The number of foreign residents in Japan hit a record high of 3,075,213 at the end of 2022.
The number of foreign residents in Japan hit a record high of 3,075,213 at the end of 2022.
The number of foreign nationals in Japan has reached three million in 2022, with growth largely driven by students and technical trainees.
The Immigration Services Agency said the number of foreign students increased by 92,808 and technical trainees by 48,817 as well as specialists in engineering, humanities, and international services by 37,221, NHK-World Japan reported.
Data showed that the number of foreign residents in Japan hit a record high of 3,075,213 at the end of 2022, with the number of foreign students and technical trainees increasing following the relaxation of the country’s Covid-19 border measures.
In 2022, higher education institutions in Japan struggled to attract new international students amid the restrictions during the pandemic.
The majority of foreign nationals in Japan come from China with 761,563 people, Vietnam with 489,312, and South Korea with 411,312, the Japan Times reported.
Meanwhile, the number of applicants for refugee status increased by 1,359 to 3,772. More than 10,300 foreign nationals were also found ordered to leave the country for overstaying their visas and other reasons. It was down by about 7,700 from 2022.
On March 17, the Japanese government said it is aiming to have 400,000 foreign students studying in the country by 2033, Nikkei Asia reported. The government said it will consider support measures for international students such as offering more internship programs to encourage them to stay in Japan after graduation.
The new plan is also looking to increase the number of Japanese studying abroad to 500,000 in 10 years.
Among the most popular fields of study for international students in Japan are social studies, humanities, engineering, home economics, agriculture, and education.
