Overview

• On July 15, a coalition of four media organizations published a joint fact-check to dispel claims that foreign residents legally qualify for public assistance under Japan’s constitution
• The Public Assistance Act’s Articles 1 and 2 restrict formal entitlement to Japanese nationals, as reaffirmed by a 2014 Supreme Court Second Petty Bench ruling
• Since a 1954 Ministry of Welfare notification, prefectural governments have followed administrative measures to grant de facto welfare aid to permanent residents and other foreign nationals
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show about 47,000 foreign-headed households received public assistance as of April 2025, and no court has found such aid unconstitutional
• On July 16, five immigration policy researchers launched the “Immigration Policy Data Bank” website to vet and clarify claims about immigrant welfare policies during the election campaign