Society Record 3.68 million foreign residents in Japan, also settling in rural areas

Government data shows that Japan's foreign resident population has reached a record 3.68 million, marking the highest figure since records began in 2013. Statistics from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, based on the basic resident registration system, reveal that while growth had once been concentrated in major cities, it is now increasingly evident in rural areas as well.

The ward-run Nishi-Kasai Elementary School in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, provides a snapshot of this change. "A child from overseas is a completely normal sight at our school," Vice Principal Yuka Muramatsu said. Fifty-five of the school's 707 students are from other countries, such as China and India. The ward's foreign resident population has been rising since around 2000. The number of foreign residents aged 5 to 14 has reached 4,360, an increase of 386 from the previous year. Nishi-Kasai Elementary School has established a classroom dedicated to Japanese-language instruction. "We hope that children who might have felt anxious because they don't understand Japanese also will be able to attend school without worrying," Muramatsu, 43, said.

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Hokkaidō saw the sharpest year-on-year rise in foreign residents, up 19.57%, followed by Miyazaki in Kyūshū at 18.28% and Saga at 16.39%. Tokyo had the highest share of foreign residents in its population at 5.15%, with Aichi at 4.30% and Gunma at 4.27% coming next. Among cities and wards, Osaka City had the most significant foreign resident population, at around 190,000. Oizumi in Gunma Prefecture, known for its automobile manufacturing plants, topped all towns and villages with 8,871 foreign residents.