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August 12, 2026
 

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VISAS

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.
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.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets supporters during his trip to New York City in June 2023.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2026
Why can¡¯t Indian immigrants influence policy in America?
Despite this remarkable ascent, Indian Americans have failed where it arguably matters most for a diaspora: influencing Washington¡¯s policy toward their country of origin.
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.
People protest against the Trump administration¡¯s student?visa policy at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 24, 2026
America is closing the door on opportunity ¡ª and talent
Every additional administrative hurdle, every increase in uncertainty and every signal that foreigners are less welcome discourages applications.
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.
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2026
¡®My dream is broken¡¯: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
¡°I always wanted to become a bridge between Japan and Nepal ... but my dream is broken,¡± Budhathoki Samjhana said.
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ?3,000 from ?1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2026
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Previously set at ?1,000, the tax has risen to ?3,000 for all travelers departing Japan, regardless of nationality.
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.
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.
The fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers was raised from about $2,000 to $5,000, depending on various factors, to $100,000 following an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump in September last year.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 9, 2026
Trump¡¯s $100,000 H-1B visa fee is unlawful, U.S. judge rules
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin concluded that the fee on the visas for highly skilled foreign workers constituted an unlawful tax Congress never authorized.
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.
Members of the Kawasaki Foreign Resident Council discuss issues faced by foreign residents during a meeting on May 17.
COMMUNITY / Issues
May 31, 2026
As immigration rises, Kawasaki¡¯s foreign council shows path toward inclusion
The council aims to improve the lives of foreign residents and foster a harmonious co-existence with native Japanese.
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.
Yachts moored to a pier in Auckland. New Zealand will let wealthy foreign nationals count philanthropic donations toward the investment requirement of its most popular golden visa category.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 25, 2026
New Zealand to ease golden visa investment criteria to allow philanthropy
Demand for New Zealand¡¯s golden visa ¡ª which offers residency in exchange for investments ¡ª has been strong since the government revamped the rules in April 2025.
¡®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.
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.
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.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®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 Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
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.

Podcast

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

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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