FOCUS: Japan to Review Foreign Resident Policy, Prioritizing “Order”

Tokyo, April 21 (Jiji Press)–The government of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has launched a full-scale review of its policies on foreign nationals, marking a clear shift from its previous emphasis on “coexistence” to a greater focus on “order.” A package of comprehensive measures compiled in January underscored the change, including a pledge to finalize a legal framework governing land acquisitions by foreign nationals this summer. It also pledged stricter requirements for acquiring Japanese nationality and stronger steps to address unpaid medical bills by foreign visitors. Record Number of Foreigners Takaichi last November called for a review of Japan’s foreign resident policies. Speaking at a ministerial meeting, she said some members of the public feel “anxiety and a sense of unfairness over illegal acts and rule violations by a portion of the foreign population.” To strengthen coordination across ministries and agencies, she created a new post responsible for foreigner policy and appointed Kimi Onoda to the position. According to the Immigration Services Agency, the number of foreign arrivals in Japan reached a record 42.43 million in 2025. Japan’s foreign resident population has also continued to rise. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates that foreigners will account for more than 10 pct of the national population by 2070. Against this backdrop, the government on Jan. 23 adopted a package of comprehensive measures based on recommendations from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Headquarters for Foreign Nationals Policy and a panel of experts. The package included about 150 new measures. Understanding Real Situation A key element of the debate is how to regulate land purchases by foreigners. Alongside national security concerns, there is growing anxiety that speculative purchases of land and condominium units are pushing up real estate prices. In their ruling coalition agreement, the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party explicitly stated that they would draw up legislation during a parliamentary session this year to tighten rules on land acquisitions. For now, however, the government has concluded that its first priority is to determine the actual state of land ownership and use, as the nationality of owners and the purposes of use are often unclear. From fiscal 2026, which started in April, new owners of land and buildings will be required to report their nationality when registering ownership. This information will be shared among relevant ministries and agencies through a government database known as the Base Registry, which is currently under development. On March 4, a government expert panel also launched discussions on a framework for regulating land acquisitions. Focusing primarily on national security, the government aims to outline a legal framework by this summer. Under the current law on the review and regulation of the use of real estate surrounding important facilities, authorities may restrict the use of land deemed important to national security, but the law does not regulate acquisitions themselves. Any move to regulate purchases, however, would also have to take into account World Trade Organization rules, which are founded on the principle of nondiscrimination between domestic and foreign parties. For this reason, a government official said any proposal is likely to be designed so that its scope is not limited to foreign nationals alone. Drawing a Line against Xenophobia In addition to these regulatory measures, the government plans to tighten the residency requirement for acquiring Japanese nationality. The minimum period of residence would be extended from the current five years to 10 years in principle, matching the requirement for permanent residency. The government is also considering stricter measures to address unpaid medical bills incurred by visitors from abroad. One proposal would lower the minimum threshold for stricter re-entry immigration screening in cases involving unpaid medical bills from 200,000 yen to 10,000 yen. At the same time, with demand for foreign workers rising as Japan’s population declines, the government is wary that excessive restrictions could deepen social divisions. Takaichi stressed the need to “draw a clear line against xenophobia.” As part of efforts to promote coexistence, her government has called for programs to help foreign residents learn Japanese and understand Japanese customs and rules. A controversial proposal, advocated by the JIP, to set an upper limit on the proportion of foreign residents in the national population, remains under consideration. A government official said the matter would require careful debate, particularly in light of its potential impact on social security and labor policy. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]