Japan, step by step, is becoming a major immigrant country.

According to the latest data released on March 14 by the Japan Immigration Bureau. As of the end of last year, the number of foreigners settled in Japan has reached 3,768,977, an increase of 10.5% over the previous year, and set a new record for the third consecutive year.

Today, let's focus on the Chinese in Japan and find out how many of them there are, under what qualifications they have settled in Japan, and in which regions they mainly live.

01

The number of Chinese in Japan is increasing year by year

Expected to exceed 1 million this year

This report shows that the Chinese remain the largest group of foreigners in Japan.

There are 873,286 residents from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, and 70,147 residents from Taiwan Province of China, totaling 943,433 Chinese living in Japan, accounting for 25.06% of the total.

In other words, about 1 out of every 4 foreigners in Japan is Chinese.

The data also shows that the number of Chinese in Japan has been increasing every year for the past four years, growing by about 50,000 to 60,000 people per year, specifically 767,754 in 2021, 818,857 in 2022, 886,501 in 2023, and 943,433 in 2024.

At this rate of growth, the number of Chinese in Japan is expected to exceed one million by the end of this year!

02

Permanent Residency

Largest number of holders

According to the data, the vast majority of Chinese residing in Japan have permanent or long-term resident status, with the largest number of permanent residence holders at 369,410.

The distribution of Chinese in Japan by status of residence is as follows:

❍ Permanent residents: 369,410

❍ Study Abroad: 150,151

❍ Technology/Humanities/International Business: 119,135

❍ Other: 92,613

❍ Family Stay: 86,398

❍ Resident: 32,828

❍ Marriage: 31,306

❍ Specific Skills: 18,039

❍ Specific Activities: 15,923

❍ Skill Practicum: 25,973

❍ Special permanent residence: 1,657

Usually, permanent residence is the goal of most Chinese in Japan, as those with permanent residence can live in Japan permanently, engage in the same activities (e.g., work) as Japanese nationals without being restricted by visa type, and do not need to renew their status of residence periodically.

03

Chinese people

Where to live in Japan

According to the latest population data from Japan's 47 prefectures, more Chinese are clustered in Japan's prosperous areas.

For example, there are 310,605 in Tokyo, 93,722 in Osaka Prefecture, 87,666 in Saitama Prefecture, and 87,359 and 65,530 in Kanagawa and Chiba Prefectures, respectively.

The rest of the region's numbers were:

Aichi Prefecture (48,970), Fukuoka Prefecture (23,263), Kyoto Prefecture (21,892), Hiroshima Prefecture (12,857), Shizuoka Prefecture (11,403), Niigata Prefecture (5,158), Nagano Prefecture (9,617), Ibaraki Prefecture (14,346), Gifu Prefecture (9,608), Gunma Prefecture (7,307), Tochigi Prefecture (7,390), Okayama Prefecture (7,377), Miyagi (6,228), Yamanashi (5,237), Kumamoto (5,363), Okinawa (4,027), Shiga (4,988), Kagawa (3,205), Nara (3,493), Fukushima (3,253), Ehime (2,724), Nagasaki (2,286), Oita (2,418), Yamagata (2,022), Tottori (788), Akita (991), Aomori (1,098), Shimane (1,119), Kagoshima (1,901), Iwate (1,705), Tokushima (1,710), Saga (1,058), Undetermined/Unknown (1,336).

04

Which migration corridors are

Popular with the elite

Among those who go to Japan to work, start a business or settle down, some are employed as executives by multinational corporations or hold important positions in well-known Japanese companies; others come to Japan on scholarships to further their studies at Japanese universities or research institutes. ......

Among the ways to move to Japan, the most popular ones for elites and investors are the Highly Talented Person Visa and the Management Visa, respectively.

The Highly Qualified Personnel Visa is a fast track to obtaining permanent residency in Japan. Qualified academic researchers, highly skilled technicians, and corporate executives with extensive management experience can apply for permanent residency after one year's residence in Japan.

The Management Visa is for foreigners who wish to start a business in Japan. Eligible applicants can apply for this visa by registering a company in Japan, investing 5 million yen in registered capital, and having a fixed office space.

As of the end of 2024, a total of 28,708 people have been granted the Highly Qualified Person visa and 41,615 people have been granted the Management visa, while the total number of people who have successfully obtained permanent resident status in Japan is 918,116.

If you are interested in applying for these two visas to settle down in Japan, please contact Nebula Sea International and we will provide you with customized and exclusive services.