Japan's Foreign Population Rises Sharply as Resorts and Factory Towns Transform

このページを日本語で読む

The number of foreigners in Japan has reached a record 3.67 million, nearing 3% of the total population. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Vital Statistics, as of January 2024, there were also 20 municipalities nationwide, including administrative wards, where foreign residents made up more than 10% of the population.

Until now, the rise in foreign residents has been concentrated in urban industrial zones. More recently, however, numbers have surged in resort destinations such as Hokkaido and Okinawa.

Settlement patterns generally fall into two categories: the "resort type," driven by employees working in tourist areas, and the "factory type," centered on laborers supporting manufacturing.

Multilinguals in Demand

Onna Village in Okinawa Prefecture, a resort area overlooking the tropical blue seas, had 1,460 foreign residents as of late July. They account for 12.9% of the town's 11,312 inhabitants. While the Japanese population is shrinking, the number of foreign residents there increased by 2.2 points from 10.7% in January 2024.

According to the village, Nepalese nationals form the largest group at 155, followed by residents from the United States, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China. The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, which opened there in 2012, has been a major factor.

*Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (From the OIST website)*

"Since the university opened, the number of foreigners has increased. Recently, more seem to be working at resort hotels," a village official noted.

At Renaissance Resort Okinawa, for instance, 52 foreign nationals from nine countries work in front desk operations and other roles. With more than 30% of its guests coming from overseas, demand for multilingual staff remains strong in an industry grappling with chronic labor shortages.

Kalansurya Pavisla, a 31-year-old from Sri Lanka, began working there six years ago. "I never imagined I would meet people from so many different countries," he said with a smile.

Surge in Hokkaido

The number of foreigners employed at resort hotels and other establishments in Hokkaido is also rising rapidly. In five towns and villages, including Niseko, foreign residents make up more than 15% of the population. Some areas in Hokkaido are now seeing as many as one in three foreign nationals as residents.

Among them, Shimukappu Village had a population of 1,590 as of January, including 1,008 Japanese residents. There were 582 foreign residents, accounting for 36.6% of the total.

*Niseko at night with the lights of the Hirafu ski area in the background. (©Agnes Tandler)*

This marks a 2.8-point rise from 33.8% in January 2024 and a tenfold increase from the 58 foreign residents recorded in January 2014, roughly a decade ago.

Reshaping Local Resorts

When a foreign-owned resort hotel opened in the village in 2017, the number of foreigners doubled, according to the village government's resident division. Many are from Taiwan, China, and Indonesia. Most of them work at one of the two resort hotels in the area.

According to the village, foreign workers provide valuable support to the local tourism industry, but tensions with residents have been minimal. This is largely because they live in hotel dormitories and have limited daily interaction with the community.

"The Japanese population is declining due to low birth rates and an aging society. We feel the need to develop systems for continuous multicultural coexistence," a village official said.

Growing Foreign Communities

In municipalities such as Oizumi Town in Gunma Prefecture and Minokamo City in Gifu Prefecture, automotive-related factories are concentrated. In these areas, the foreign population is also steadily rising.

Kisosaki Town in Mie Prefecture, near the mouth of the Kiso River, lies adjacent to Nagoya Port. Workyards operated by foreigners, involved in activities such as overseas automobile exports, are scattered throughout the area.

As of January 2024, foreign residents numbered 619 out of a total population of 5,939, with the largest groups coming from Vietnam, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, in that order. It marks a doubling of the foreign population from 281 in 2015.

Foreigners working in such factories often establish their own communities and become deeply rooted in the area. Increasingly, many are bringing their families, leaving local governments struggling to keep up.

"We're seeing more children with foreign roots, and there's a strong demand for Japanese language classes," a town official said.

Author: Noaki Otake, Taisuke Nanjo, The Sankei Shimbun

(Read this in Japanese)

このページを日本語で読む