Foreign workers in 38% of Japan towns lack access to language education

Japan immigration

Education infrastructure lags behind immigration influx, government survey shows

About 170,000 foreign nationals live in Japanese municipalities without Japanese language schools. (Photo by Koji Uema)

SARA MORI and SEISHI MINOWA

November 1, 2025 04:39 JST

TOKYO — Even as Japan brings in growing numbers of foreign workers to relieve labor shortages, 38% of its municipalities had no Japanese language schools as of last November, according to government data released Friday.