa in 2018, the government began drafting comprehensive policies to address the growing number of foreign workers entering Japan. This policy framework has been revised every year. Under the prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, the most recent revision in June 2025 added language stressing that foreign residents should understand Japan's rules and systems and behave responsibly. However, according to a source within the Cabinet Secretariat, Onoda questioned whether government policy should continue to place such strong emphasis on coexistence.

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And:

As a result, the fundamental thinking itself was totally rewritten. One part deleted was the wording that pledged, "No foreigner would be left isolated, but all would be accepted as members of society." Wording that was added included "the need to deal with a situation that left the public holding feelings of concern and unfairness due to acts that violated rules and inappropriate use of various social systems." The new policy package included measures to more strictly deal with foreigners to provide peace of mind and a feeling of safety to the public.



What Japan needs is not a vote competition between right-wing parties, but this: