Japan to launch Cabinet team on issues related to foreign residents

The issue has become one of the major topics during official campaigning for the July 20 House of Councillors election, with some minor parties arguing that regulations on foreigners living in Japan should be tightened to "protect the rights of Japanese people."

"Realizing an orderly society inclusive of foreign residents is one of the most important policy matters the government should tackle," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press conference, explaining Ishiba's plan.

The move appears aimed at gaining public support for the government's response to controversies related to foreign residents, including allegations of misuse of the national welfare system, ahead of the key upper house election.

The issues have prompted some minor conservative opposition parties to adopt xenophobic stances toward foreign residents, making remarks that could be considered hate speech and claiming that Japan's culture and the economy must be protected.

Asked about stump speeches that could lead to discrimination against foreigners, Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said an "orderly coexistence between Japanese and foreign nationals is essential," adding, "There should be no xenophobia."

"We have taken necessary measures to appropriately deal with foreign nationals who fail to comply with the rules, including possible deportation" under the legislation, Suzuki said at a regular press conference.

The rules that foreign residents in Japan must follow include complying with Japanese laws and regulations, as well as engaging only in activities permitted under their residence status, the government said.

On Saturday, Naoki Hyakuta, a former novelist and leader of the Conservative Party of Japan, said that foreign workers "disrespect Japanese culture, ignore the rules, assault Japanese people, and steal their belongings."

During the upper house election campaign, another minor opposition group, the Sanseito party, has drawn attention among conservatives with nationalist and anti-establishment views under its "Japanese First" banner.

The party's leader, Sohei Kamiya, has asserted that globalization is the "reason behind Japan's poverty," saying foreigners are buying up land and company stocks and that the number of workers from abroad has grown excessively amid a labor shortage.

The Conservative Party of Japan, launched in 2023, and Sanseito, established in 2020, each won three seats in last year's House of Representatives election.

As reported previously, Japan is lagging behind in the use of generative artificial intelligence, with only 26.7 percent of individuals saying they had used such tools in fiscal 2024