Japan Immigration News

AI could replace foreign workers in Japan, Team Mirai says

Release Date: 2026-02-17
Media: Japan Times
Summary: Foreign workers became a central issue in Japan’s Feb. 8 Lower House election, held soon after the Cabinet announced a plan to increase the number of foreign workers to about 1.23 million in 19 labor-shortage sectors by March 2029. Political parties presented differing approaches: some advocated stricter monitoring or local quotas on foreign residents, while a new party, Team Mirai, proposed expanding the use of artificial intelligence as a way to reduce reliance on foreign labor.

Team Mirai, led by AI engineer Takahiro Anno, won 11 proportional representation seats. Its platform calls for accepting more highly skilled foreign talent while tightening entry restrictions overall and reducing dependence on low-wage foreign workers, particularly in industries that rely on technical trainees. The party argues that Japan should maintain public safety and cultural stability by limiting low-wage inflows and instead focusing on high-value talent and technological solutions. Anno also emphasized that AI is more likely to replace white-collar, office-based jobs that involve information processing and responses.

At the same time, the government announced new regulations for foreign workers, including a requirement that, under a new system replacing the Technical Intern Training Program in 2027, workers must pass a basic Japanese-language test.

As of October, Japan had over 2.5 million foreign workers, a record high and an increase of more than 268,000 from the previous year, employed across more than 371,000 companies. The largest numbers worked in manufacturing, services, retail, and hospitality. By nationality, Vietnamese workers formed the biggest group, followed by Chinese and Filipino workers.
Tags: Immigration Policy

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