Nearly Half of Foreign Residents in Japan Report Discrimination as Policy Disputes Deepen

47 percent report unfair treatment in daily life

Japan's Immigration Services Agency (ISA) found that 47 percent of foreign residents responding to a national survey had experienced discrimination in everyday life. Conducted between October and November 2025, the survey contacted 20,000 foreign residents and special permanent residents aged 18 or older and received 8,874 valid responses.

The findings show a gap between Japan's growing need for foreign workers and the treatment many encounter after they arrive. Housing refusals, unequal treatment at work and obstacles to public services sit alongside disputes over government hiring, religious burial and the cost of maintaining legal residence.

Japan's foreign population has reached record levels as the government seeks workers to help offset an aging society and a shrinking workforce. Many foreign residents also value the country's safety and stability. Those positive experiences can exist alongside prejudice and exclusion, as a separate survey in Saitama Prefecture demonstrates.

The ISA survey recorded 53 percent saying they had not experienced discrimination. Its annual comparison contains an inconsistency: the 47 percent discrimination figure is described as 0.8 percentage point lower than the previous year, while the share reporting no discrimination is also described as falling by 0.8 percentage point. With the two answers accounting for the full total, both shares cannot have fallen together. The direction of the annual change is therefore unclear, but the current finding remains that nearly half of respondents reported discrimination.

The survey, part of a series begun years earlier, asked residents to reflect on different experiences rather than one particular incident. These included derogatory remarks, refusal of housing, unequal pay and barriers to public services. Its purpose is to help officials understand how well foreign residents are being included in Japanese society.

Housing, jobs and everyday services

A Justice Ministry survey in 2017 found that nearly one third of foreign residents had faced derogatory remarks. About 40 percent of those who had searched for housing during the preceding five years said they had been turned away because of their nationality.

Some residents reported real estate notices stating 'foreigners not accepted.' Landlords often point to language difficulties, fears about unpaid rent or cultural misunderstandings. Civil rights groups say these explanations can conceal racial bias and leave foreign residents dependent on specialized agents, accommodation supplied by employers or informal networks.

For someone looking for a home, that narrower choice can affect more than an address. Dependence on company housing can connect accommodation to employment, while reliance on personal contacts makes access depend on whom a resident knows. The housing findings help explain why discrimination can shape ordinary decisions about where to live.

The 2017 survey also found that one in four respondents who had applied for a job said they were denied employment because they were foreign. One in five believed they received less pay than Japanese colleagues doing similar work. Figures reported in 2024 put the average salary of foreign workers 28 percent below that of Japanese workers.

Unequal pay, unpaid overtime and dangerous assignments have been described as particularly widespread among participants in the Technical Intern Training Program. The United States State Department and United Nations human rights bodies have criticized the program as a channel for labor exploitation and human trafficking.

Foreign residents have also reported refusals by barbers, convenience stores and landlords. Such incidents can leave people feeling accepted as workers or customers while excluded as neighbors. The persistence of housing and employment complaints across the surveys suggests that policy changes have yet to produce a decisive improvement in everyday treatment.

Saitama residents value life in Japan

Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, offers a more positive picture of daily life without removing the concern about discrimination. A prefectural survey conducted from November to December 2025 received 1,064 valid responses from foreign residents.

More than 90 percent were satisfied with life in the prefecture: 49 percent said they were 'satisfied' and 43 percent 'somewhat satisfied.' Together, those figures amount to 92 percent. Respondents valued public safety, ease of living and opportunities to understand Japanese culture and customs.

A combined 84 percent hoped to remain in Saitama for at least another two years, and nearly 60 percent wanted to live there permanently. As of June 2025, the prefecture had 277,209 foreign residents, representing about 3.8 percent of its population.

Among the 5 percent who were unsatisfied or somewhat unsatisfied, 39 percent cited discrimination against foreigners as the main cause. That figure concerns the dissatisfied group, rather than all respondents. It shows why high satisfaction and concern about unequal treatment can appear in the same survey.

Residents requested more multilingual information, help learning Japanese, more comprehensive welfare packages and a dedicated campaign against discriminatory views. Comments included calls for stronger Japanese language training and demands for stricter rules to ensure all residents followed local laws.

A representative of Saitama's international affairs division said the prefecture would use the results to shape services, particularly language education.

We will be taking full advantage of these findings in designing and developing dedicated programs for citizens from abroad, especially Japanese language training.

Saitama has conducted these surveys since 2013 to understand foreign residents' views and needs. The latest findings point to a population that largely wants to stay while asking for practical support and fairer treatment.

Mie considers restoring a nationality rule

Mie Governor Katsuyuki Ichimi has proposed bringing back a Japanese nationality requirement for many prefectural jobs. Mie removed the condition for general administrative positions in fiscal 1999, following a trend that began in the 1970s to reduce discrimination against ethnic Koreans and other foreign residents seeking public employment.

Twelve prefectures have removed nationality requirements, although restrictions remain for positions involving the exercise of public authority, such as granting licenses or carrying out inspections. The debate in Mie concerns whether to broaden nationality restrictions again.

Ichimi argues that prefectural employees handle residents' personal information and sensitive material concerning dignitaries, infrastructure and agriculture. Citing changes in the international situation, he has suggested that foreign employees could face pressure from their home countries to disclose confidential information.

Mie added a detailed question to its annual 'survey of 10,000 Mie residents,' asking whether hiring foreign nationals should 'continue,' 'not continue,' or whether respondents 'don't know.' The question warns that confidentiality duties could be breached because some countries require citizens to cooperate with government information gathering.

Mayors challenge the hiring proposal

Iga Mayor Toshinao Inamori submitted a written request to remove the survey question, arguing that it 'undermines multicultural coexistence and could encourage discrimination or hate speech.' In January 2026, he explained his objection in terms of the effect on foreign employees already serving the prefecture.

It belittles foreign employees already working for the prefecture and deeply injures their dignity.

Nabari Mayor Hiroyuki Kitagawa, who also chairs a committee studying ordinances against discrimination, warned that the question could lead residents to absorb the idea that 'foreign staff are dangerous.' Human rights groups have also strongly objected.

Yokkaichi Mayor Tomohiro Mori said his city had no intention of changing its policy. Yokkaichi has hired foreign workers since fiscal 2002. Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura also criticized Mie's proposal, saying his prefecture had experienced no information leaks because it trains all employees in information management.

Commentators have described Ichimi's plan as a move against inclusion and called for its withdrawal. The disagreement centers on whether nationality should determine access to jobs or whether confidentiality should be managed through rules and training applying to every employee.

Mie's use of the survey has also drawn concerns about transparency and democratic accountability. The 2025 survey received 4,592 responses, or 45.9 percent of the 10,000 people contacted, and response rates have been declining. Those respondents represent a small fraction of the prefecture's roughly 1.7 million residents.

A survey of a sample can help a government understand public views, but its wording and the people who respond matter when officials use it to support a major policy reversal. In Mie, objections concern both the reach of the survey and a question that places foreign employees within a warning about security risks.

Muslim families face a shortage of burial sites

Muslim residents face another form of exclusion when arranging funerals. Islamic tradition requires burial of the body, usually within 24 hours, with the body facing Mecca. Cremation is forbidden.

Japan handles more than 99 percent of deaths through cremation, while fewer than a dozen cemeteries nationwide accept Muslim burials. No Muslim burial site exists west of the Chugoku region, leaving families in Kansai and Kyushu with few choices.

The central government began surveying 129 prefectures and major cities in January 2026 about cemetery regulations and capacity for burial without cremation. The exercise reflects growing official attention to the shortage, although it has largely been framed as an issue of foreign resident policy rather than accommodation of religious belief.

Some observers say that framing affects local acceptance. Treating burial mainly as a matter concerning foreigners can overlook Muslims who are Japanese citizens, as well as residents who have made Japan their home for many years.

In Hiji Town, Oita Prefecture, a local Islamic association secured municipal land for a cemetery, limited the number of plots and conducted groundwater testing. A candidate who opposed the cemetery won the 2024 mayoral election and subsequently halted the land sale.

In Sakuragawa City, Ibaraki Prefecture, an organization affiliated with Buddhism withdrew its application for a burial site after residents complained about inadequate consultation. Opposition to cemetery projects has sometimes included racist rhetoric and misinformation, including unfounded claims about water contamination.

Some commentators have suggested sending deceased Muslim residents to their countries of origin. Many Muslims in Japan, however, are citizens or residents who have lived there for years, making burial a question of belonging within the communities where they live.

Miyagi Governor Murai Yoshihiro has proposed a cemetery for earth burial for foreign residents, attracting hundreds of complaints. A cemetery run by a Kyoto temple has quietly begun providing a limited number of Muslim burial plots. These efforts show that solutions exist, but access remains uneven.

Growing recruitment and weak labor protection

Japan's need for workers drives much of its foreign resident policy. The population of working age has been shrinking for years, and labor shortages have consistently exceeded 3 million people. Foreign workers numbered roughly 2.3 million by the end of 2024, nearly three times the level a decade earlier.

Many foreign workers fill jobs in caregiving, construction and food processing, among other sectors facing acute shortages. Their contribution is increasingly necessary, while the legal framework often treats them as temporary labor rather than people who may build lasting lives in Japan.

The Technical Intern Training Program was officially designed to transfer skills. It has also become a major source of labor at low wages. Trainees are frequently tied to one employer, prevented from changing jobs and housed in company dormitories.

A Health Ministry inspection found labor law violations at 73.2 percent of companies employing technical interns that it inspected. Combined with complaints about pay, overtime and hazardous assignments, the finding points to substantial problems in the workplaces examined.

The program is scheduled to be replaced in 2027 by a system connecting training with employment. Critics regard the proposed change as a rebranding rather than sufficient reform. The practical issue for workers is whether the replacement will improve their ability to leave abusive employment and secure lawful working conditions.

Visa rules shape family life and settlement

The Specified Skilled Worker visa system provides another route into jobs Japan needs filled. Its lower tier, Specified Skilled Worker (i), allows a stay of up to five years and does not permit workers to bring family members.

Time spent in that status does not count toward permanent residency. Permanent residency gives a person greater security to remain in the country, so the way time is counted matters to workers considering whether Japan can become their lasting home.

The higher tier, Specified Skilled Worker (ii), does offer a route to permanent residency, but its requirements are strict and few workers have qualified. Critics describe this structure as an approach that uses labor without providing the security needed for lasting settlement and participation in community life.

Workers who lose their immigration status can face especially harsh conditions. Immigration detention has drawn criticism over prolonged confinement, inadequate medical care and violent enforcement.

In 2021, a Sri Lankan woman died at an immigration detention center in Nagoya after her requests for medical treatment were reportedly denied. Her death drew international condemnation and prompted protests in Japan. The case remains part of the wider debate over how authorities treat people whose permission to stay has expired or is otherwise unresolved.

Higher residence fees take effect in October

A revision to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law enacted in May 2026 will increase charges for residence procedures. The changes are scheduled to take effect in October 2026.

Fees for changing or renewing residence status will rise from a flat 6,000 yen to a range of 10,000 yen to 75,000 yen. Permanent residence application fees will increase from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen, making that charge 20 times its previous level.

A national opinion poll conducted in July 2026 found that 56.0 percent supported the increases and 20.8 percent opposed them. Support therefore exceeded opposition by 35.2 percentage points.

The support for higher charges suggests that many voters view foreign residents as a fiscal burden rather than as taxpayers and community members. For workers earning low wages, the new costs may make renewal or an application for permanent residency harder to afford.

The fee changes connect immigration administration with the wider question of stability. Employers need workers, while workers need an affordable way to maintain lawful residence and plan their lives. Higher charges may reinforce the insecurity the government says it wants to reduce.

What Japan has done and what comes next

Japan introduced a hate speech law in 2016, but it lacks penalties and has been criticized as weak. The government has also funded Japanese language education and multilingual consultation services, while some local authorities have adopted ordinances against discrimination and expanded support for foreign residents.

The ISA surveys themselves show official recognition of the problem. Saitama's findings give a practical example of how local governments can identify needs, including language support, welfare services and measures against discriminatory views.

High satisfaction in Saitama and widespread reports of discrimination nationally describe different parts of the same experience. A person can value safety, want to stay permanently and still face refusal when seeking a home, a job or a service. Improving daily life requires attention to workplace practices, housing access, public services and ordinary interactions, alongside legal changes and public awareness campaigns.

Several dates explain how these issues have developed and when the next scheduled changes arrive:

• 2016: Japan introduced a hate speech law without penalties.
• 2017: A Justice Ministry survey documented derogatory remarks, housing refusals and unequal employment treatment.
• 2021: A Sri Lankan woman's death in immigration detention in Nagoya prompted protests and international condemnation.
• October to November 2025: The ISA conducted its national survey of foreign residents.
• November to December 2025: Saitama conducted its foreign resident survey.
• January 2026: The government began its cemetery survey, and Inamori challenged Mie's hiring survey question.
• May 2026: The revision increasing residence procedure fees became law.
• July 2026: A national poll recorded majority support for the higher fees.
• October 2026: The new residence fees are scheduled to take effect.
• 2027: The replacement for the Technical Intern Training Program is scheduled to begin.

As of July 17, 2026, Japan faces a practical challenge: the foreign residents helping sustain its workforce also need fair treatment as neighbors, employees and members of local communities. The surveys identify that gap, while the hiring, burial and fee disputes show how government decisions can either ease or deepen it.

Key Points

• The ISA survey received 8,874 valid responses, with 47 percent reporting discrimination and 53 percent reporting none.
• The description of the annual change is inconsistent, so its direction is unclear.
• The 2017 survey recorded housing refusals affecting about 40 percent of foreign residents who had searched for a home.
• Saitama recorded 92 percent satisfaction, while discrimination was the main complaint for 39 percent of its dissatisfied respondents.
• Mie's proposed nationality requirement for prefectural jobs has drawn opposition from mayors and human rights groups.
• Fewer than a dozen cemeteries accept Muslim burials, and several proposed sites have faced local opposition.
• Foreign workers numbered roughly 2.3 million by the end of 2024, while labor protections and routes to settlement remain contested.
• Residence fees are scheduled to rise in October 2026, including a permanent residence application fee of 200,000 yen.
• The Technical Intern Training Program is scheduled to be replaced in 2027.