FOCUS: Support for More Foreign Workers in Japan Falls below 60 Pct

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Support in Japan for accepting more foreign workers has fallen below 60 pct, while more than one-third of people oppose the idea, a Jiji Press public opinion poll has revealed. In the survey, conducted in May, 58.2 pct of respondents said they “support” or “somewhat support” expanding the number of foreign workers accepted. Meanwhile, 33.2 pct said they “oppose” or “somewhat oppose” the plan. Compared with the previous survey in May last year, support dropped 4.1 percentage points, slipping below 60 pct, while opposition rose 2.7 points. Policies concerning foreign nationals emerged as a major point of contention in the July 2025 triennial election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan’s parliament. The government has also set a goal of “realizing an orderly society of coexistence.” Against this backdrop, the poll suggests that a growing number of people are becoming cautious about accepting more foreign workers, even as the foreign workforce in Japan continues to expand. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of foreign workers in Japan, including those with residence status in specialized and technical fields, stood at about 2.57 million as of the end of October last year, marking a record high for the 13th consecutive year. Opposition High among Younger People The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews from May 15 to 18 among 2,000 people aged 18 or older nationwide. Valid responses were obtained from 1,172 respondents. According to the poll, 20.1 pct of respondents said they “support” accepting more workers from abroad, while 38.1 pct said they “somewhat support” the move. By contrast, 10.7 pct said they “oppose” the expansion and 22.5 pct said they “somewhat oppose” it. By age group, opposition was relatively strong among younger respondents. The highest level of opposition was recorded among people in their 30s, at 39.5 pct, compared with 53.9 pct who expressed support. This was followed by respondents aged 18 to 29, among whom 36.9 pct were opposed and 53.8 pct were supportive. Among respondents in their 40s, 50s and 60s, support exceeded 60 pct. When supporters were asked to choose reasons from a prepared list, with multiple answers allowed, the most common response was that “labor shortages will be alleviated,” selected by 85.5 pct. This was followed by “young workers are needed as the population ages,” at 62.3 pct; “some (foreign workers) work more diligently than Japanese people,” at 39.3 pct; and “Japan will become more internationalized,” at 21.8 pct. Among opponents, the most common reason was that “illegal overstays and other problems may increase, causing a deterioration in public security,” cited by 74.0 pct. This was followed by “unemployed Japanese people should be hired first,” at 56.0 pct; “they (foreign workers) may not follow community rules,” at 50.1 pct; “the fiscal burden, including social security costs, may increase,” at 40.1 pct; “it is unclear whether they can adapt to Japanese society because of language and other challenges,” at 28.3 pct; and “it (the measure) effectively amounts to a shift toward a policy of promoting immigration,” at 25.4 pct. Support Plummets over 2 Years Comparisons with surveys conducted in April 2024 and May 2025, which asked the same questions as the latest poll, show that support has fallen sharply over the past two years, while opposition has increased. In the 2024 survey, 71.8 pct of respondents supported the measure, compared with 21.1 pct who opposed it. In the 2025 poll, support fell to 62.3 pct, while opposition rose to 30.5 pct. The gap between support and opposition has narrowed rapidly, suggesting that the issue could become a major political topic capable of dividing public opinion. The surveys come as Japan has been expanding policy frameworks to accept foreign workers amid the declining population and chronic labor shortages. The government introduced the “specified skilled worker” residency status in fiscal 2019 for foreign nationals with certain skills. In fiscal 2027, which starts next April, the government plans to establish a new “employment for skill development” system for foreign workers to replace the technical intern training program. In January this year, it set the maximum number of foreign nationals to be accepted under the specified skilled worker and employment for skill development systems at 1,231,900 over the five years through the end of fiscal 2028. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]