Japanese public opposition to more foreign residents rises sharply, survey shows

According to a recent release from the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Social Science, the share of panel respondents who reject the idea of admitting additional foreign residents climbed to 56.3% this year, marking a 20.7-point rise since 2024. The survey, which gathers responses from roughly 3,800 people on a biennial basis, highlighted that the surge was most pronounced among younger adults and those who believe there is "no hope for Japanese society."

At the same time, the proportion favoring more foreign residents slipped to 9.4%, down 8.4 points. Professor Shin Arita suggested that heightened negative discussion about immigration, fueled by anxiety and societal discontent, may be driving the trend. Age-group analysis showed increases of 19.4 points for those born 1966-1976 and 24.3 points for those born 1987-1998. Additionally, respondents who previously were not opposed but expressed pessimism about societal progress tended to shift toward opposition.