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August 11, 2026
 

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IMMIGRATION SERVICES AGENCY

The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
COMMUNITY
Aug 10, 2026
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The proposed requirements have left many angry, anxious and unable to plan for the future, with some reconsidering whether they can remain in the country at all.
The results of a public opinion poll conducted in May suggests that a growing number of people are becoming cautious about accepting more foreign workers.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 5, 2026
Support for accepting more foreign workers in Japan drops below 60%
The public opinion poll also found that more than one-third of people oppose the idea of expanding the number of foreign workers.
Holders of the Type 2 specified skilled foreign worker status are currently granted periods of stay for six months, one year, two years or three years.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2026
Japan to add five-year stay period for Type 2 foreign workers
Holders of the status are currently granted periods of stay for six months, one year, two years or three years.
Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2026
Current permanent residency applications to be judged using new income criteria
The income requirement the government introduced may be applied to applications submitted as early as April of this year.
Japan's new basic plan for immigration control and residency management calls for greater use of digital technology and data analysis in immigration screening.
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2026
Japan unveils new immigration plan focused on tighter regulations
The government¡¯s latest plan comes as the number of foreign residents reaches record levels, while Japan faces a shrinking population and labor shortages.
Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi holds a news conference Tuesday in Tokyo as Immigration Services Agency staffers hold up a poster promoting recruitment for inspectors and security officers.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2026
Immigration Services Agency to add 226 staff amid rise in foreign residents
The Immigration Services Agency will add 176 immigration inspectors, who review applications for residency status, and 50 immigration control officers.
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in the capital's Shinagawa Ward in March. Japan's revised guidelines for permanent residency are set to be introduced as early as Oct. 1 and applied to applications filed from April 2027.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2026
Tough new permanent residency measures trigger concern in Japan
The draft guidelines would introduce clearer income, pension, language and integration requirements, as the government seeks to tighten immigration controls.
The government is planning to create stricter requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in Japan.
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2026
Japan to impose tougher requirements for permanent residency, reports say
Income and pension requirements are expected to be part of revised requirements for foreign residents seeking the status.
The Immigration Services Agency plans to increase the number of its employees to cope with the growing number of foreign residents in Japan.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 23, 2026
Japan to add 200 workers to Immigration Services Agency
The personnel increase is aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal residents and speeding up residency status screenings.
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jul 20, 2026
The 180-day locals: Life on Â鶹´«Ã½ digital nomad visa
Â鶹´«Ã½ small but growing ranks of digital nomads have embraced the opportunity to embed themselves in a Japanese life ¡ª and take advantage of a weak yen.
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 3, 2026
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Under the new structure, fees will vary depending on the length of the permit, with those in the top bracket required to pay at least ?65,000.
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2026
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
The fee will be increased from the current ?3,000 to ?15,000 for a single-entry visa and from ?6,000 to ?30,000 for a multiple-entry visa starting July 1.
Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya speaks to reporters in parliament on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 17, 2026
Sanseito submits bill to create agency on policies related to foreign nationals
After submitting the bill, Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya expressed his dissatisfaction with the government¡¯s policies on foreign nationals.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is calling for ¡°strong and effective¡± controls on land acquisition to prevent individuals or entities deemed security risks from acquiring sensitive properties, regardless of nationality.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 12, 2026
LDP pushes tougher land and visa rules while avoiding nationality trap
Legal experts have argued that nationality-based restrictions could conflict with domestic law and international agreements.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Sakura Uchikoshi (right) and Kazuki Yuda of Touch Immigration Law Firm during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Monday
JAPAN / Society
Jun 8, 2026
Tighter immigration rules could tarnish Â鶹´«Ã½ image, opposition lawmaker says
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Sakura Uchikoshi cautions against a shift in Japan toward exclusionism and xenophobia.
Manish Kumar, who asked that his face not be shown, at his restaurant in Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, on June 1.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 8, 2026
Fear and uncertainty for foreign business owners after Japan revises rules
The life that restaurateur Manish Kumar built in Japan for he and his family has been upended after Japan enacted stricter rules for the business manager visa.
Shady business manager visa applications using shell companies can often be identified from the paperwork, with unusually small offices and addresses shared by multiple firms among the red flags.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2026
Dubious immigration brokers helped spark business manager visa crackdown
Shady immigration consulting firms, many in China, help people set up shell companies to apply for a business manager visa, or advertise the option of renting out properties.
Haneda Airport in April 2025. An immigration bill enacted Friday includes plans to introduce an electronic travel authorization system by March 2029.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 29, 2026
Japan enacts bill to drastically raise visa-related fees
Under the bill, the statutory upper limit for fees to change residency statuses or extend a period of stay will go from ?10,000 to ?100,000.
The Immigration Services Agency plans to strengthen enforcement by enhancing joint and independent crackdowns, encouraging information reporting and expanding cyber patrols.
JAPAN
May 22, 2026
Japan says it will crack down harder on illegal overstaying
The stronger crackdown measures come as the number of foreign nationals staying illegally fell to 68,488 as of Jan. 1, down from about 74,863 a year earlier.
Taro Tsurugashima presents a petition with 53,000 signatures calling for a revision to the stricter business manager visa eligibility requirements, on May 13 in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
May 21, 2026
Foreign business owners face frantic scramble to leave Japan amid tighter visa rules
Stricter criteria for the business manager visa has left many owners, some of whom have been in Japan for decades, out in the cold.
America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Speaking Japanese at the movies with ¡®Chiikawa¡¯
A "Chiikawa The Movie" poster is seen at Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
How Â鶹´«Ã½ racehorses find second careers away from the track
TCC Therapy Park is supported financially by racing organizations as well as donations from members of the public.
Will Takaichi¡¯s consumption tax cut break the LDP?
Despite months of debate, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi failed to gain consensus within the Liberal Democratic Party on a two-year reduction of the consumption tax.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
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