No. They don't. I just don't fit the criteria. It's understandable that they don't want to give permanent residency to people with no job security.
Very inconvenient to me but far from unreasonable when you look at it from an administrative POV.
26 years here on working visas. Never any trouble renewing them. Often lots of help from the immigration service.
You're losing me there. You were angry enough the Swede in you came to and wrote "
they are probably terrible people."
Whatever the case, this anti-gaijin sentiment has been well-documented.
外勞愈來愈重要 日本人為何反而更排斥移民？ 文：柴思原（堅料網駐日本特約撰稿人）
(Foreign Workers Become Increasingly Vital—Yet Why Are the Japanese Growing More Hostile Toward Immigrants? By
Peter Chai (Special Correspondent in Japan for Kinliu.hk))
https://www.kinliu.hk/news/guojishiye/article/211391.html?id=78
日本居民反移民情緒高漲
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日本人國際視野不足
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政客反移民成風潮
國會議員對外國勞工態度的轉變，也反映更廣泛的政治風向變化。我對東京大學與《朝日新聞》聯合調查的分析顯示，在近幾次參眾兩院選舉中，支持增加接納外國勞工的當選者比例均大幅下降。在參議院，有關比例從2022年選舉的58%降至2025年選舉的38%，扭轉自2016年參議院選舉以來持續上升的趨勢，當時支持比例僅為34%。在眾議院，有關比例也從2024年選舉的49%驟降至2026年選舉的22%，同樣扭轉自2014年眾議院選舉以來的上升趨勢，當時的比例為26%。
民意也朝相似方向發展。《讀賣新聞》與早稻田大學共同進行的問卷調查發現，對增加接納外國勞工表示「反對」或「較為反對」的受訪者比例，從2024年的46%上升至2025年的59%。年輕受訪者往往更擔心治安問題，年長受訪者則較傾向認為，外國居民增加有助紓緩勞動力短缺。
《朝日新聞》2025年的一項問卷調查顯示，民眾態度甚至更加保守：66%的受訪者正面評價高市政府收緊移民政策，另有56%認為日本應減少訪日外國旅客及移民人數。
在移民政策日益收緊、反移民情緒持續升高，以及日圓長期疲弱的背景下，已有跡象顯示，日本作為外國勞工長期工作與生活目的地的吸引力可能正在下降。MyNavi Global於2026年1月至2月進行的調查發現，在有意赴日工作的外國人中，希望在日本居留5年以上的比例降至61.6%，較前一年下跌14.7個百分點。越南與印尼受訪者的降幅尤其明顯，分別下降18.4及10.9個百分點。兩國都是日本外國勞動力的重要來源：越南勞工佔日本外國勞工總數逾20%，印尼勞工則佔近9%。
因此，日本正面臨一個日益突出的矛盾：經濟愈來愈依賴外國勞動力，但政治氛圍與社會輿論卻日趨保守。若這股趨勢持續，日本不僅可能更難吸引外國勞工，也可能難以留住他們。日本能否在勞動力需求、日益收緊的政策與趨於負面的民意之間取得平衡，將成為其人口與經濟前景的重要考驗。
文：柴思原（堅料網駐日本特約撰稿人）
日本早稻田大學政治經濟學術院副研究員，研究領域涵蓋政治社會學、比較政治學及公眾輿論，主要研究方法為問卷調查分析，關注日本及東亞民眾對移民、性別等議題的態度。
(Rising Anti-Immigration Sentiment Among Japanese Residents
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Limited International Perspective Among the Japanese
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Anti-Immigration Stance Becomes a Trend Among Politicians
The shift in attitudes toward foreign labor among members of the National Diet reflects a broader change in the political climate. My analysis of a joint survey conducted by the University of Tokyo and *The Asahi Shimbun* reveals that the proportion of elected lawmakers who support increasing the intake of foreign workers has dropped significantly in recent House of Councillors and House of Representatives elections. In the House of Councillors, this figure fell from 58% in the 2022 election to 38% in 2025—reversing a steady upward trend that had persisted since the 2016 election, when the level of support stood at just 34%. In the House of Representatives, the proportion plummeted from 49% in the 2024 election to 22% in 2026, likewise reversing an upward trend that had been in place since the 2014 election, when it was 26%.
Public opinion is shifting in a similar direction. A survey conducted by *The Yomiuri Shimbun* in collaboration with Waseda University found that the percentage of respondents who "oppose" or "somewhat oppose" increasing the intake of foreign workers rose from 46% in 2024 to 59% in 2025. Younger respondents tend to be more concerned about public safety, whereas older respondents are more inclined to view an increase in the foreign population as a way to help alleviate labor shortages.
A 2025 survey by *The Asahi Shimbun* indicates that public sentiment has become even more conservative: 66% of respondents expressed approval for the government’s move to tighten immigration policies, while 56% believe that Japan should reduce the number of foreign visitors and immigrants.
Against a backdrop of increasingly restrictive immigration policies, rising anti-immigration sentiment, and a persistently weak yen, there are signs that Japan’s appeal as a long-term destination for foreign workers to live and work may be on the decline. A survey conducted by MyNavi Global between January and February 2026 revealed that, among foreigners interested in working in Japan, the proportion of those intending to reside in the country for five years or longer has fallen to 61.6%—a decline of 14.7 percentage points from the previous year. The drop was particularly pronounced among respondents from Vietnam and Indonesia, with decreases of 18.4 and 10.9 percentage points, respectively. Both nations are vital sources of foreign labor for Japan: Vietnamese workers account for over 20% of the total foreign workforce in Japan, while Indonesian workers make up nearly 9%.
Consequently, Japan faces an increasingly stark contradiction: its economy has grown ever more dependent on foreign labor, even as the political climate and public opinion have shifted toward greater conservatism. Should this trend persist, Japan may find it increasingly difficult not only to attract foreign workers but also to retain them. Whether Japan can strike a balance between its demand for labor, increasingly restrictive policies, and a growingly negative public sentiment will serve as a critical test for the country’s demographic and economic future.
By: Chai Siyuan (Japan-based Special Correspondent for Kinliu.hk)
An associate researcher at the Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Japan. Research interests include political sociology, comparative politics, and public opinion. Primary research methodology involves the analysis of survey data, with a focus on the attitudes of the public in Japan and East Asia toward issues such as immigration and gender.)
