Nearly 4.3 million foreign nationals were residing in Japan at the end of June this year, according to the Japanese Immigration Bureau. This figure does not include temporary visitors.
The number has risen by around 156,000 in just a few months. Foreign nationals are estimated to make up 3.5 percent of Japan's resident population.
The migration debate is gaining momentum in Japan. On the one hand, the population is shrinking and the average age is rising. On the other, the government has tightened the rules for residence permits as the nationalist, immigration-critical Sanseito party gains support.