NUMBER OF THE DAY
That’s how high the share of foreigners among 20–24-year-olds is in Tokyo’s Toshima ward (37% in Shinjuku) – almost two out of five young adults.
🧑🍳 Labor market dependent on migrants: 81% of population growth comes from foreigners. In the restaurant sector there are 5.27 (kitchen) and 4.91 (service) jobs per applicant; in elder care it’s 9.51 – staff are desperately needed. 77% of nursing homes employ foreign workers.
🧭 Integration under pressure: In just three years, the number of Nepalese in Tokyo has more than doubled, while anti-immigration protests are also on the rise. Districts are responding with traffic and etiquette training as well as neighborhood initiatives.
Watch: Tokyo’s service and care sectors can barely function without foreign workers. What matters now are reliable fact-checks by city authorities, ministries, and reputable media, municipal integration programs, and secure access to services – otherwise backlash and severe shortages loom in industries with extreme jobs-per-applicant ratios.
At the same time, Japan’s politics are shifting noticeably to the right: the “Japanese First” party Sanseito is capitalizing on anti-immigration sentiment and gaining influence. On October 4, 2025, the ruling LDP will elect new leadership after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was forced to resign following election defeats. The campaign tone on immigration and law-and-order issues is hardening – a signal that migration policy is becoming a central battleground in Japanese politics.
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