A series of changes to visa programs for Japan’s foreign residents since the start of 2026 has inspired both fear and frustration within the immigrant community. Among the most noticeable adjustments:

• A six-fold rise in investment requirements for the Business Manager visa
• Dramatic fee increases (up to twenty times previous amounts!) for visa applications and renewals
• Stricter verification and enforcement of tax and social insurance payments
• For those seeking naturalization, a doubling of the residency requirement from five to ten years

What is driving these changes? Is there a secret cabal within the shadowy depths of government foisting these changes on an unsuspecting immigrant community? Is there a master scheme in the works, hidden from view until the fateful moment when the hammer comes down on vulnerable foreign residents?

It turns out that cabinet officials have been posting plans for foreign residents to an official government web site for nearly a decade, complete with full-color charts and schedules. No subterfuge, no conniving, no maniacal laughter in smoky back rooms. Just PDF documents and bullet points. Still, there is no denying that something changed this time around.

You can find each year’s policy proposals on the Cabinet Secretariat’s web site, listed under the (translated) heading, “Interministerial Conference on the Reception of Foreign Nationals and the Realization of an Orderly and Harmonious Society.” It sounds nice, but the opening “Basic Concepts” section from this year’s overview document (January 23, 2026) shows that not everything is harmonious. (All translations provided through the Deepl web site; emphasis added.)

• “We need to address the concerns and sense of unfairness felt by the public regarding acts by certain foreign nationals that violate our laws and regulations, as well as the improper use of our systems.
• “We will realize a safe and secure society through initiatives such as providing Japanese language education and promoting understanding of social norms prior to entry; dealing fairly and strictly with acts that violate laws and regulations; refining systems based on a thorough understanding of facts and actual conditions; disclosing accurate and comprehensive information; and fostering information sharing and mutual cooperation among relevant agencies.
• “Furthermore, within the framework of our country’s laws and regulations, we must strive to create a society where both citizens and foreign nationals can live in safety and security and prosper together.”

Terms like “unfairness,” “violate,” and “safe and secure” jump right out at you, providing some clues as to the general mood of those who crafted the 2026 edition.

Such negative language is significantly different from what appeared in the Christmas 2018 version. That pre-pandemic intro focused on “establishing mechanisms to listen to the voices of citizens and foreign nationals.” This would be done by soliciting opinions at “Public Voice” events that included both “Japanese citizens and foreign nationals, as well as through government-sponsored awareness-raising activities.

The stated goal back then was to “break down psychological barriers,” building a Japan where “everyone respects and supports one another’s human rights.” Each proposal in that 2018 document employed words like “support,” “communication,” and “service.” In the 2026 update, all such communal language is gone, replaced by a year-by-year plan that increasingly monitors, identifies, and acts on wrongdoing.

Of course, these changes did not occur in a vacuum. Some foreign residents and domestic businesses used the earlier congenial atmosphere to evade reasonable immigration rules. The investment change for the Business Manager visa, for example, happened in part because some foreigners were setting up fake businesses to obtain a coveted Japanese visa. Overtourism also certainly played a role. Then there is the labor shortage, which isn’t just hitting restaurants and elder-care centers, but also the ranks of immigration-compliance officers.

I wish policy leaders had opted to keep the positive spin from 2018, even if more stringent changes were deemed necessary. Even with the increased fees and expectations, there is every reason to believe that a significant majority of foreign residents will stay in Japan, that their numbers will continue to grow, and that those who live here will increasingly embody Japanese habits and values. Immigration policies should reflect that reality.

The revised proposals could have put the focus on how the foreign-resident community benefits Japan. Instead of fretting over the “acts by certain foreign nationals that violate our laws and regulations,” the text could have pondered adjustments to existing laws and regulations that would spur foreign residents to become even greater supporters of this nation.

Image Credits: ACWorks / Photo-AC