Tokyo —
Zen gardens, futuristic cityscapes and a vibrant food scene, combined with a favorable exchange rate against the yen, have made Japan a tourist destination attracting record numbers of visitors in recent years.
The number of people settling down for long-term stays, including work and study, also hit a record high last year. This is likely due to the reliable security and convenient infrastructure provided by the world’s fourth largest economy.
But recently, a series of strict immigration policies imposed by the government have people who have come to call Japan their second home wondering, “Is it time to say goodbye?” ” I am wondering.
Japan has a long history of strict immigration policies and a homogeneous population. But as the demographic crisis deepens, the country not only seeks more foreign tourists, but also gradually opens up to foreign workers.
However, such efforts were not completely successful.
Reports (some true, some misguided) of overtourism and expatriates flouting local rules have recently fueled the rise of a “Japan first” politics, reshaping the trajectory towards a more open, diverse and welcoming society.
Last month, Japan’s government, led by conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, announced it would increase various visa fees in October, the latest in a series of tougher measures against foreigners.
Under the new rules, people who want to live permanently in Japan will have to pay 20 times that amount to 200,000 yen ($1,257) to become a permanent resident.
Prices for other work and student visas will also increase.
Minister of Justice Hiroshi Hiraguchi said the purpose of raising fees is to build “an orderly society where foreigners and Japanese people coexist.”
For this reason, some foreign residents in Japan are concerned that this may be the beginning of a trend of tightening of policies against new entrants.
The most drastic changes will affect people who plan to stay in Japan for a long time – those who apply for permanent residence, which gives them the right to work, unrestricted entry and the right to stay indefinitely.
Starting in October, applicants will be required to have an income level higher than the average household in Japan. And from April next year, those seeking permanent residence will need to set aside a pension fund equivalent to 30 years’ worth of payments. You must also speak Japanese at an intermediate level.
At a press conference last month, Hiraguchi said, “Considering that permanent resident is the most stable status of residence, we have made the necessary amendments to the application of the independent living requirements and national interest requirements so that applicants do not become a burden to the people.”
Earlier this year, the government also tightened rules for foreign business owners, raising capital requirements for business management visas popular with entrepreneurs from 5 million yen ($31,000) to 30 million yen ($126,000).
Last year, the number of foreign residents reached 4.1 million, a record high and equivalent to approximately 3.4% of Japan’s population. More than 930,000 Chinese people live in Japan, making them the largest group, but about 70,000 Americans also live in Japan.
The recent changes followed reports that some foreign residents were inflating house prices and avoiding paying public health insurance. Japan has a national healthcare system in which all residents must pay a monthly or annual fee to receive discounted medical services.
Some companies have been accused of setting up shell companies and exploiting relatively affordable policies to obtain residency rights, prompting calls for loopholes to be closed.
The surge in tourists has also been blamed by some locals for inconveniencing them and raising the cost of living, and political commentators say the problem is sometimes wrongly blamed on foreign residents.
This anger fueled the rise of the Sansei Party, a small right-wing party that rallied against immigration in recent elections and put pressure on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party government.
However, the government’s new policy has raised concerns among foreigners who are building a life in the country.
Some executives complain that the new capital requirements, which have skyrocketed six times, have drastically reduced cash flow and made their businesses unsustainable.
Many Indian and Nepalese restaurants were reportedly forced to close after owners, most of whom had come from their home countries seeking business opportunities in Japan, claimed that their visa renewals had been denied.
One of those affected by the new regulations is a transgender teacher from the United States who asked CNN to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardizing her immigration status.
She and her American spouse have lived in Japan for nearly 10 years and speak Japanese fluently, but her ongoing plans to become permanent residents are now even more difficult, she told CNN.
“Our long-term goal has always been to obtain permanent residency, which is prohibitively expensive, especially under the current proposed guidelines,” she said. “Of course, it’s money you’re saving, but it’s a totally unexpected expense.”
Her gender identity also adds to the difficulty. Currently, her passport identifies him as a man and he is married to a woman. Japan doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage, so she can’t change that. This would eliminate the possibility of using a spouse visa in Japan, which would be a back-up option to stay in Japan if the current work visa expires.
Kazuki Yuda, an immigration lawyer at Tokyo-based Touch Immigration Law Office, said there has been a recent spike in inquiries as people rushed to apply before the new changes took effect.
He said the new rules are too strict and he expects the number of people eligible for permanent residence to drop significantly.
As neighboring countries from South Korea to Singapore loosen regulations to attract young talent, Takaichi’s government is walking a fine line between the need to quell public anger at the hands of political opponents and the urgent need to replenish the domestic workforce.
Japan’s fertility rate – the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime – fell to a 10-year low of 1.14 last year, but appears to have risen slightly in the first half of this year, according to official statistics.
A birth rate of at least 2.1 is required to maintain a stable population without immigration. As a result, Japan finds itself in a precarious position, caught between a lack of local people to fill the workforce and distrust of immigrants who provide the workforce.
For some people, Japan was already losing its attractiveness as a work destination, as the yen fell to a 40-year low against the dollar. Now, some people are having second thoughts, worried about visa costs and uncertainty.
Sarah Nelkin, who came to Japan to study abroad more than 10 years ago, wrote about X, “As a new graduate, this kind of tuition would have been impossible for me.I’m still living on the edge.”
“When I look at the Japanese market 10 years from now, I feel deep down that things are heading for a serious turn of events,” wrote Nelkin, now a media producer based in Japan.
Fix:
A previous version of the article did not mention Sarah Nelkin by name and referred to her as a student.
