Immigration in Japan: So, You Want to Live Here?

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In Chitose, Hokkaido, Taki Kensetsu Kogyo is quietly reshaping what immigration can look like in Japan. Led by Yuichi Taki, the small construction firm employs workers from over ten countries and supports them with multilingual manuals and a practical, empathetic work culture. Taki believes that if Japan needs foreign labor, it must also create an environment where people can thrive. His company shows what’s possible when both sides commit.

Yet such examples remain rare. As Japan struggles to attract and retain foreign residents, the question remains: what’s holding it back? This is exactly the question author and expert Fusako Yanase explores in part five of her series on immigration. In this installment, she examines the practical and social barriers facing immigrants in Japan, from language and licensing to education and long-term integration.

Fifth in the series.

Read the series Immigration in Japan

Learning Japanese

Language remains one of the most significant barriers. In Japan, it's nearly impossible to find employment without Japanese proficiency, and most certification exams require it as well. Yet even after investing time and effort into learning the language, its utility beyond Japan can be minimal.

A foreign friend of mine once joked, "I married a Japanese partner and learned the language to live with their family, but outside Japan, it's useless. Talk about a poor return on investment!"

For someone who works entirely in English, it's natural to want to get started quickly using English rather than learn a local language from scratch. And even for non-native English speakers, if they're already used to the alphabet, countries that use it may feel more accessible and easier to adapt to.

Is this barrier inevitable just because Japanese is the dominant language?

Not necessarily. Language barriers exist all over the world, but creative solutions can lower them.

There are two main ways to lower Japan's language barrier:

1. Increase support for Japanese language education for incoming foreigners and their families.
2. Expand the number of workplaces in Japan where people can work in English (or other languages).

Japan lacks both options. That is why it remains a less attractive destination for foreign workers.

Barriers to Using Past Experience

This isn't unique to Japan, but whether someone can utilize their career or qualifications from their home country can be a critical factor. Even those with advanced professional expertise often find that Japan is not a country where it's easy to qualify for their prior careers.

For example, someone who is a doctor or nurse in their home country must pass Japan's national medical or nursing exam to practice. This is a common international challenge. However, a few countries have mutual recognition agreements for medical qualifications. Japan, though, has very few such agreements.

Even experienced teachers with years in the classroom must obtain a Japanese teaching license to work in schools. Former business owners face similar hurdles. Without proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking Japanese, starting a business or securing financing can be a major challenge. Skilled professionals in fields like beauty or hairstyling also run into obstacles, as many national certification exams are conducted entirely in Japanese.

Strengths in Primary and Secondary Education

For those who have fled their homeland to Japan, finding employment and achieving financial independence is an immediate priority. And for those planning to stay even temporarily, ensuring a supportive educational environment for their children becomes equally important.

Japan provides free compulsory education. Children of refugee applicants working under a "Designated Activities – Work Permitted" visa are eligible to attend public kindergartens, nurseries, and elementary or junior high schools. In many cases, even those without legal status can enroll their children by applying directly to the educational institution.

These services are funded by Japanese taxpayers. However, it's important to remember that foreign residents also contribute through taxes once they begin working.

In recent years, despite problems in some areas, the idea of multicultural coexistence has gained broader acceptance. It has become increasingly rare for Japanese parents or students to view Japanese language instruction or supplemental support for foreign children as discriminatory. Many, in fact, now actively support and cooperate with these efforts.

In urban daycare centers and schools, it is now entirely normal to see children from diverse backgrounds learning in Japanese, side by side with their Japanese peers.

Toward a Japan Chosen by Foreign Talent

When people claim that "Japan accepts very few refugees," the focus is often limited to the small number of applicants who meet the officially recognized definition of refugee. This narrow view fuels the perception that "Japan rejects foreigners." And from there, the debate quickly turns to calls for reforming the immigration and refugee recognition system.

While legal reforms are certainly worth discussing, a broader perspective reveals a deeper issue: Japan is increasingly not being chosen as a destination by refugees or by other would-be immigrants.

Asking "Why isn't Japan being chosen?" prompts a closer look at the structural and social challenges that make life in Japan difficult for non-Japanese residents and those with foreign roots. What aspects of Japanese society are unwelcoming or inconvenient? What makes long-term settlement so difficult?

Addressing these questions is essential — not only for supporting those who genuinely need protection, but also for helping Japan evolve into a more inclusive and multicultural society.

A December 2, 2023, feature in Weekly Toyo Keizai titled "Foreign Workers Aren't Coming! Companies That Get Chosen, Companies That Are Abandoned" made the point starkly. Japan is no longer a "chosen country," and the day may soon come when foreign workers stop coming altogether. The next installment dives into this very topic.

Weak Yen, Weaker Pull

Japan was once a top destination for workers from emerging Asian nations, known for offering strong earning potential. But as of December 2023, South Korea had taken the lead, with Japan in second place and Taiwan rapidly closing in. Saddled with a weakened yen, Japan no longer held the same appeal it once did.

Foreign residents serve as a mirror reflecting the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese society. Many of the challenges they face, whether in language education, skills training, or access to housing that accommodates religious and cultural needs, require more than policy tweaks. Real progress depends on sufficient government investment and broad support from the private sector.

These are not issues that immigration reform alone can fix.

So, how do you see it?

Continues in Part Six: What Brings Refugees to a New Land?

RELATED:

• Taki Kensetsu Kogyo, a Small Yet Remarkable Multinational Company
• Multicultural Innovation the Japan Way
  

Author: Fusako Yanase

In addition to being an expert on immigration, Yanase is a best-selling author and former Honorary Chair of the Certified NPO Association for Aid and Relief, Japan.

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