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Japan is right to rethink its immigration approach

Release Date
2026-01-16
Media
Japan Times
Summary
Japan is seeing a sharp rise in both tourists and migrants, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to unveil a new foreign-nationals policy package this month. It is expected to tighten rules for permanent residency and citizenship, raise visa renewal fees, scrutinize property purchases more closely, and increase departure charges—moves some critics call xenophobic.

The author argues the approach is not about shutting Japan off but about creating clearer, more formal systems in response to public unease and growing demographic pressure. Japan’s migration framework, despite its “hard to move to” image, has often been relatively permissive in key areas (such as low capital requirements for business manager visas until recently and a high naturalization approval rate), which mattered less when foreign-resident numbers were low.

Now, foreign residents have doubled since 2012 to over 4 million, and some municipalities exceed a 10% foreign population share. Post-pandemic, the visibility of change has increased, and future growth is likely, making this a timely moment to define what Japan’s model should be—while learning from Western countries that expanded migration quickly and later faced political backlash and policy reversals.

The piece notes immigration is rarely popular, citing strong domestic support for Takaichi’s steps, and contends that not every tightening measure should be dismissed as racist. Higher fees are framed as comparable to other countries and a revenue tool. At the same time, the author says tougher rules must be paired with better integration support, especially language education and clearer expectations, so that assimilation becomes easier as Japan’s population mix changes.
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Immigration Policy

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