Foreign Residents Seen as Essential but Challenging in New Survey

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In a nationwide survey conducted by The Sankei Shimbun of the heads of all 1,741 municipalities, including Tokyo's 23 wards, responses from the Chubu region exceeded the national average. Chubu is located in the middle of Japan's main island. Municipal leaders were more likely to say that the rise in foreign residents is having an impact on local communities. Many also said that the effects are both positive and negative, and that foreign residents are indispensable to community sustainability.

Given the region's broad base of local industries, from agriculture to manufacturing, the findings suggest local leaders are taking a pragmatic approach that acknowledges these impacts while emphasizing coexistence.

Survey Scope and Response Rates

The survey was carried out in November and December 2025. It examined the effects of foreign residents on local communities, their policy responses, and the current state of foreigner-related issues. Analysis was conducted using the Sankei Research & Data aggregation system.

Of the 316 municipalities across the nine Chubu prefectures (Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, and Aichi), 276 responded. The response rate of 87.3% was measurably above the national average of 82.3%.

When leaders in the Chubu region were asked whether the rapid increase in foreign residents has had any impact on their communities, 74% of respondents answered in the affirmative, exceeding the national average of 70%. Of those, 81.5% said the effects have been both positive and negative, compared with a national figure of 76%.

The most frequently cited positive impact was the alleviation of labor shortages, named by 171 municipalities. This was followed by economic revitalization through tourism and related activities, cited by 128 municipalities.

On the negative side, the most common concern, consistent with the national trend, was friction arising from cultural and customary differences, cited by 117 municipalities. Challenges in educational settings, including accommodating children of foreign residents who do not speak Japanese, were mentioned by 90 municipalities. Both concerns underscore the scale of the issue.

Growing Reliance on Foreign Residents

*The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau is charged with the responsibility of vetting and recognizing refugees. In Tokyo's Minato Ward (©Sankei Shimbun)*

Meanwhile, 58.5% of respondents in the Chubu survey said foreign residents are indispensable to the survival of their communities, exceeding the national average of 54%. The most commonly cited reasons were securing labor, mentioned by 146 municipalities, maintaining local industries, cited by 82, and addressing population decline, cited by 77.

As for policy responses, the measure most frequently prioritized was promoting coexistence with local residents, selected by 235 municipalities. This, too, was in line with national trends. Support for Japanese language education followed, cited by 150 municipalities.