As Japan’s population shrinks and ages, questions about how the country should respond to its changing workforce are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. While some argue that more foreign workers are needed to address labor shortages, a new survey suggests that opposition to accepting more foreigners may be growing, particularly among younger Japanese.
The University of Tokyo’s Institute of Social Science found that 56.3% of respondents opposed accepting more foreigners to settle in Japan — a 20.7 percentage-point increase from 2024. The rise was especially pronounced among younger generations, while those who felt that “there is no hope for Japanese society” were more likely to shift toward opposition.
A Growing Sense of Pessimism
The findings come at a sensitive time for Japan’s immigration debate. The number of foreign residents and foreign workers in the country has reached record levels, while the government has continued to expand programs allowing foreign nationals to work in Japan. At the same time, questions about how many foreigners Japan should accept have become increasingly prominent.
For younger respondents, the shift is particularly striking given the broader anxieties reflected in the survey. For those coming of age amid economic uncertainty, rising living costs and a changing labor market, concerns about Japan’s future may carry particular weight. Whether these anxieties are influencing attitudes toward immigration, however, is less clear.
A Climate of Anxiety
Professor Shin Arita of the institute pointed to the broader social climate as a possible factor behind the shift in public attitudes toward immigration. “Opposition may have intensified as people were exposed to more negative discussions regarding the acceptance of foreign nationals, driven by anxiety and dissatisfaction with society,” he said.
Taken together, the findings point to a broader climate of uncertainty around Japan’s future, with increasingly negative discussions online forming part of the backdrop to the debate over accepting more foreign nationals. For younger people in particular, these conversations are unfolding alongside economic uncertainty and rising living costs, creating a complex backdrop for how they view the country’s changing society.
About the Survey
The panel survey follows selected respondents over time, regularly asking about changes in their lifestyles and other aspects of their lives. This year, approximately 3,800 people provided valid responses, with questions covering a range of social and lifestyle issues. Questions about accepting foreign nationals are included roughly once every two years.
Related Posts
- US Visa Applicants From Japan Now Require Disclosing 5 Years of Social Media History
- Japanese PhD Student Has Visa Revoked in the US Due to Alleged Criminal History
- Renewing a Japanese Visa, More Fun Every Year
Updated On August 10, 2026
