Overview

• Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki on Aug. 29 published a report that initiates a whole-of-government review of how foreign resident intake affects public finances, wages, education and public safety.
• The Justice Ministry will establish a project team in the Immigration Services Agency to design study methods and coordinate with other ministries.
• The paper proposes scenario modeling that links intake scales to economic growth and calls for clarifying national and local roles alongside social integration programs.
• Possible policy tools under study include numerical caps on additional residence categories and temporary intake restrictions if social friction exceeds tolerance.
• Official figures cite 3.475 million foreign residents (2.8% of the population) and projections of a 10% share by 2070, with the report warning that threshold could arrive sooner.