Starting Thursday, Japan will require foreign residents applying for permanent residency to show an above‑average annual income and be able to hold casual conversations in Japanese.

At the same time, the application fee will jump twenty‑fold, from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, prompting long queues at a central Tokyo immigration office as people try to file before the price increase.

Japan’s population is projected to be about 122.4 million in 2026. The country faces a rapidly ageing society and shortages of workers in many sectors, a situation that has long been cited as a reason to attract more overseas talent.

Nevertheless, opposition to immigration is rising. Politician Sanae Takaichi wrote on X that as the number of foreign residents grows, some citizens feel anxiety and unfairness, and she is pushing for tighter regulations and “orderly coexistence” with foreigners.

Experts and many business leaders, quoted in reports, warn that Japan must welcome more foreign workers if it wants to sustain its economy. An editorial in the Nikkei daily echoed this view, calling for the country to open its doors to more foreigners.

The new rules therefore sit at the centre of a debate: the government is tightening criteria, while economic voices stress that Japan still needs more foreign workers to keep its economy running.