Trends In The Numbers Of Japan's Foreign Residents

Just a quick glance at the numbers of foreign residents in Japan and naturalizations, in honor of the The Economist article on the immigration and childbirth expansion programs. (Link)

Number of foreign residents in Japan
June 2013
by country

Total 2,049,123

China 647,230
South Korea/DPRK 526,575
Philippines 206,769
Brazil 185,644
Vietnam 61,920
U.S.A.49,216
Peru 48,976
Thailand 40,699
Taiwan 29,466 (new category)
Nepal 27,584
Indonesia 26,171


% change in number of citizens residing in Japan since 2008
by country

Total -4.4%

China +0.5%
South Korea/DPRK -9.6%
Philippines +6.9%
Brazil -40.0%
Vietnam +52.8%
U.S.A. -4.8%
Peru -12.6%
Thailand +11.3%
Taiwan N.A.
Nepal +139.0%
Indonesia -0.0%

Source: http://www.moj.go.jp/content/000116174.pdf

Pretty stunning, that Brazil number, yes? Coupled with the figure for Peru, evidence that the ethnicity-based immigration policy has been an utter, humiliating failure.

And on the issue of ethnicity-based immigration

Number of naturalizations in 2013 (% change since 2009)

"Return naturalization" (kika) 8,646 (-41.5%)

All other naturalizations 1,030 (-34.5%)

Source: http://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/toukei_t_minj03.html

I know what you are thinking.

"You mean if one excludes the special ethnicity based citizenship pathway, Japan has been adding about 1,000 citizens per year via immigration? And by all methods of naturalizations, the total number of added citizens is around 10,000? And both forms of naturalizations have declined by more than 30% over the last five years? And the natural change in Japan's population (births - deaths) in 2013 was -244,000?"
(Link)

"Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!"