As the number of tourists visiting Japan has been rising over recent year, the country has now created a dedicated government body in order to address any issues created by overtourism and unruly foreigners in general. As the national elections approach, the subject of both permanent and temporary foreign residents divides the country.
With the upcoming election for the House of Councillors, Japan’s upper house of parliament, on 20 July 2025, policies concerning non-Japanese residents are proving to be at the center of the public opinion. Although Japan has long had strict immigration laws in order to maintain a ‘homogenous population’, that policy has eased over the last couple of years, in order to make up for the ageing working force.
Japanese right-wingers insist foreigners are on a crime spree in Japan. But Tsurugashima city legislator Fukushima Megumi pulled 2024's crime numbers and found that arrests of non-citizens are significantly lower than arrests of Japanese citizens. pic.twitter.com/JkCpCOt7K2
— Unseen Japan (@UnseenJapanSite) June 12, 2025
In 2024, the number of foreign nationals in Japan reached a record high at 3.8 million – representing about 3% of the total population. Moreover, the country also welcomed an astonishing 36.8 million tourists in 2024 – with a big surge in tourist numbers from the US, Europe, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. However, according to police data, foreign nationals have been responsible for about 2% of all reported incidents, a number that has been a constant over the last decade.
That rise in foreigners, both permanent and temporary, has nonetheless created tensions. As the national election approaches, polls notable show a rise of the populist party Sanseito, advocating a ‘Japanese First’ agenda, which could come in second. Some of the party’s key points include ending welfare support for foreigners, prohibiting their employment in the public sector, establishing a centralised immigration agency, and advocating stricter cultural conformity by foreigners. The Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito, however, could lose their majority in the upper house.
Protesters, ravers and Redditors proudly show off their signs written in English directed to anti-immigrant party Sanseito in Tokyo: pic.twitter.com/4op2i1PB0H
— Callisto Roll (@callistoroll) July 13, 2025
Stricter foreigners management
In June, a group of lawmakers in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party proposed a set of measures to obtain a “society of orderly and harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals”. Amongst the proposals were stricter requirements for foreigners who wish to obtain a Japanese driver’s license or buy real estate.
Now, those proposals have led to the creation of a dedicated government body within the Cabinet Secretariat, which will act as a cross-agency control tower for any issues related with foreigners, both residents and tourists.
“Crimes and disorderly conduct by some foreigners, as well as the inappropriate use of various administrative systems, have created a situation in which the public feels uneasy and cheated,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said during the opening ceremony.
Even though the populist party Sanseito has the strictest agenda when it comes to handling foreigners, it seems like almost all Japanese political parties are tightening their opinions in order to reach as many voters as possible. For example, the Liberal Democratic Party advocates for “zero illegal foreigners” and coalition partner Komeito promises to improve residence management.
