The Jesuit Social Center has added a new column to its Home Page dedicated to the situation of Japan's growing foreign population. One new trend in Japanese society: for several years, Koreans were the second-largest foreign group in Japan, but they have now been overtaken by about 681,000 Vietnamese living in Japan. All told, there could be 4,125,000 foreigners living and working in Japan now. That means 3.35% of the total population of Japan.
My name is Ando Isamu. I am a staff member of this social center and have a long-standing interest in this topic. I belong to the so-called “double” persons who have lived in Japan for 68 years.
The presence of foreign workers here has been widely reported in the mass media, but it has never affected the country's political machinery. That is no longer true. Japanese politics needs to directly address the growing foreign population and offer clear policies to the public.
Recently, the government and opposition parties addressed the issue in their political programs during last year's general elections for the House of Representatives.
My intention is to provide information about issues affecting foreigners living and working in Japan.
The information is based on a compilation of public data, with analysis informed by my personal experience. I plan to offer a series of short reports over a long period, in the hope of receiving a wide range of responses from readers of this column. The reports will be available in Japanese, English, and Spanish.
On January 23, 2026, the Japanese government finalized its basic policy on foreign nationals. The policy covers areas such as creating programs to teach the Japanese language and social customs, as well as the requirements for acquiring Japanese citizenship or permanent residence status. It places significant emphasis on an "orderly society" as a prerequisite for coexistence with foreign nationals. At the same time, the policy addresses the need to respond to the social changes brought about by the growing foreign population, even as there are fears that it could lead to social division.
