Newsweek Wonders If Japan Can Go Hardcore On Booting Out Immigrants

What they can do is be way more judicious on who they allow into Japan, from visitors to workers

Can Japan’s New Leader Afford to Go Hard on Immigration?

Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has earned a reputation as a hardliner on immigration, an image that helped propel her to power amid rising nationalist sentiment and debate over Japan’s identity amid demographic decline.

Hailing from the conservative wing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Takaichi won last month’s runoff election to become Japan’s 104th and first female prime minister. Her rise came amid an uptick in anti-foreigner sentiment, with some observers saying she tapped into that mood to secure the LDP leadership and the top political post in the country.

Have you noticed that the feminists aren’t celebrating her election, because she is engaged in Wrongthink?

Japan, one of the world’s most homogeneous nations, faces deepening labor shortages as its birth rate plummets and its population ages.

The number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa rules for workers in key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and caregiving. At the same time, the country has seen unprecedented levels of tourism—up 48 percent in 2024 from the year before, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

But the post-pandemic influx has not been universally welcomed. Reports of unruly visitor behavior have sparked public complaints and a rise in anti-foreigner sentiment that right-wing politicians have been quick to capitalize on.

Watching social media, the top two issues are Japan letting in lots of Islamists, who do their hardcore Islamist stuff, like taking over streets to pray and declaring that Islam will take over Japan, and visitors who do their horribly annoying narcissistic “Influencer/creator” garbage, annoying Japanese. Doing stupid stunts on subways, messing with culture, etc. Seriously, these people do not seem to be visiting Japan to see the sites and enjoy the culture. And you get things like

Takaichi has pledged a crackdown on illegal immigration and visa overstays, restrictions on foreign purchases of land, particularly by Chinese nationals, and tighter border controls. She has appointed Kimi Onoda, known for her tough stance on immigration, as minister in charge of a “society of well-ordered and harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals.”

She has also repeated unsubstantiated claims about rising crime among foreigners, though official statistics show such offenses have been declining for over a decade. Last month, she voiced concern about tourist misconduct, alleging that foreign visitors had kicked sacred deer in Nara Park, one of Japan’s most famous cultural sites.

The people voted for her, so, obviously, they want this

Whether or not Takaichi’s administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.

“Observers”. The same people who push unfettered immigration from areas incompatible with the 1st World, who refuse to assimilate and demand countries assimilate to their lives.