[Info. File] Current Status of Foreign Residents in Japan (as of the end of June 2025)

Based on a press release by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan

the number of

On October 10, 2025, the Immigration Services Agency published a press release titled "Number of Foreign Residents as of the End of June 2025" regarding

[Figure 1] Trends in the Number of Foreign Residents

Source: Created by the author based on e-Stat "Statistics on Foreign Residents (formerly Statistics on Registered Foreigners)"

(Note 1) All figures are for the end of the year except for the end of June 2025.
(Note 2) Foreign residents refer to long-term residents and special permanent residents. (Short-term visitors such as tourists are not included.)

According to the press release, the number of foreign residents in Japan at the end of June 2025 reached a record high of 3,956,619 (an increase of 187,642, or 5.0%, compared to the end of the previous year) (Figure 1). Looking at past trends, although there were temporary decreases from the time of the 2008 Lehman Shock to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and from around 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of foreign residents in Japan has been on a continuous upward trend.

In particular, the growth rate has been high since 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Specified Skills Visa program, which began in 2019, has accelerated the acceptance of foreign labor and is thought to be driving the increase in foreign residents in recent years. The total number has almost doubled in approximately 13 years from 2,033,456 at the end of 2012.

[Figure 2]Composition ratio of foreign residents by nationality/region (as of the end of June 2025)

Source: Compiled by the author based on the Immigration Services Agency (2025a), “Published Materials (as of the End of June 2025).”

Foreign residents in Japan are predominantly from Asia. China tops the list with 900,738 residents (22.8%), followed by Vietnam with 660,483 (16.7%) and South Korea with 409,584 (10.4%). Together, these three countries account for nearly half of all foreign residents (Figure 2). Nepal ranks fifth with 273,229 residents (6.9%), and recorded the largest year-on-year increase—40,186 people, a significant 17.2% rise. Indonesia also saw notable growth, with an increase of 30,865 people (15.4%), the second largest increase among all nationalities.

[Figure 3]Composition by status of residence (as of the end of June 2025)

Source: Compiled by the author based on the Immigration Services Agency (2025a), “Published Materials (as of the End of June 2025).”

(Note 1) "Designated Activities" refers to a status of residence designated by a Minister of Justice notification for over 50 diverse activities, including "Working Holiday," "Job Hunting after Technical Internship," "Job Hunting for University Graduates," and "Asylum Applicant."
(Note 2) "Other" includes statuses of residence such as "Highly Skilled Professional," "Professor," "Artist," "Religious Activities," "Journalist," "Business Manager," "Medical Professional," "Researcher," "Educator," "Skilled Worker," and "Intra-company Transferee."
(Note 3) "Special Permanent Resident" is a status of residence established to guarantee the post-war legal status of people from the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan who resided in Japan before World War II, and their descendants.

Looking at the breakdown by residence status, the largest group is "permanent residents," with 932,090 people (23.6% of the total) (Figure 3). Of particular note is the rapid increase in "specified skilled workers." The number of foreign residents under the specified skilled worker status has reached 336,196 (8.5% of the total), a significant increase of 51,730 people (18.2%) compared to the end of the previous year. This is thought to be due to the rapid transition from technical intern training to specified skilled workers and the increasing number of new applicants.

Among the other major residence statuses, "engineer/specialist in humanities/international services," which allows individuals to work in jobs that utilize what they have learned at universities or vocational schools, accounts for 458,109 people (11.6% of the total), a 9.4% increase compared to the end of the previous year. The number of students participating in "technical intern training" decreased by 1.6% to 449,432 (11.4%), while the number of students participating in "studying abroad" increased by 8.2% to 435,203 (11.0%), confirming a trend of international students returning to Japan after the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Table 1] Prefectures with the Largest Foreign Resident Populations (as of June 2025)

Source: Compiled by the author based on the Immigration Services Agency (2025a), “Published Materials (as of the End of June 2025).”

More than 50% of the total number of foreign residents are concentrated in the five prefectures shown in Table 1. Looking at the increase rate from the end of the previous year, Osaka Prefecture had the highest increase (8.0%), followed by Chiba Prefecture (6.9%) and Oita Prefecture (6.8%). Furthermore, there are distinctive characteristics in the composition of residence status of foreign residents depending on the region. In metropolitan areas such as Tokyo and Osaka, there are many professionals, while in rural areas there tends to be a higher proportion of technical interns and specified skilled workers.

In Japan, where the birthrate is declining and the population is aging, foreign residents are becoming an indispensable presence as a workforce supporting various industries in each region and as contributors to local communities. On the other hand, friction and challenges due to differences in language, culture, customs, and systems are also becoming apparent. In July 2025, the Cabinet Secretariat established the "Office for Promoting an Orderly Coexistence Society with Foreigners." Moving forward, a major challenge will be to realize a coexistence society while balancing two pillars: "enhancing acceptance and support" and "ensuring norms and order."

Illegal Overstayers

[Figure 4] Trends in the Number of Irregular (Overstaying) Residents

Source: Immigration Services Agency (2025b), “Published Materials (as of July 1, 2025), Figure 1.”

In addition to legally residing foreign nationals, addressing the issue of individuals who remain in Japan after their residence status expires—so-called overstay—has become an urgent policy concern. According to the press release “Number of Irregular Residents in Japan (as of July 1, 2025)”, the number of irregular residents stood at 71,229, a decrease of 3,634 (4.9%) from January 1 of the same year (Figure 4).

[Figure 5]Countries with a high number of illegal residents by residence status and breakdown of residence status (as of July 1, 2025)

Source: Compiled by the author based on the Immigration Services Agency (2025b), “Published Materials (as of July 1, 2025).”

Looking at illegal overstayers by nationality/region, the top three countries—Vietnam (18.3%), Thailand (15.3%), and South Korea (14.4%)—account for approximately 50% (Figure 5). Furthermore, examining the breakdown by residence status at the time of illegal overstaying, "Short-Term Visitor" accounts for over half at 60.7%, indicating that many entered the country for purposes such as tourism, business, or visiting relatives/friends. Following this are "Technical Intern Training" at 14.7% and "Designated Activities" at 10.0%, with these top three residence statuses accounting for approximately 85% of the total.

Thailand and South Korea, where many illegal overstays originate from "Short-Term Visitor" status, are eligible for visa exemption for short-term visits to Japan. Indonesia, Taiwan, and Turkey are also eligible for visa exemption under certain conditions. While the visa exemption system enhances convenience for foreign visitors to Japan and promotes tourism and short-term business, it has also been pointed out that the system could be abused, potentially leading to an increase in illegal overstayers.

If a person overstays their visa and remains in Japan illegally, they are not permitted to work, increasing their risk of falling into irregular or illegal employment. This type of work not only leads to worsening working conditions but also undermines the healthy structure of the labor market. Furthermore, restricted access to public services such as healthcare, welfare, education, and housing makes their livelihoods extremely fragile, potentially impacting the safety and security of society as a whole.

In light of this situation, the government announced the "Zero Illegal Overstay Plan for the Safety and Security of the People" on May 23, 2025, aiming to realize a smooth and strict immigration and residency management system. On the other hand, ensuring the protection of the human rights and humanitarian considerations of illegal overstayers remains a crucial issue for the future.

Reference materials

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan (2025a), "Number of Foreign Residents in Japan as of the End of June 2025,"https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/press/13_00057.html(Accessed November 10, 2025).
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan (2025b) "Number of Illegal Overstayers in Japan (as of July 1, 2025),"https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/press/13_00058.html(Accessed November 10, 2025).
• Ministry of Justice (2025) "Plan to Eliminate Illegal Immigration for the Safety and Security of Citizens,"https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001446180.pdf(Accessed November 17, 2025).

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