Japan Immigration News

Conservative parties push for capping of foreign resident population

Release Date: 2026-02-05
Media: Japan Times
Summary: Foreign residents have become a major issue in Japan’s Lower House election, with parties divided over whether their numbers should be capped.

The Japan Innovation Party (JIP), along with the Sanseito and the Conservative Party of Japan (CPJ), support stricter limits. JIP plans to create a population strategy in fiscal 2026 that could include numerical caps, based on data about labor shortages, social infrastructure, and integration. The party’s coalition partner, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has not proposed caps but promises tougher screenings for permanent residency and naturalization.

Sanseito proposes limiting foreign residents to 5% of the population in each municipality and opposes long-term settlement, instead favoring short-term foreign labor. The CPJ also takes a strong anti-immigration stance, warning that excessive immigration could erode Japan’s culture and identity.

In contrast, the Centrist Reform Alliance (formed by the Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito) opposes caps, arguing for policies that respect diversity and promote multicultural coexistence. The Democratic Party for the People and the technocratic Team Mirai also reject caps but propose other measures, such as restrictions on foreign real estate purchases or higher taxes on foreign nationals.

Meanwhile, the number of foreign residents has reached a record 4 million (3.2% of the population) and is projected to exceed 10% by 2040, making the issue increasingly central to national politics.
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