Amid Japan’s immigration squeeze, foreign residents ask: Should we stay?
Tighter visa rules and a weak yen have many foreign nationals pondering whether it's time to leave their adopted country.
For foreign workers, Japan has long offered a familiar trade-off: lower salaries and a demanding work culture in exchange for safety, public order, and an enviable cost of living compared with other rich nations. Combined with world-class transit and exceptional food, the pros outweighed the cons for most.Today, that calculation is breaking down.A plummeting yen has eroded global earning power, while inflation and rising rents are steadily chipping away at Japan’s affordability advantage. At the same time, policy shifts — from sharp hikes for visa and permanent residency fees to new powers allowing the government to revoke permanent residency — signal a move toward stricter oversight.
Source: Japan Times
Related stories
AI can supercharge Putin’s goals, not his great-power ambitions
For now, though, Russia's AI capabilities are likely sufficient for the state's needs.
Drop in Chinese visitors drives decline in Japan’s inbound tourism in August
Japan received 3.1 million foreign visitors in August, down 9.6% from last year, according to estimates from the Japan National Tourism Organization.
Over 60% of Japanese firms with foreign workers would struggle without overseas hiring: survey
In nursing and healthcare, 93.8% of employers said not hiring more foreign workers would cause problems.
Trump has few good options to slow China’s rise as AI superpower
The main challenge for the U.S. is keeping China at bay without prompting Beijing to further restrict rare earths.