With the swearing-in of Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s 104th and first female prime minister on Tuesday, online rumors have quickly spread claiming she plans to carry out mass deportations of foreign nationals—a claim for which there is no evidence.
Why It Matters
Japan, one of the world’s most culturally homogeneous nations, has long maintained strict immigration controls. However, the number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa requirements for workers in key industries facing labor shortages amid a declining birth rate and aging workforce.
The country is also experiencing unprecedented levels of tourism—up 48 percent in 2024 from the year before, per the Japan National Tourism Organization. This has been accompanied by an increase in complaints about disrespectful behavior and increased anti-foreigner sentiment, which some right-wing politicians have capitalized on.
Newsweek reached out to Takaichi’s office by email for comment.
What To Know
Immigration was a central theme in Takaichi’s political platform, with the hard-line conservative calling for a crackdown on illegal immigrants and foreign nationals who overstay their visas. She has also raised concerns over unruly behavior and last month claimed foreign visitors had kicked sacred deer in Nara Park, a popular tourist site.
Over the past 24 hours, social media posts falsely asserting that Takaichi had created a “ministry for mass deportations” began to trend.
“Sanae Takaichi was sworn in and immediately created a ministry for mass deportations,” one X account wrote, in a post viewed more than 8 million times.
“Takaichi has promised a crackdown on migration into Japan, and has been compared to the late, great Shinzo Abe. Anti-mass migration is rising!” wrote Eric Daugherty, assistant news director of the conservative outlet Florida’s Voice.
That post that also included U.S. and Japanese flag emojis, an apparent but as-yet unfounded suggestion that Sanae’s agenda was aligned with that of President Donald Trump, whose sweeping immigration crackdown has drawn criticism for targeting both legal residents and citizens alike.
Neither the prime minister nor her Cabinet has made statements pointing to a plan to deport foreigners en masse.
Likewise, no mention of a deportation-related ministry can found on the website of the prime minister, though it does list a “minister in charge of a society of well-ordered and harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals” among the titles in the portfolio of Cabinet member Kimi Onoda.
“I want to work closely with relevant agencies and advance comprehensive discussions as a unified government on various issues, including strict measures against those who do not follow the rules and the revision of systems and policies that are currently inadequate for the present circumstances.,” Onada said during her first press conference in the post on Wednesday, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
What People Are Saying
Jeffrey Hall, a special lecturer in Japanese studies at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba, wrote on X: “Takaichi has not promised mass deportations. As with previous PMs, if a foreigner in Japan gets caught without legal status, they will most likely face deportation. That’s how it’s been for many years.”
The Prime Minister’s Office of Japan says in a list of official pledges on its website: “We will enhance policy coordination on foreign nationals in Japan and promote broad-ranging measures. We will undertake initiatives to tackle organized crime and related efforts to maintain and improve public law and order.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen which immigration-related policies Takaichi will champion as her government reviews labor and residency systems in the months ahead.
The prime minister is expected to meet with Donald Trump during his three-day visit to Japan next week as part of an Asia tour.
AloJapan.com