Record Number of Foreigners in Japan

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 07.15

 

The Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. File photo. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

There are more foreigners living in Japan than at any other time in recorded history.

According to the Japanese Immigration Services Agency, nearly 4.3 million foreign nationals were residing in the country at the end of June this year. This figure does not include temporary visitors.

The number has risen by approximately 156,000 in just a few months. In total, the foreign population is estimated to account for 3.5 percent of Japan’s resident population.

The debate over migration is intensifying in Japan. On one hand, the population is shrinking and the average age is rising. On the other, the government has tightened rules for residence permits—a move occurring as the nationalist, anti-immigration party Sanseito gains traction in public opinion.