What Japan’s language rules for permanent residency should look like
The main question is how Japanese language ability will be assessed. Japan must avoid turning the Japanese Language Proficiency Test into a de facto national filter.
Potential health care workers hoping to find work in Japan take Japanese language instruction in Jakarta. Not all applicants for permanent residency should be expected to reach this level of proficiency. | REUTERS
Aug 11, 2026
Early this month, the Immigration Services Agency proposed a nationwide guideline concerning Japanese language and daily life orientation for foreign residents, suggesting that these items could become requirements for permanent residency.
For decades, Japan has left migrant language education to municipalities, volunteers, private schools — or migrants themselves. The government’s willingness to finally assume public responsibility is a welcome development. A state-funded system could mark a shift from treating foreign residents as temporary labor to recognizing them as members of Japanese society.
However, if this program becomes a prerequisite for permanent residency, its design will determine whether it supports integration or simply erects another barrier.
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