Japan Immigration News

Ishiba walks a political tightrope on immigration

Release Date: 2025-07-19
Media: EAST ASIA FORUM
Summary: Ahead of Japan's July 2025 Upper House election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has toughened its rhetoric on immigration, responding to growing public concern and pressure from right-wing parties. Despite Japan’s record number of foreign arrivals — with over 3.7 million foreign residents in 2024 — immigration has been largely absent from political discourse. This reflects the LDP’s attempt to balance pro-business support for migrant labour with a more conservative voter base wary of immigration.

Under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the LDP had previously downplayed immigration to avoid political controversy. However, rising political competition from right-leaning parties like Sanseito and the Democratic Party for the People, which support tougher immigration controls, has pushed the LDP to shift strategy. The party has now embraced a more hardline stance, including the slogan “Aiming for Zero Illegal Foreign Residents,” and proposed stricter oversight of foreign workers, property ownership, and visa fraud.

This change is also driven by public discontent over overtourism, incidents involving foreign residents, and controversial cases like the Kurdish asylum-seeker community in Saitama. The LDP’s shift aims to undercut rival conservative parties while still maintaining elite support for migrant labour needed to address Japan’s demographic and economic challenges.

Ultimately, the LDP continues to avoid broader debate on whether Japan should become a formal "country of immigration." The 2025 Upper House election will test whether this recalibrated approach to immigration — blending hardline language with quiet policy continuity — can preserve the party’s political dominance.
Tags: Immigration Policy

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