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(EAST ASIA FORUM)Japan narrows path to citizenship amid labour shortages

Release Date
2026-05-15
Media
EAST ASIA FORUM
Summary
Japan’s Nationality Act still formally allows foreign nationals to apply for citizenship after five years of residence, but under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, naturalisation has reportedly become much stricter in practice. Authorities are increasingly scrutinising applicants’ tax payments, pension and health insurance contributions, employment stability and legal compliance over longer periods, making citizenship effectively harder to obtain.

This reflects a broader policy direction in which Japan distinguishes between accepting foreigners as workers and accepting them as members of the national community. While labour shortages in sectors such as nursing, construction, agriculture and hospitality have increased reliance on foreign workers, the government remains reluctant to redefine Japan as an immigration country.

The expansion of the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program has increased long-term foreign labour migration, especially after the expansion of the SSW Type 2 category allowing family accompaniment and longer residence. However, access to citizenship and permanent belonging has simultaneously become more restrictive, separating economic participation from political membership.

Conservative policymakers increasingly view nationality not merely as a legal status but as membership in a culturally and historically bounded community. As a result, applicants are expected to demonstrate long-term social integration, economic self-sufficiency and administrative compliance. Concerns about social cohesion, security and national identity have also contributed to tighter control over naturalisation.

The article argues that Japan now faces a growing contradiction: economically, it needs foreign workers to settle permanently due to demographic decline and labour shortages, but politically, it remains cautious about embracing multiculturalism or openly identifying as an immigration nation.
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