Copyright kyodonews
TOKYO - Japan's government will compile a comprehensive set of measures to address issues related to foreign residents and tourists in January, its top spokesperson said Tuesday, as its ministers met to discuss policies on foreigners for the first time under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. At a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the ministerial meeting was launched to enhance central government oversight of foreigner-related issues and "build a safe, secure, orderly, and inclusive society for the people and foreigners living in our country." Policies on foreigners have become a hot-button issue in Japan amid media reports about visa overstays and suspected misuse of public services by some foreigners. At the meeting, Takaichi -- a hard-line conservative who became the nation's first female prime minister on Oct. 21 -- said that Japanese citizens feel "concern and a sense of unfairness" due to "illegal actions" by some foreign individuals. "While keeping a distance from xenophobia, the government will firmly respond" to those issues, Takaichi said. Issues related to foreigners, including the increasing purchase of land by non-Japanese individuals and companies, attracted public attention during the July House of Councillors election, in which then Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party suffered a major setback. He announced his resignation in September. In the upper house election, some parties such as the right-wing Sanseito party argued that regulations on foreigners living in Japan should be tightened to protect the rights of Japanese people. Since campaigning for the LDP's presidential election to choose Ishiba's successor on Oct. 4, Takaichi has pledged to strengthen the government's role in addressing issues related to foreign tourists and residents. At a separate press conference Tuesday, health minister Kenichiro Ueno said the government is preparing to introduce measures from June 2027 to address nonpayment of national insurance premiums by foreign residents. Coordinating with the Immigration Services Agency, the envisioned plan would, in principle, deny changes or renewals of residency status to those who have failed to pay. Foreigners registered as residents and staying in Japan for more than three months are generally required to enroll in the National Health Insurance program -- a system for the self-employed and unemployed -- if they are not covered by another form of public health insurance. Ueno also indicated that the government is set to tighten screenings for medium- and long-term residence permits by reviewing information on unpaid medical bills left by foreign tourists who received treatment during their stay. The government will move forward with discussions on a variety of issues, including accepting foreign workers with certain levels of expertise and skills, Kihara said.
