TOKYO: Japan has registered a record number of foreigners living in the country this year despite growing anti-immigration sentiment, as the country grapples with problems caused by an aging and shrinking population.
Data showed 4.28 million foreigners staying in Japan as of the end of June, excluding short-term visitors, the Immigration Services Agency said on Friday.
That marks an increase of 156,000 people from the end of last year, and accounts for roughly 3.5 percent of Japan’s total population, according to calculations based on government estimates.
Immigration expert Toshihiro Menju told AFP that Japan is facing a labor shortage on all levels, from highly skilled professionals to service workers.
“With Japan’s population shrinking by more than 900,000 a year... we have no choice but to rely on foreign workers,” said Menju, a visiting professor at the Kansai University of International Studies.
Government measures such as “the use of AI and robotics, and greater (workforce) participation by women and older people cannot fully make up for the shortfall,” he added.
Japanese businesses have urged the government to come up with a comprehensive policy to support foreign residents.
But growing anti-immigration sentiment has prompted Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to push for stricter regulations.
Japan tightened rules for permanent residency this month, with foreigners required to have higher annual incomes and greater fluency in Japanese.
The self-described “Japanese-first” Sanseito party, which calls immigration a “silent invasion,” saw major gains in last year’s upper house election.
Posts on social media have falsely claimed that foreigners receive a significant portion of welfare payments and make Japanese streets less safe.
Menju said the new regulations may already be having an impact, with the number of foreign residents rising by about 300,000 over the past year, compared to an uptick of 360,000 the year before.
“If obtaining permanent residency becomes difficult, people will see less benefit in staying in Japan for the long term,” he said, adding that the weak yen and low wages may also push people away.
Still, he expects the foreigner population to reach 10 million in the 2040s due to labor shortage.
On Friday, the justice ministry also announced that the number of illegal overstayers has fallen to around 65,000 as of July 1, down 4.8 percent from the start of the year.