Prefecture With Most Illegal Foreign Workers Offers Cash Rewards for Tips

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The Ibaraki Prefectural Government's program offering financial rewards for reporting businesses that employ unauthorized foreign workers marked its first month in June.

Under the system, informants receive ¥10,000 (about $60) if their report leads to an employer's arrest. While Japan's national government operates a similar scheme, Ibaraki is believed to be the first local government to introduce one.

The prefecture has not disclosed how many reports it has received, but the initiative is attracting attention as a local effort to support the Takaichi administration's policy of achieving "well-ordered and harmonious" coexistence with foreign residents.

Arrest of Leek Farm Owner

In the rural farming area of Shimotsuma City, overlooking Mount Tsukuba, police arrested a 52-year-old naturalized Japanese woman of Chinese origin in April on suspicion of facilitating illegal employment after she allegedly hired two Indonesian men staying in Japan illegally to work on her leek farm.

According to Ibaraki Prefectural Police's Foreign Affairs Division, the two men had entered Japan on short-term visas before overstaying their authorized periods of stay. They reportedly worked illegally on the farm for nearly two years, beginning around May 2024.

According to the Immigration Services Agency, of the approximately 13,000 unauthorized foreign workers nationwide in 2025, nearly 3,500—almost 30%—were employed in Ibaraki Prefecture, the highest number of any prefecture for the fourth consecutive year. About 70% worked in agriculture.

A woman in her 60s who lives near the farm said, "Quite a few foreigners work in the surrounding fields. If they're working illegally, it's worrying because public safety could deteriorate. I suppose a reporting system can't be helped."

How the System Works

Under the new system, which began on May 11, prefectural residents who discover businesses employing unauthorized foreign workers can submit reports through the prefecture's website. If the prefecture verifies the information, passes it to police, and the report leads to an employer's arrest, the informant receives a ¥10,000 reward.

Speaking at the prefectural assembly on June 2, Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa noted that while the number of foreign nationals arrested nationwide has fallen by around 40% from its peak over the past five years, arrests in Ibaraki have increased by 45%.

He said the prefectural government has received concerns from residents that illegal employment may be contributing to a deterioration in public safety.

Criticism and Safeguards

However, civic organizations and the prefectural bar association have criticized the program, arguing that it encourages discrimination and prejudice against foreigners. Protests have also been held outside the prefectural government offices.

The prefecture stresses that the system is intended solely to expose employers and labor brokers who facilitate illegal employment. Reports targeting individual foreign workers are not accepted. Anonymous tips are also prohibited, and informants must provide personal information and a copy of an official identification document.

Governor Oigawa has also said the prefecture will not disclose the number of reports received or rewards paid. At a press conference, he explained that releasing such figures would only encourage unnecessary speculation.

A prefectural official said, "We do not accept malicious reports motivated by discrimination or harassment. For every report we receive, we interview the informant directly, visit the business in question, and carefully verify the accuracy of the information on a case-by-case basis."

Labor Shortages Persist

Located close to Tokyo, Ibaraki is one of Japan's leading agricultural regions. According to the agriculture ministry, the prefecture ranks first nationwide in the production of 13 agricultural products, including leeks, green peppers, and Chinese cabbage.

At the same time, labor shortages have become chronic. In a nationwide survey of 1,741 municipal leaders published by The Sankei Shimbun in January, officials from municipalities in Ibaraki said that "foreign residents are indispensable" to their local economies.

Ibaraki also accepts more foreign technical interns and agricultural workers under the Specified Skilled Worker visa than any other prefecture in Japan.

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: The Sankei Shimbun

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