Japan Wants Foreign Workers, But the System Still Treats Them Like a Problem

Expats in Japan

Japan is openly trying to attract foreign workers to plug serious labor gaps, but that "welcome" can feel conditional when the gatekeepers act like foreigners are a nuisance to be managed. That contradiction is why a circulating video, described online as filmed at the Naha (Okinawa) immigration office reception area, has struck a nerve: it allegedly portrays an interaction where a foreign long-term resident says they are being blocked or stonewalled while trying to file a status-related application. The footage is hard to independently verify from the outside, and the individuals involved are not clearly identifiable, but the reason it matters is simple. If your immigration system has wide discretion and low transparency, even one credible-looking incident becomes a warning flare. The case described follows a pattern many foreign residents recognize: someone married to a Japanese citizen, resident for years, tax-paying, no criminal history, yet still treated as suspicious once they pursue a more secure status (like permanent residence) or attempt a change of status. Japan's formal requirements for permanent residence are specific, but everyday practice can feel opaque to applicants, especially when officials refuse to clearly explain decisions, request extra materials without clarity, or imply deeper scrutiny. Even when the law allows investigation, "we can investigate you" is not the same thing as "we should treat you like you're guilty for asking."

What makes this especially volatile right now is timing. Japan's public-facing message is "we need foreign labor," but the lived experience for many foreigners is "we need you when you're useful, and we doubt you when you need stability." The sharpest edge shows up for foreign spouses and people whose circumstances change over time: illness, job loss, caregiving, or relying on welfare can turn a previously "acceptable" foreign resident into a perceived risk. Some expats describe allegations that staff escalated from paperwork disputes into probing the legitimacy of a marriage and pressuring family dynamics. Though these claims have not been confirmed, the broader concern is still legitimate: foreign spouses can end up structurally vulnerable when their residence status depends on their spouse's willingness to sign a yearly guarantor form, immigration officials' discretion, renewal patterns, and the tone of a single office interaction.

This is why civil society groups keep flagging discrimination, hate speech, and immigration enforcement practices as human-rights concerns in Japan, including within international review processes. Whether or not any single video proves a systemic pattern, the larger credibility problem remains: Japan has limited comprehensive anti-discrimination enforcement, and immigration decisions can be difficult to challenge without resources, language ability, and stamina. If Japan wants foreign workers and long-term families to invest in the country, it needs more than recruitment slogans. It needs transparent decision-making, clear explanations, consistent application of rules, and basic dignity at the counter. "Welcome" only counts when it survives contact with the paperwork window. #immigrationjapan #expatsinjapan #foreignersinjapa #japan #foreignerharassmentjapan

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