Japan to launch Cabinet team on issues related to foreign residents
The issue has become one of the major topics during official campaigning for the July 20 House of Councillors election, with some minor parties arguing that regulations on foreigners living in Japan should be tightened to "protect the rights of Japanese people."
"Realizing an orderly society inclusive of foreign residents is one of the most important policy matters the government should tackle," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press conference, explaining Ishiba's plan.
The move appears aimed at gaining public support for the government's response to controversies related to foreign residents, including allegations of misuse of the national welfare system, ahead of the key upper house election.
The issues have prompted some minor conservative opposition parties to adopt xenophobic stances toward foreign residents, making remarks that could be considered hate speech and claiming that Japan's culture and the economy must be protected.
On Saturday, Naoki Hyakuta, a former novelist and leader of the Conservative Party of Japan, said that foreign workers "disrespect Japanese culture, ignore the rules, assault Japanese people, and steal their belongings."
During the upper house election campaign, another minor opposition group, the Sanseito party, has drawn attention among conservatives with nationalist and anti-establishment views under its "Japanese First" banner.
The party's leader, Sohei Kamiya, has asserted that globalization is the "reason behind Japan's poverty," saying foreigners are buying up land and company stocks and that the number of workers from abroad has grown excessively amid a labor shortage.
The Conservative Party of Japan, launched in 2023, and Sanseito, established in 2020, each won three seats in last year's House of Representatives election.
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Currently, it boasts five lawmakers in the National Diet, mostly through lawmakers and independents who have changed their affiliation and joined Sanseito after the 2022 upper house election. For the 2025 election, the party is fielding candidates nationwide, galvanizing support with anti-establishment slogans. The party presents itself as an alternative to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-Komeito coalition. Sanseito aims to secure six seats in the upcoming election. As campaigning intensifies, the party has sought to clarify its position on foreigners and immigration amid criticism it is normalizing xenophobia in Japan. Kamiya Sohei, who now leads the party, addressed foreign reporters at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan on Thursday, July 3. At the press conference, Kamiya reiterated the party's hardline stance on immigration but framed the issue as a matter of national protection rather than cultural exchange. 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In response to U.S. tariff threats, he called for a recalibration of the bilateral trade relationship, pointing out that Japanese consumers spend trillions of yen annually on American digital and IT products. Instead of yielding to U.S. pressure, he argued, Japan should offset automotive export losses by relaxing decarbonization rules and cutting domestic auto taxes to bolster internal demand. Sanseito's rhetoric offers a glimpse into the tensions shaping the country's political future. The degree to which Sanseito's message translates from online support to votes on July 20 will determine whether it remains a digital phenomenon or becomes a durable force in Japanese politics.
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