Japan to Launch Council on Foreign National Policy, with Crime Response, Land Ownership Believed to Be Points of Focus

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:53 JST, October 31, 2025

The government plans to launch a new ministerial council to review policies on foreigners, a move that may lead to stricter rules on foreign nationals.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to instruct relevant ministers to implement measures on issues related to foreigners. These are expected to include stricter responses to crimes, ensuring proper operation of currently misused systems and identifying the current status of land ownership.

Basic policies will be finalized around January after the launch of an expert panel comprising of specialists on topics such as population issues, economics, multicultural coexistence, social security and land policy.

According to government sources, the name of the council of relevant ministries will reflect its mission of achieving the acceptance of foreign nationals and a society of well-ordered and harmonious coexistence.

The new council will serve as a new command center for the initiative and will be formed from an existing body that had coordinated overall policies on matters such as the acceptance of foreign personnel.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara will chair the meeting, while economic security minister Kimi Onoda, who is also in charge of policies relating to foreign nationals, and Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi will serve as vice chairs.

The meeting is likely to focus on tightening regulations to ease public concern and a sense of unfairness amid a rise in the number of foreign workers and tourists.

In her first policy speech on Oct. 24, Takaichi said she would take a firm stance on foreigners acting illegally and deviating from rules, while emphasizing that she would “draw a clear line against xenophobia.”

The first meeting is expected to be held next week. Takaichi will request consideration of such matters as improving residency management, tightening the requirements for naturalization, addressing overtourism, as well as security measures and land acquisitions by foreigners.