Opposition to accepting more foreign residents grows in Japan: study

More than half of respondents in a University of Tokyo panel study opposed accepting additional foreign residents in Japan this year, with opposition rising particularly sharply among younger people.

The share opposing further acceptance reached 56.3%, an increase of 20.7 percentage points from 2024. The proportion in favor fell to 9.4%, down 8.4 points. The survey periodically questions the same selected individuals about changes in their lifestyles and received valid responses from about 3,800 people this year. Questions about accepting foreigners appear roughly once every two years.

The increase was larger among people born between 1987 and 1998, whose opposition rose 24.3 points, than among those born between 1966 and 1976, where it rose 19.4 points. People who felt there was no hope for Japanese society were also more likely to oppose accepting more foreign residents.

Shin Arita, a professor at the university’s Institute of Social Science, said the shift may reflect greater exposure to negative discussions about accepting foreign nationals. He attributed those discussions to anxiety and dissatisfaction with society.

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Opposition may have grown as there has been more exposure to negative discussions about accepting foreign nationals, fuelled by anxiety and dissatisfaction with society.