Japan’s increasingly strict immigration control measures have been yielding quantifiable results for two years, even as foreign arrivals surge to record levels, according to newly released government data.
Foreign arrivals topped 42.4 million in 2025, the first time the figure has exceeded 40 million, according to data recently released by the Immigration Services Agency. At the same time, the number of foreign residents living in Japan rose to a record 4.13 million last year.
The surge in overseas arrivals has coincided with a tightening of immigration controls under a government initiative aimed at reducing overstayers, known as the “Zero Illegal Foreign Residents Plan for the Safety and Security of People in Japan,” more commonly referred to as “Zero Plan.”
