Japan is often called the world’s friendliest country, but it is taking steps to rein in the effects of record-breaking tourism and rising foreign residency. The government is launching a new administrative body to manage overtourism, foreign crime, and integration challenges.
The move comes as the country braces for a key national election on July 20, with public anxiety over immigration and foreign influence rising fast. Official data shows Japan welcomed a staggering 36.8 million tourists in 2024, smashing its previous record of 31.88 million in 2019.
The surge, driven by visitors from the US, Europe, South Korea, and Taiwan, has brought both economic benefits and growing friction in communities stretched by the influx.
The new cross-agency “control tower,” announced by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Government, will respond to concerns about foreign-related crime, disorderly conduct, and misuse of administrative systems.
“Crimes and disorderly conduct by some foreigners, as well as the inappropriate use of various administrative systems, have created a situation in which the public feels uneasy and cheated,” Ishiba said at the launch ceremony.
Japan’s traditionally strict immigration stance has softened in recent years as it struggles with an ageing and shrinking population, leading to a record 3.8 million foreign nationals living in the country, still just 3% of its total population.
But the rapid increase in both permanent residents and short-term tourists has raised questions about national identity, public safety, and infrastructure capacity.
In June, lawmakers from Ishiba’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) proposed new measures to enforce stricter controls on foreign residents, including tougher requirements for converting to a Japanese driver’s license and restrictions on foreign real estate ownership.
The policies aim to create what they call a “society of orderly and harmonious coexistence.”
The tightening of rules comes amid a rise in support for Sanseito, a right-wing populist party running on a “Japanese First” platform.
With dissatisfaction over immigration and foreign influence growing, recent opinion polls suggest the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito could lose their upper house majority in Sunday’s election.
AloJapan.com