Foreign residents in Japan reach record 4.28 mln
The number of foreign residents in Japan reached a record 4.28 million at the close of June 2026, accounting for 3.4% of the country's total population, according to data released by the Immigration Services Agency, Qazinform News Agency cites Kyodo.
The figure increased by approximately 155,000 compared with the end of 2025.
Despite the growth in the foreign resident population, tighter immigration regulations have affected some visa categories. The number of new entrants on business manager visas fell by 80.9% year-on-year in the first half of 2026 after the government strengthened visa requirements, including raising the minimum capital requirement and tightening rules for permanent residency.
Permanent residents remained the largest group of foreign residents, totaling 961,342, followed by professionals in engineering, humanities and international services at 516,184. The number of foreign students rose to 479,626, while specified skilled workers reached 444,256.
By nationality, residents from China, Vietnam, and South Korea accounted for about half of all foreign residents. The fastest growth was recorded among residents from Myanmar and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the number of illegal residents in Japan declined by 4.8% from six months earlier to 65,229 as of July 1, 2026.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Japan raised fees for foreigners seeking to reside in the country, with the cost of obtaining permanent residency increasing 20-fold to 200,000 yen from October 1.