Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has prioritized issues related to foreign nationals since taking office, plans to hold a ministerial meeting early next week to discuss policies on foreigners. The agenda includes tightening rules on land acquisition, strengthening immigration controls, and preventing tax evasion. These measures aim to address public anxiety over illegal activities without excluding foreigners.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office on October 21 and has made issues related to foreign nationals one of her key policy agendas. In her inaugural policy speech, she stated that her government will "stand firm" in responding to illegal acts committed by some foreign nationals. Accordingly, the government is considering holding a ministerial meeting as soon as early next week to discuss policies regarding foreign nationals.
The agenda is expected to include tightening rules on foreign nationals acquiring land, strengthening immigration and residency controls to cope with people in the country without legal permission, ways to prevent foreign nationals from not paying taxes and social security premiums, and measures to tackle adverse impacts from surges in tourists to Japan. According to government sources, the meeting will focus on stricter responses to crimes, ensuring proper operation of currently misused systems, and identifying the current status of land ownership.
"The aim is to address public anxiety and a sense of injustice, not to exclude foreigners," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a news conference on Friday, clarifying the prime minister's remarks. In her first policy speech on October 24, Takaichi emphasized taking a firm stance on foreigners acting illegally while drawing "a clear line against xenophobia."
Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, have agreed to draw up a strategy on the country's population, including numerical targets for accepting foreign nationals, by the end of fiscal 2026. The new council will be chaired by Kihara, with economic security minister Kimi Onoda—who is in charge of policies relating to foreign nationals—and Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi as vice chairs. Basic policies will be finalized around January after launching an expert panel on topics such as population issues, economics, multicultural coexistence, social security, and land policy. This initiative serves as a command center to achieve harmonious coexistence amid rising foreign workers and tourists.