Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

On September 29, Japan’s Immigration Services Agency announced that the number of foreign nationals residing in Japan under the “Specified Skilled Worker” visa status reached a record 444,256 as of the end of June 2026. That’s up 13.8% from the end of 2025, six months earlier, with the advanced “Type 2” category surging 2.3-fold to 18,295 people. Because Type 2 has no cap on renewals and allows family members to accompany the worker, threads on 5ch raised the question of whether this amounts to de facto immigration. While some see it as a necessary fix for labor shortages, others questioned working conditions using the phrase “low-wage slaves,” criticized lax entry screening, or proposed taxing companies that hire foreign workers, Singapore-style.

The Immigration Services Agency announced on the 29th that the number of foreign nationals residing in Japan under the work-related “Specified Skilled Worker” status reached a record 444,256 as of the end of June 2026.

That’s a 13.8% increase from six months earlier, at the end of 2025. Of these, the “Type 2” category, which requires advanced skills, rose 2.3-fold to 18,295 people.

(Omitted)

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

66AnonymousSep 29, 2026 19:42

27 cities/wards/towns where the foreign resident ratio has topped 10%

120AnonymousSep 29, 2026 20:03

Whoaaa! Permanent residency! World's fastest track! 😉👌

132AnonymousSep 29, 2026 20:08

You've all outlived your usefulness.

※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Newsplus) thread “‘Specified Skilled Worker’ foreigners hit a record 440,000 — up 13.8% from six months ago, as of end of June.”

In Toyama City’s national census, suspicion has emerged that city officials treated households the census takers had struck off — for having no actual residents — as “existing,” without any basis. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications views this as an inflation of the population count and has launched an on-site investigation; media outlets have also reportedly received a tip alleging similar padding occurred in the census five years ago. On the forum, opinions were split over whether the motive for the padding was to boost local allocation tax grants, or to protect the 400,000-population threshold required for core city status, and over whether the Ministry or Toyama City bears the responsibility.

Regarding the over-reporting in Toyama City’s national census, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has indicated “there is suspicion the population was padded.” It states that households which census takers had struck off for having no actual residents were treated by city officials as existing, without any basis.

Source: 47news.jp / Original article here

*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (News Express+) thread “Suspicion of population padding and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications….”