Summary of Issues for Considering the Basic Approach to the Acceptance of Foreigners (Minister of Justice Study Group, August 2025)<\/a>” highlights once again the challenges facing Japan\u2019s immigration policy. What is particularly striking is that even among those closest to the Minister of Justice\u2014who should be most sensitive to demographic changes and social structures\u2014it is acknowledged that there has been little strategic discussion on “quantitative management” of foreign residents or the impact on society if the proportion of foreigners were to increase significantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAt a time when Japan faces severe population decline, rapid aging, and a chronic labor shortage, the absence of long-term, comprehensive debate on the direction of foreigner acceptance poses a serious risk to national sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The background to this situation lies in the fact that Japan\u2019s immigration policy has long been limited to “temporary, ad hoc acceptance,” lacking any systemic strategy grounded in a vision for society\u2019s future. For example, the Technical Intern Training Program, initially introduced as a means of “international contribution,” has in practice served as a source of low-wage labor to fill labor shortages, creating numerous problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, the acceptance of international students has often functioned less as an educational policy and more as a supplement to the labor market. In short, immigration measures have been piecemeal responses to immediate needs, while discussion and preparation for the permanent presence of foreigners in society have been left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet the current situation makes it clear that a framework of \u201ctemporary\u201d or \u201cexceptional\u201d acceptance is no longer sustainable. According to projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan\u2019s total population will continue to decline for decades to come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The working-age population is shrinking rapidly, making it structurally difficult to sustain industries with domestic labor alone. Even with advances in automation and AI, human labor cannot be fully replaced, particularly in service and care sectors where “human-to-human” interaction remains essential. Therefore, the acceptance of foreign labor is not a matter of choice but an inevitable necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More importantly, the acceptance of foreigners should not be viewed merely as a stopgap for labor shortages but as a key factor in sustaining society itself. In the context of a shrinking and aging population, the settlement of foreign residents in local communities is indispensable for maintaining vitality, securing tax revenues, and sustaining social security systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Already in many regional cities, the presence of foreign residents supports schools, local economies, medical facilities, and caregiving services. Thus, the question of \u201chow to accept foreigners\u201d is inseparable from the question of \u201chow to maintain and reconstruct Japanese society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The absence of comprehensive debate until now is largely due to Japan\u2019s reluctance to acknowledge itself as an immigration country. The repeated political mantra that \u201cJapan is not an immigration country\u201d has served to block strategic discussions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result, despite foreigners already being indispensable to society, preparedness and institutional development for their acceptance have lagged behind. This is an unhealthy situation that must be corrected immediately if Japan is to design a sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moving forward, Japan must take the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, it is crucial to establish a framework for \u201cquantitative management.\u201d Based on long-term demographic projections and industrial forecasts, Japan should calculate the number of foreign workers and residents needed in the future and design the scale and sectors of acceptance accordingly. This will help avoid ad hoc acceptance and prevent overdependence on particular nationalities. Setting transparent targets for acceptance and sharing them with the public is also essential to foster social consensus and prevent the kind of social unrest seen in some European countries due to sudden surges in immigration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, Japan must improve its \u201cinstitutional framework.\u201d Although the Specified Skilled Worker system has been introduced as a replacement for the Technical Intern Training Program, many issues remain. The system should evolve into one that ensures proper working conditions, enables foreigners to build a stable life, and allows long-term settlement where necessary. This requires a fundamental shift in thinking: foreigners should not be treated merely as temporary labor, but as citizens living together with Japanese society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third, \u201csocial integration policies\u201d must be enhanced. This includes language education, employment support, children\u2019s education, access to healthcare and welfare, and programs that encourage interaction with local communities. Education for foreign children is particularly crucial, as it lays the foundation for long-term integration. If foreign students are left behind without adequate Japanese-language support, social inequality and division will become entrenched, ultimately increasing long-term social costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fourth, Japan should clearly articulate the principle of \u201cmulticultural coexistence\u201d as a national policy. Respecting diverse cultures and values and fostering mutual understanding is the key to ensuring that foreigner acceptance contributes to social vitality. For Japan to maintain its position in the international community, it must adopt openness rather than insularity. This is not only for the benefit of foreigners but for Japan\u2019s own survival and prosperity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, Japan must shift from a stance of \u201cpassive, temporary acceptance\u201d of foreigners to a policy of \u201cstrategic, proactive social design.\u201d The essential point is to see foreigners not as \u201cnumbers to fill labor gaps,\u201d but as \u201cpartners in building the future together.\u201d While it is encouraging that the Minister of Justice\u2019s study group has finally raised the issues of \u201cquantitative management\u201d and \u201ca high-foreigner-ratio society,\u201d one cannot help but feel it is already too late. To make up for this delay, a national debate must be initiated, and political leadership must provide a clear direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan now stands at a historic crossroads, facing population decline and globalization. To reject the acceptance of foreigners is to accept national decline. What is needed is the courage to face the future squarely and to begin designing a concrete framework for a coexistent society. Only then can Japan be sustained as an open, vibrant nation for the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan Immigration News<\/h2>\n\n\n