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Foreigners make up over 10% of population in 27 Japan municipalities

Release Date
2025-11-03
Media
The Mainichi
Summary
Foreign residents now make up more than 10% of the population in 27 municipalities in Japan — a level that national projections had suggested would not be reached nationwide until 2070. Japan’s foreign resident population reached 3.76 million at the end of last year, increasing by a record 350,000 in one year, driven by labor shortages and immigration policy changes such as the Specified Skilled Worker visa.

Areas with high foreign resident ratios tend to be industrial regions, tourist destinations, or places with long-established foreign communities. The village of Shimukappu in Hokkaido has the highest share at 36.6%, with several other municipalities exceeding 20%. In total, 151 municipalities now have foreign resident populations above 5%.

Japan’s foreign population has grown in several waves: it rose after a 1990 immigration law revision, dropped during the 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic, and is now expanding again. In some places, such as Onna in Okinawa, foreign workers are integrated into the local workforce without notable conflict.
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Population

News Articles including "Population"

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