For the first time in history, more than 4 million foreign nationals call Japan home. According to statistics released by the Immigration Services Agency in March 2026, Japan's foreign resident population reached a record 4,125,395 at the end of December 2025 — roughly 1.85 times the figure a decade ago. In this article, we break down the numbers by nationality, visa status and region, look at the latest foreign-worker statistics, and explain the major visa system overhaul coming in April 2027 — with practical takeaways if you live in Japan or plan to move here.

A Record 4.12 Million — Japan's Foreign Population Has Nearly Doubled in a Decade

According to figures published by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) on March 27, 2026, Japan was home to 4,125,395 foreign residents as of the end of December 2025 — up 356,418 (9.5%) from a year earlier and above the 4 million mark for the first time on record. Residents come from 196 countries and regions (excluding stateless persons), with a near-even gender split of 51.2% male and 48.8% female.

Ten years ago, at the end of 2015, the figure stood at 2,232,189. That means the foreign population has grown by roughly 1.9 million people — about 1.85 times — in a single decade. After a temporary dip during the COVID-19 border closures of 2020–2021, growth has resumed at a pace of more than 300,000 people per year.

By Nationality — China and Vietnam Lead, Nepal Surges

The top five nationalities as of the end of December 2025 (change from a year earlier in parentheses):

Nepal is the standout story: its increase of nearly 68,000 exceeded even China's, driven by people coming to Japan to study and work. South Korea's long-established community, by contrast, has plateaued — highlighting the shift toward newer arrivals from Southeast and South Asia.

  • China: 930,428 (+57,142) — the largest group, roughly 23% of all foreign residents
  • Vietnam: 681,100 (+46,739) — the backbone of Japan's work-visa programs such as technical training and Specified Skilled Worker
  • South Korea: 407,341 (-1,897) — the only top-five group to shrink slightly
  • Philippines: 356,579 (+15,061) — steady growth across work and family-based statuses
  • Nepal: 300,992 (+67,949) — the largest increase in the top five, up about 29% year on year and past 300,000 for the first time

By Visa Status — Specified Skilled Worker Jumps 100,000 in a Year

The main residence statuses break down as follows (end of December 2025):

The contrast between the last two entries is striking. The Technical Intern Training program, slated for abolition in 2027, grew by just 23 people — effectively flat — while the Specified Skilled Worker visa added more than 100,000 in a single year. The data shows clearly that new recruitment for labor-shortage industries has already shifted to the SSW track.

Also notable: the largest single status is Permanent Resident. At roughly 950,000 people, nearly one in four foreign residents holds permanent residency — evidence that Japan's foreign population is shifting from temporary stays to long-term settlement.

  • Permanent Resident: 947,125 (+29,009) — the single largest status, about 23% of the total
  • Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services: 475,790 (+57,084) — engineers, office professionals and other white-collar roles
  • Student: 464,784 (+62,650) — growing beyond pre-pandemic levels
  • Technical Intern Training: 456,618 (up just 23 people — effectively flat)
  • Specified Skilled Worker (SSW): 390,296 (+105,830) — up about 37%, the fastest-growing status

Where Foreign Residents Live — Five Prefectures Hold Over Half

Tokyo dominates with 801,438 foreign residents (19.4% of the national total), followed by Osaka (375,319), Aichi (357,800), Kanagawa (317,353) and Saitama (290,937). Together, the top five prefectures account for roughly 52% of all foreign residents.

Concentration in the big metropolitan areas mirrors Japan's overall demographics, while manufacturing hub Aichi's third-place ranking reflects its large working population. That said, the trend is nationwide: more than 371,000 businesses across Japan employed foreign staff as of the end of October 2025, according to the labor ministry.

2.57 Million Foreign Workers — Filling Japan's Labor Shortage

Foreign residents' role in the workforce is also at a record high. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced on January 30, 2026 that 2,571,037 foreign nationals were working in Japan as of the end of October 2025 — up 268,450 (11.7%) year on year and the highest since employer reporting became mandatory in 2007. The number of businesses employing foreign workers also hit a record 371,215 (up 8.5%).

By nationality, Vietnam leads with 605,906 workers (23.6% of the total), followed by China (431,949, or 16.8%) and the Philippines (260,869, or 10.1%). By visa category, professional and technical fields form the largest group at 865,588 workers (up 20.4%), ahead of status-based residents such as permanent residents (645,590), technical intern trainees (499,394), and students and others working part-time under permits for activities outside their visa status (449,324).

With Japan's working-age population shrinking every year, industries from manufacturing and construction to elder care and food service increasingly depend on foreign workers — and the sustained double-digit growth rate points to a structural, not temporary, labor shortage.

Turning Point 1 — Technical Intern Training Ends; a New Work-Training Visa Starts April 2027

These shifts are being locked in by law. Under amendments passed in June 2024, Japan's 30-year-old Technical Intern Training Program will be abolished and replaced by a new system called Employment for Skill Development (ikusei shuro). A cabinet order in September 2025 fixed the start date: April 1, 2027 (with limited exceptions).

The biggest change is the stated purpose. Technical Intern Training was officially framed as international contribution through skills transfer; the new system is explicitly about securing and developing workers, and is designed to train participants to Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 level over roughly three years.

For workers, the key improvement is job mobility. Changing employers was essentially prohibited under the intern program; under the new system, workers are expected to be able to switch employers within the same field of their own volition after meeting requirements such as a set period of service — expected to be one to two years, set sector by sector. Transitional measures will allow technical intern trainees already in Japan at the changeover to complete their programs.

Turning Point 2 — Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 and the Path to Settling in Japan

The other major trend is the expansion of the Specified Skilled Worker system, launched in 2019. While SSW Type 1 caps total stay at five years, Type 2 has no limit on visa renewals and lets holders who meet the requirements bring a spouse and children — making it a genuine long-term residency track.

In June 2023, a cabinet decision expanded Type 2 from just two fields (construction and shipbuilding) to eleven. Type 2 holders still number only a few thousand (roughly 3,000 as of the end of June 2025), but with Type 1 now at 390,000 people, the pipeline for upgrades is large and growing.

A step-by-step career path is taking shape: Employment for Skill Development (about 3 years) → SSW Type 1 (up to 5 years) → SSW Type 2 (unlimited renewals) → application for permanent residency. Japan's system design has shifted from 'work for a fixed term, then go home' to 'stay, build a career, and settle.'

A Shrinking Japan — Practical Takeaways If You Live Here (or Plan To)

Japan's total population was an estimated 123.21 million as of October 1, 2025, down 590,000 (0.48%) from a year earlier, according to the Statistics Bureau of Japan. As the overall population keeps falling, foreign residents keep rising — now about 3.3% of the total, or roughly 1 in every 30 people living in Japan.

For current residents and anyone considering a move to Japan, here is what the data and the coming rule changes mean in practical terms:

A foreign population of 4.12 million means Japan has entered an era in which foreign residents are integral to how the country runs. With the rules in transition until the new system launches in April 2027, base any decision about your visa, job or move on primary sources such as the ISA's official announcements.

  • A changing entry route: the SSW visa has become the main new work route, and from April 2027 Employment for Skill Development will be the standard entry point (rules as of July 2026)
  • A clearer long-term path: the chain from the new training visa to SSW Type 1, Type 2 and eventually permanent residency now connects on paper, making long-term career planning in Japan more realistic
  • More job mobility: the 2027 system is expected to let workers change employers under set conditions — a major improvement over the current intern program
  • Location matters: areas with large foreign communities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Aichi tend to offer stronger multilingual government services and support
  • Where to check facts: the ISA publishes foreign resident statistics twice a year (end of June and end of December); always confirm visa rules on the official ISA website before making decisions

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