Japan Immigration News

(Unseen Japan)Hundreds Rally at Japan’s Diet Against Anti-Foreigner Politics

Release Date
2026-06-24
Media
Unseen Japan
Summary
Around 650 people gathered outside Japan’s National Diet to protest what organizers described as growing anti-foreigner sentiment and increasingly restrictive immigration policies. Organized by the “NO to Hate! National Campaign,” the rally called for stronger anti-discrimination laws and urged the government to reconsider recent immigration measures. Organizers also submitted about 140,000 petition signatures demanding legal protections against discrimination based on nationality or ethnicity.

Protesters argued that recent policy changes—including higher residency-related fees, stricter permanent residency and naturalization requirements, tougher language standards, and higher capital requirements for Business Manager visas—have made living and working in Japan more difficult for foreign residents. Refugee support groups and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations warned that higher fees could place heavy financial burdens on asylum seekers, long-term residents, and foreign workers, potentially discouraging legal status renewals.

The demonstration also reflected concerns about the political climate following the 2025 Upper House election, during which immigration became a major campaign issue. Organizers criticized rhetoric portraying foreigners as a social problem, arguing that immigrants are already essential members of Japanese society as workers, taxpayers, business owners, neighbors, and family members. They warned that xenophobic political discourse can have real social consequences, especially for immigrant communities and children.

Participants emphasized that the goal was not only to oppose individual immigration policies but also to promote a vision of Japan based on multicultural coexistence, mutual respect, and inclusion rather than exclusion and discrimination.
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