Tokyo, Japan – After nearly eight years living and working in Japan, Abdul finds himself questioning his future in the country he once hoped to call home.
As Tokyo moves to tighten permanent residency requirements and anti-immigrant sentiment grows, Abdul is now preparing for the possibility that he may have to leave.
“I don’t know what the Japanese government will do in the future, if they’ll make things stricter again,” said Abdul, a tech engineer in northern Tokyo who requested anonymity. He lives there with his Bangladeshi wife and is preparing to apply for permanent residency and citizenship.
“I have to be prepared if both of my applications are rejected,” Abdul said. “Right now, I am starting to look for opportunities outside of Japan.”
Under new rules taking effect in phases from October 1, applicants for permanent residency must demonstrate that their annual household income exceeds the Japanese average—a requirement applied retroactively to applications submitted since April—and prove Japanese-language proficiency. They must also show a pension pot equivalent to 30 years of payouts.
Japan’s Immigration Services Agency said the changes are intended to ensure foreigners “live independently” and have “a stable life without the risk of becoming a burden”.
Sarah Nelkin, an American who has lived in Japan for 14 years, is among the many long-term residents who fear they may not qualify under the new rules.
A fan of Japanese animation and video games, Nelkin first came to Japan as a university student and built a career in the country’s entertainment industry. Like Abdul, she submitted her permanent residency application shortly before the announcement of the changes.
If her application is rejected, Nelkin plans to apply for Japanese citizenship—but that would require giving up her US citizenship, as Japan does not recognize dual nationality.
“I’ve lived my entire adult life in Japan … I would rather not give up my American passport. My mother lives in the US, and I want to retain my citizenship for a lot of reasons, like visiting family,” Nelkin said. “But at this point, I might have to give up my American nationality.”
Risa Hagiwara, a professor of economics at Meikai University, said the changes reflect a shift toward a “selective and conditional” immigration policy that clashes with Japan’s labor needs amid a shrinking population.
“Japan needs foreign workers because of labour shortages. But if the conditions for long-term settlement become substantially more difficult, this could potentially reduce Japan’s attractiveness to foreign workers who are considering Japan as a place to build their long-term lives,” Hagiwara said.
Hot-button issue
Immigration has become an increasingly contentious topic in historically homogeneous Japan.
Japan’s foreign resident population remains small compared with developed peers such as the United Kingdom and France, where 10 to 15 percent of residents were born overseas. But it has been growing fast, hitting a record 4.12 million people, or about 3 percent of the total population, as of the end of 2025, according to government data.
By some estimates, Japan’s foreign-born population could reach the OECD average of 10 percent by 2070.
Meanwhile, the number of Japanese nationals fell by more than 900,000 between January 2025 and 2026 amid the country’s rock-bottom birthrate, according to government figures.
Hagiwara said Japan is at a crossroads as foreign-born residents play an increasingly important role in Japanese society.
“If Japan wants to rely on foreign workers to address labour shortages, it also needs to consider what happens after they come to Japan,” Hagiwara said. “The question is increasingly not only ‘how many foreign workers does Japan need?’, but also ‘what kind of society does Japan want to build with the people who come here?’”
Japan’s proposed immigration overhaul comes amid a broader rightward shift in the country’s politics.
While campaigning for the leadership of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party last year, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the country should “reconsider, at least for now, policies that allow in people with completely different cultures and backgrounds”.
Takaichi’s subsequent coalition agreement with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party pledged a firm stance against foreigners who break the rules, as well as steps to address “potential social friction” from a growing foreign population.
At the same time, the far-right, anti-immigration Sanseito party has gained ground with its “Japan First” messaging, winning a record 15 seats at the most recent lower-house election to become the third-largest opposition party.
Public opinion has also moved against immigrants.
In a recent survey by the Institute of Social Science at the University of Tokyo, 56.3 percent of Japanese people said they opposed accepting more foreigners, up from 35.6 percent in 2024.
Nelkin and Abdul have both felt the change in sentiment.
“Before 2024, I never felt any discrimination against foreigners, but recently there has been a shift … especially online,” Abdul said.
Nelkin said peers have become outspoken in their dislike of foreigners.
“Even seemingly decent people are just saying racist stuff,” she said. “I’ve worked for this country and specifically avoided breaking any rules, and they’re saying you are never enough,” she added. “That’s really hard.”