Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Survey Overview—

Survey Purpose, etc.
■ The survey was conducted to determine the circumstances of foreign residents and issues they face in professional, daily, and social lives as accurately as
possible, as part of efforts to plan and formulate policies to facilitate coexistence with foreign residents. This was the fourth survey of its kind, following the third
one conducted in FY2022.
■ In addition to asking foreign residents about the challenges they faced when seeking help for issues in their daily lives, this survey asked institutions accepting
foreigners (simply “institutions”) (foreigners who are registered with or employed by their institutions are called “foreign members”) about what they found difficult in
helping their foreign members, focusing on institutions’ response to requests for help from their foreign members.
■ The FY2023 Expert Committee Meeting for a Basic Survey on Foreign Residents was held to broaden the scope of the survey, and experts familiar withassimilation policies were invited to participate in determining the survey items and compiling survey results in order to leverage their expertise, high-level insights,
and broader perspectives.
⇒ The government will use the survey results to help plan, draft, and implement coexistence measures for foreign residents to enhance the Roadmap for the
Realization of a Society of Harmonious Coexistence with Foreign Nationals and Comprehensive Measures for Acceptance and Coexistence ofForeign Nationals as part of initiatives to build a society of harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals.

Survey Overview
Foreign residents
Survey targets■ A total of 20,000 medium- to long-term residents and special permanent residents aged 18 or older* Limited to those who had been physically present in Japan for at least one year from the date of their most recent landing permit by August 15, 2023
* Respondents were randomly selected based on the sample sizes by nationality/region and by status of residence that were determined based on theStatistics on Foreign Residents (as of the end of December 2022).

Number of valid
responses■ Number of letters sent: 20,000 (410 of which were undeliverable)

Survey method■ A web-based survey (a letter requesting cooperation and including a two-dimensional code was mailed to survey targets, who were asked to scan thecode and then respond to the online questionnaire)■ The online questionnaire was provided in eight languages (simplified Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Filipino, and
Nepali).

Survey items■ The survey asked foreign residents about the challenges they faced when seeking help for issues they encounter in their daily lives and others,
including the following:
Who they want to consult when they have worries; what is desirable in a place of contact, etc.; what is desirable in personnel providing consultations;problem-solving status when a foreign resident consults family members, relatives, friends, or acquaintances; problem-solving status when a foreign
resident consults the institution they belong to; and whether a foreign resident wishes his/her institution, etc. to have personnel who handle
consultations■ Questions identical to those in the National Survey for Ascertaining People’s Loneliness and Social Isolation (2022) (Cabinet Secretariat) (sent to
20,000 individuals aged 16 or older nationwide) were asked to gauge the current level of loneliness among foreign residents in Japan.

■ Valid responses: 6,154 Response rate: 31.4%

1

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Survey Overview—
Institutions

Survey targets■ A total of 1,000 institutions that accept foreign nationals* Including institutions directly employing foreign nationals, educational institutions accepting international students, and supervising institutions
and registered support institutions for foreign technical trainees* Including corporations and independent business proprietors* The Agency randomly selected foreign residents who were registered with or employed by institutions based on the sample sizes by
nationality/region and by status of residence that were determined based on the Statistics on Foreign Residents (as of the end of December2022). This survey targeted their institutions.

Number of valid
responses■ Number of letters sent: 1,000 (22 of which were undeliverable) ■ Valid responses: 555 Response rate: 56.7%

Survey method■ A web-based survey (a letter requesting cooperation and including a two-dimensional code was mailed to survey targets, who were asked toscan the code and then respond to the online questionnaire)

Survey items■ The survey asked institutions about the difficulties they faced when helping their foreign members and other issues including the following:
The frequency of requests for help from their foreign members; the issues experienced by their foreign members; their responses to the issues
experienced by their foreign members; the difficulties they face in helping their foreign members; how to submit their requests related to helping
their foreign members; knowledge or skills necessary for helping their foreign members; whether they want to participate in foreigner support
training; what is important in foreigner support training; their assignment and development of support staff for foreign members; what they
expect from public institutions when employing support staff; refresher training for support staff; whether they want to hire support coordinatorsfor foreign residents and train their employees to acquire the qualifications; and opinions and requests

Survey period and points to note
Survey period■ October 2 to October 20, 2023

Points to note

■ The results of this survey merely comprise a compilation of the responses to the questionnaire. Since some results may not accurately
represent the views of the entire group of respondents due to the low number of responses, caution is advised when interpreting these results.
■ The figures have been rounded. For this reason, the total of percentages for some responses may not equal 100.0%, or the figures shown insome charts may be different from those stated in the summary.
■ In some questions, survey items for foreign residents are parallel to those for institutions. For some of these survey items, the “survey on
institutions” section provides graphs comparing their responses.

2

Survey on Foreign Residents

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Foreign Residents (1) (Respondents’ Attributes)—■ The most common nationality of respondents was China (26.8%), followed by Vietnam (16.9%) and the Philippines (10.8%).
■ The most common status of residence of respondents was “Permanent Resident” (28.6%), followed by “Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services” (13.4%),
and “Technical Intern Training” (10.5%).
■ The most common age group of respondents was “20 to 29” (30.8%), followed by “30 to 39” (29.2%) and “40 to 49” (19.2%).
■ The most common total length of residence in Japan was “3 years or more, but less than 10 years” (37.9%), followed by “10 years or more, but less than 20 years” (19.1%)
and “1 year or more, but less than 3 years” (17.8%).

Nationality/region

USA 2.0%(121 persons)

Other 15.7%(965
persons)

Taiwan 3.0%
(182 persons)

China 26.8%(1,651 persons)Vietnam
16.9%(1,038persons)

Indonesia 3.6%
(221 persons)Philippines
10.8%
South Korea(667 persons)
8.9%(547 persons)Status of residence

Others
16.0%

China
24.8%

Indonesia
3.2%（n=6,154）

Vietnam
15.9%

Permanent
Resident 28.6%(1,757 persons)Long-Term
Resident 6.5%
(402 persons)
Dependent 8.2%(505 persons)Student 9.8%(605 persons)Technical
Intern Training
10.5%(645 persons)Engineer,
Specialist in
Humanities,
International
Services
13.4%(824 persons)（n=6,154）

50–59 12.2%(752 persons)

60–69 5.4%(334 persons)

20–29 30.8%(1,898 persons)

40–49 19.2%(1,184 persons)Philippines South
Korea
9.7%
13.4%

30–39 29.2%(1,798 persons)Brazil6.8%（n=6,154）

Total length of residence in Japan
Reference: Statistics on Foreign Residents(As of the end of December 2022)

Specified Skilled
Worker 4.8%(296 persons)

70–79 1.4%
(87 persons)Thailand
1.8%

USA
2.0%

Nepal
4.5%

Special Permanent
Resident 4.7%
(292 persons)

Spouse or Child of aJapanese National
6.6%(405 persons)Taiwan1.9%

Other 5.3%
(327 persons)

Designated Activities 1.6%
(96 persons)

80 or older
0.5%(28
persons)

18–19 1.2%
(73 persons)
Reference: Statistics on Foreign Residents(As of the end of December 2022)

Nepal 3.2%
(195
persons)

Brazil 7.3%
(451
persons)

Age

Unknown
0.1%(6 persons)Thailand 1.8%(110 persons)

DesignatedActivities
Specified
2.7%
Skilled Worker
4.3%
Spouse or Child of aJapanese National
4.7%

Permanent
Resident
28.1%

Long-Term
Resident
6.7%
Student
9.8%

Dependent
7.4%
SpecialPermanent
Resident
9.4%

40 years or more 1.3%
(81 persons)Since I was born 4.5%(274 persons)Technical
InternTraining
10.6%
Engineer,
Specialist in
Humanities,
International
Services
10.1%

Other 0.4%
(22 persons)Less than 1 year 0.4%
(25 persons)

30 years or more, but lessthan 40 years 5.5% (340persons)

Other
6.2%

Gender20 years or more, butless than 30 years 13.5%(829 persons)

3 years or more, but lessthan 10 years 37.9%(2,331 persons)Male 47.6%(2,927
persons)

Female 52.1%(3,205persons)

1 year or more, but lessthan 3 years 17.8% (1,097
persons)
10 years or more, but lessthan 20 years 19.1%(1,177 persons)（n=6,154）（n=6,154）3

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Foreign Residents (2) (Person to Consult)—■ The most common person to consult when foreign residents have worries was “Family members and relatives” (92.0%), followed by “Japanese friends and acquaintances”(65.6%) and “Non-Japanese friends and acquaintances” (60.4%).
■ To the question “What is desirable in a place of contact, etc.,” many respondents emphasized convenience, because the most common answer was “Consultation isavailable in my native language” (39.8%), followed by “Near my home” (39.1%) and “Easy to make an appointment for an interview” (36.3%).
■ To the question “What is desirable in personnel providing consultations,” many respondents emphasized knowledge about social, legal, and medical systems, as the
majority of respondents chose “Knowledge about taxes, pensions, and various social systems” (61.0%), followed by “Knowledge about the residence status system” (49.3%)
and “Knowledge about medical care or welfare” (40.6%).
Person to consult when foreign
residents have worries (Total)
Family members and relatives

92.0%

Japanese friends and acquaintances

65.6%

Non-Japanese friends and acquaintances

60.4%

Institution, school, or company, etc. in which I am
enrolled

29.1%

Municipality or prefecture
My country's embassy, etc.

19.5%
9.7% * Total of responses

Japanese government (FRESC, etc.)from who to consult
7.6% first, second, andthird when they have
4.9% worries

NPO and other private organizations

1.3%

Lawyers or certified administrative procedures
legal specialists

Other

7.3%

（n=6,154）

Person to consult when foreign
residents have worries (Ranking)
1st
2nd

2.9%
10.6% 8.4%

74.7%

34.1%

12.2%

33.6%

4.7%
8.4%
1.5%

3rd 5.1%

1.8%

1.6% 2.6%

What is desirable in a place of contact, etc.

What is desirable in personnel providing
consultation

Consultation is available in mynative language

39.8%

Knowledge about taxes, pensions, andvarious social systems

Near my home39.1%

Knowledge about the residence status
systemEasy to make an appointment
for an interview

36.3%

Personnel is able to handle
various types of issues

33.0%

Has expertise in medical andlegal issues

28.9%

Consultation is available atnight and on holidays

24.7%

Spends sufficient time on aninterview

23.3%

Online (incl. SNS) consultation
is available

Communication skills

36.8%

Capability to handle your native
language

35.5%

Coordination ability with service
providers

24.5%

Consultation is available on the
phone

22.3%

Knowledge about mental care

22.5%

Privacy of my spouse, otherfamily members, and othersaround me is protected

21.0%

Knowledge about children's education

21.2%

Staff accompanies me torelevant institutions as needed

16.2%* The items whose percentage is 1.0% or less are not shown. （n=6,154）

I know what kind of personnel
support is available

11.0%

Family members and relatives
Japanese friends and acquaintances
Non-Japanese friends and acquaintances
Institution, school, or company, etc. in which I am enrolled
Municipality or prefecture
My country's embassy, etc.
Lawyers or certified administrative procedures legal specialists
Japanese government (FRESC, etc.)
NPO and other private organizations
Other

40.6%

23.0%

12.1%

17.9%

Knowledge about medical care or
welfare26.2%

14.2% 7.7% 5.7%3.7%
5.6%

18.4%

49.3%

Knowledge about different cultures orvaluesOffers mental care

20.9%

61.0%

Other
I am not sure16.1%

Knowledge about pregnancy orchildbirth

13.5%

Other

1.6%
8.3%

Knowledge about childraising（n=6,154）

I am not sure

1.5%
6.9%

（n=6,154）4

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Foreign Residents (3) (Problem-Solving Status)—■ When foreign residents consulted their family members, etc. (family members, relatives, friends, or acquaintances) about their problems, 80.2% were solved (a total of“Always solved” and “Often solved”).
■ When foreign residents consulted their institutions about their problems, 73.9% were solved (a total of “Always solved” and “Often solved”).
■ The most common reason for not consulting their institutions was “Because accurate communication is difficult due to language difficulties” (15.3%), followed by “Because
you have someone outside your institution, like a family member, acquaintance, or local government, whom you can consult” (13.5%) and “Because you do not knowwhom in your institution to consult” (11.3%).
■ The proportion of foreign residents who had never consulted their institutions increases with the length of their residence in Japan. About 80% of foreign residents who had
lived in Japan for less than 10 years had consulted their institutions before.
Problem-solving status when a foreign
resident consults his/her institution

Problem-solving status when a foreign
resident consults his/her family members, etc.

Reasons for not consulting his/her institution

Rarely solved 3.1%
Rarely solved 5.8%
Not often
solved16.6%

Alwayssolved
31.1%

Not
often
solved20.3%

Often
solved49.2%

Alwayssolved25.0%(n=4,087)

Percentage of theanswer “Always
solved”
30.9%

Yes (Japanese)

38.0%

Yes (other nationality)

26.9%

Never

26.3%

No (separated or bereaved)

34.7%

Percentage of respondents who had never consulted
their institutions (by total length of residence)
Total length of residence inJapan

Percentage

13.5%

1st

Since birth

51.7%

2nd

30 years or more

36.2%

3rd

20 years or more, but less than
30 years

32.7%

4th

10 years or more, but less than
20 years

29.4%

5th

3 years or more, but less than
10 years

22.1%

6th

Less than 3 years

20.3%

Many foreign residents had consulted
their institutions within a few years
after their migration to Japan.

11.3%

Because awareness about your problems
cannot be communicated due to cultural
or value differences

7.7%

Because you cannot expect yourinstitution to solve your problem or tell youof an external place to consult

7.4%

Because there is no department or placeof contact to consult about your worries

6.8%

Because by consulting your institution,
you may suffer disadvantage (forexample, your privacy being revealed toother persons or organizations)

Decreasing

Yes (same nationality)

Because you have someone outside yourinstitution, like a family member,acquaintance, or local government, whom
you can consult

Often
solved48.9%

Percentage of the answer “Always solved” whena foreign resident consulted his/her family
members, etc. (by marriage status)

15.3%

Because you do not know whom in yourinstitution to consult(n=6,063)

SpouseBecause accurate communication isdifficult due to language difficulties* Neversoughtconsultation⇒1,487
persons

5.2%

Because you have someone inside yourinstitution, like a colleague or classmate,whom you can consult in private

4.0%

Because your institution is not likely togive you trustworthy information

3.3%（n=1,487）

Because even if you consult yourinstitution, it would not respond

3.1%* The answer “No problem occurred in particular” accounted
for 64.4%.

5

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Foreign Residents (4) (Content of Consultation and Problems)—“Work” accounted for the majority of both issues discussed by foreign residents with their family members, etc. (family members, relatives, friends, or acquaintances) andissued discussed with their institutions. “Tax” was also a significant concern. They mainly discussed issues like “Human relationships” and “Money matters” with theirfamily members, etc., while it is notable that the proportion of “Status of residence” was particularly high as an issue discussed with their institutions.
■ The most common challenge faced by foreign residents when seeking help from their family members, etc. was “Awareness about your problems cannot be communicated
due to cultural or value differences” (23.7%), followed by “Accurate communication is difficult due to language difficulties” (21.9%). The most common challenge facing
foreign residents when seeking help from their institutions was “Accurate communication is difficult due to language difficulties” (36.1%), followed by “Awareness about
your problems cannot be communicated due to cultural or value differences” (24.7%).
■

Problems upon consulting family members, etc.

Content of consultation
Work (working conditions, employment,
transfer, etc.)
Human relationships
Tax
Medical care
Money matters
Japanese language study
Status of residence
Insurance
Housing
PensionMental healthChildren's education
Relatives in home country
Issues about the family
Racial discrimination, equal opportunity,
respect for individualsChildraising
DisasterPregnancy or childbirth
Marriage or divorce
Nursing care
Death (securing a burial plot, etc.)
Political participation
Domestic violence
Other

19.5%

36.6%

58.6%
60.7%

32.6%
35.7%
30.9%
23.0%
29.5%
17.9%
27.3%
27.1%
26.9%
34.6%
26.4%
28.3%
25.1%
17.3%
24.8%
26.1%
22.9%
13.8%
22.6%
11.4%
20.3%
6.9%
19.4%
6.4%
15.8%
10.6%
15.0%
7.9%
8.6%
4.9%
7.9%
4.3%
6.4%
2.9%
5.3%
3.5%
3.0%
Family members, etc.
1.9%
(n=6,063)
2.0%
1.4%
Institutions (n=4,087)
1.5%
1.1%
1.9%
2.3%

Awareness about your problems cannot be communicated due to cultural orvalue differences

23.7%
21.9%

Accurate communication is difficult due to language difficulties
Due to reasons such as the special nature of the issue, the person you
consult does not know how to or which external place to consult about the
problem

20.0%

Person you consult cannot give you trustworthy information

8.1%

By consulting the other person, you suffered disadvantage (for example, yourprivacy being revealed to other persons or organizations)

6.4%（n=6,063）

49.4%

No problem occurred in particular

Problems upon consulting institutions
36.1%

Accurate communication is difficult due to language difficulties
Awareness about your problems cannot be communicated due to cultural orvalue differences

24.7%

Due to reasons such as the special nature of the issue, the person you
consult does not know how to or which external place to consult about the
problem

16.5%

Your institution cannot give you trustworthy information

7.7%

By consulting your institution, you suffered disadvantage (for example, yourprivacy being revealed to other persons or organizations)

6.4%

Your institution does not respond even when you seek consultation

6.1%

No problem occurred in particular（n=4,087）

41.0%

6

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Foreign Residents (5) (Loneliness, Opinions, and Requests)—■ For whether foreign residents want support specialists in their institutions, 76.0% of the respondents answered “Yes” or “If anything, yes,” while 10.4% answered “No” or “Ifanything, no.”■ A total of 7.9% of all respondents said they feel lonely “Frequently or always,” an increase of 0.4 points from the survey in FY2022. The percentages of those who selected“Frequently or always” and “Sometimes” are high, compared to the National Survey for Ascertaining People’s Loneliness and Social Isolation (2022) (Cabinet Secretariat)(targeting 20,000 individuals aged 16 or older nationwide).
■ For their opinions and requests, while many answers reflected a decrease in proportion from the survey in FY2022, the proportion of the most common answer, “Language,”increased (to 56.7%, up by 1.0 point).
Whether a foreign resident wants support specialists in his/her institution

The answers “Yes” and “If anything, yes” accounted for 76.0%.
50.9%
Yes

4.1%

6.3% 13.5%

25.1%

If anything, yes

If anything, noNo

Not sure(n=5,574)

Survey in FY2023(n=6,154)

7.9%

Survey in FY2022(n=5,016)

7.5%

Survey in FY2021
6.7%(n=7,982)

Sometimes

22.7%
17.6%
14.9%

Occasionally

25.8%

RarelyWork
Racial discrimination, equal
opportunity, respect for individuals
Status of residence
Tax
Information provision

Housing

Never

21.2%

Pension

22.4%

24.3%

23.9%

26.8%

29.5%

22.7%

26.1%

Education
Insurance
Bank account, credit card, loan
Socializing
Consultation

Reference: Survey results of the National Survey for Ascertaining People’s Loneliness and Social Isolation(2022) (Cabinet Secretariat)

Frequently or always

Language

Medical care

Situation of loneliness (how often do you feel lonely?)
Frequently or always

Opinions and requests, etc.

Sometimes

Occasionally

RarelyNever

NoanswerChildraising
Disaster
Political participation

2022
2021

Death (securing a burial plot, etc.)
Other

43.7%
39.0%
41.6%
35.7%
36.9%
34.6%
38.0%
32.3%
34.1%
31.0%
33.7%
28.4%
33.5%
25.9%
33.3%
25.8%
27.6%
25.8%
29.8%
24.8%
28.5%
24.3%
26.9%
19.6%
28.4%

12.2%
17.9%
8.4%
16.0%
8.1%
14.7%
8.9%
9.8%

56.7%
55.7%
53.1%
56.2%
51.8%

Survey in
FY2023(n=6,154)
Survey in
FY2022(n=4,977)

7

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Opinions/Requests of Foreign Residents (1) Language, Racial Discrimination, etc.—■ This survey was conducted to find out “What kinds of support, efforts, and systems are necessary for foreign nationals to lead a better life in Japan?” by asking respondents
to select their responses to questions about “Language,” “Work,” ”Information provision,” and others (multiple answers allowed), and then answer additional open-ended
questions. The following are some of the opinions and requests from respondents for each area. (The number next to each area indicates the number of selections of
relevant responses. The opinions and requests were excerpted from 4,679 free answers other than comments such as “nothing in particular“ and “thank you for yourunderstanding.” Obvious typographical errors and information that could identify an individual have been corrected, and some opinions and requests provided here are
excerpts. In addition, responses provided in languages other than Japanese have been translated into Japanese.)
Language (3,492)○ Support for Japanese language learning
・ I would like to see free, systematic, and convenient Japanese language programs become available, such as online night courses or holiday courses. (woman in her 40s)
・ Though a Japanese language class is available to me, it only takes place for an hour and a half per week. I would like to see opportunities to learn Japanese available every day, likeelementary and junior high schools. Ideally, parents would also be provided with sufficient opportunities to learn Japanese. (woman in her 30s)
・ We can solve our problems more easily if could can understand Japanese just like our native languages everywhere in Japan and communicate in local dialects. If classes in local dialects,
law, and culture were available in or near communities of foreigners, we’d be more easily accepted by local communities and be able to study or work more smoothly. (woman in her 20s)
○ Multilingual support
・ Language barriers make it challenging to find necessary information. Despite having lived in Japan for almost 20 years, I still struggle with reading and writing kanji and rely on my husband
for that. I’m a JLPT N1 holder, but I’m still not good at kanji. I wish administrative paperwork were easier for foreign residents. (woman in her 40s)
・ It’d be very helpful if interpreters or other similar support staff were available at hospitals, tax offices, pension offices, social insurance offices, and other places where we encounter technicalterms. They’d answer our questions and prevent future problems. (woman in her 30s)
・ City offices should have English translators. English is crucial for foreign residents who still struggle with understanding Japanese. I would like to see translators available at city offices,
immigration offices, pension offices, and other public service locations. (woman in her 40s)
○ Easy Japanese・ I hope there will be more use of easy Japanese and education about intercultural cohesion in Japanese society. (man in his 20s)
etc.
Racial discrimination/equal opportunity/respect for individuals (2,687)
・ It seems like online and other forms of slander are common, though I don’t think they’ll go away anytime soon. I think that these slanderous comments include discriminatory comments
against ordinary Japanese people who are socially disadvantaged. I hope that there will be some kind of action taken to address this issue. (man in his 70s)
・ At a convenience store, for example, when I talk to a store clerk in a way that I usually talk to my family, I sometimes encounter a cold attitude, probably because of my appearance or broken
Japanese. Of course, not all Japanese people discriminate against me. In fact, many Japanese people are kind to me. (woman in her 30s)
・ While I have not experienced any particular racism in Japan, I know some people do. I think even though some Japanese people do not mean to make racist comments, they are not always
very knowledgeable about foreign countries/people and can accidentally do or say things that may make foreigners feel like outsiders. Foreigners may sometimes be denied loans or credit
cards because they are foreign (I‘ve never needed these things, but I have heard from some friends). Foreigners need equal access to these services if they are going to live in Japan.
(woman in her 20s)
・ Foreigners might not be familiar with Japanese unwritten rules. Consequently, when we accidentally break these rules, we face unnecessary discrimination and many inconveniences. I hopethat there will be lots of caution cards that describe these unwritten rules in a friendly manner in multiple languages. (woman in her 30s)
・ I think that differences in culture and views about life cause us great distress. I know that we have to respect Japanese culture and views of life and make every effort to adapt to Japanesesociety. Having said that, I sincerely hope that Japanese people will try to understand our cultures and us. While not all of us are as bad as Japanese people may think, some do wrong. I’msure they’re wrong. But I still want Japanese people to see us in a positive light and understand that we’re here to work hard, we’re polite like Japanese, we like making friends and accepting
people, and we feel no ill will toward any Japanese people. Please give us a chance to show we’re very attractive people. (woman in her 50s)
etc.

8

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Opinions/Requests of Foreign Residents (2) Work/Information Provision/Status of Residence—
Work (3,270)○ Issues when finding employment
・ I want more employment support because our employment affects our statuses of residence. (woman in her 20s)
・ Japanese society has many hidden rules, which make it particularly challenging to find employment. I would like some support for this issue. (woman in her 20s)
・ It’s difficult to find information about jobs where we can use our multiple languages or skills. (woman in her 20s)
○ Issues after finding employment
・ It’s hard to integrate into Japanese society when my work is in English and my company suspended Japanese language lessons. With a lot of overtime, it’s also very hard toattend language school. It would be nice to have companies provide mandatory language support for foreign employees. Or have some local community classes/events that
help with integration. (woman in her 30s)
・ Japanese companies should give their foreign employees more support in getting driver’s licenses, machinery licenses, and other licenses and qualifications necessary forwork. Salaries and bonuses should be the same for Japanese and foreign employees. Administrative agencies should have online support websites that give us the help weneed when we’re in trouble and help us solve our issues quickly. (man in his 20s)
etc.
Information provision (2,127)○ Content of information
・It’d be very helpful if guidance on employment, Japanese law, and obligations and rules related to money is available when we come to Japan, in addition to support services.
(man in his 30s)
・ Thank you for the questionnaire. As I need to get ready for parenting, it’ll be very helpful if support for parenting and education is available. It’d be also very helpful if there
was a list of things we have to understand about tax, pension, and other hard-to-understand systems so that we can see at a glance what we have to do and we can do.
(woman in her 30s)
・ I would like useful information to be available to elderly foreigners who still want to be active in work, events, or other activities in Japan. (woman in her 70s)
・ It’ll be great if, in the near future, foreigners moving to Japan could participate in short programs that focus on Japanese culture and lifestyles in their communities. Japanesepeople tend to be quite vague and don’t say what they want directly, which makes it difficult for foreigners to fully understand what they want and sometimes makes us
misunderstand them, especially foreigners not proficient in Japanese. (man in his 20s)
○ Information dissemination methods
・ Many government websites have excellent information, but they can be difficult to navigate because of poor design or heavy use of “legalese.” (man in his 30s)
・ There are various information sources (service counters and websites), which I find useful. It’d be even better if general guidance on administrative procedures (for example,
what procedures require a visit to an immigration office or city office) were available. (woman in her 20s)
・ I hope you will make efforts to ensure that more foreign residents are aware that support services for them are available across the country. (woman in her 30s)
・ There should be opportunities for discussions between city offices and local foreign residents. (man in his 30s)
etc.
Status of residence (2,403)
・ When reviewing our applications for status of residence, officers should clearly indicate what is not satisfactory. (man in his 40s)
・ It’d be great if there was guidance about how to obtain status of residence and support for preparing necessary documents. (man in his 30s)
・ Japan should make it easier for foreign residents to become permanent residents of Japan. This would encourage foreign residents to work harder in Japan. (man in his 20s)
・ When looking for jobs, we don’t know which jobs offer working visas. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always wished for more detailed information about these opportunities. I
hope that websites, public employment agencies, or recruitment sites will provide us with detailed information on jobs that offer working visas to foreigners. If suchinformation were already available, there would be no need to worry about it. (man in his 30s)
etc.

9

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Opinions/Requests of Foreign Residents (3) Education/Housing/Work/Socializing—
Education (1,593)
・ Many children who were brought to Japan as infants can’t establish their identity and feel isolated. This is because they aren’t fluent in either Japanese or their native languages andcan’t fully integrate into either the Japanese community or their compatriots’ community. They should have the opportunity to learn both Japanese and their native languages
simultaneously at educational institutions. (man in his 30s)
・ I hope that we’ll be provided with information that helps us choose schools and information about the difficulty of passing entrance exams, covering all educational levels fromelementary school to university. (man in his 30s)
・ I hope that there will be Japanese language programs for foreign parents so that they can help their children learn Japanese. I think that their children tend to do poorly in Japaneseat school because their parents are not Japanese natives. It’ll be great if reading, counseling, and educational programs are available to support the second-generation migrants inlearning Japanese. (woman in her 50s)

etc.

Housing (1,906)
・ When looking for a new apartment after changing jobs, I had several landlords/real estate companies says they don’t do business with foreigners (even if they can speak Japanesewell). I’m aware that this kind of situation cannot be helped because it’s up to the individual company/person. Looking for reasonable housing as a foreigner was harder than I thought
it would be. (woman in her 20s)
・ I heard that a friend of mine had been charged an unreasonable amount of security deposit after leaving the rented apartment. Last year, when I was still new to Japan, I was also
confused for a while about Japanese apartment rental practices because I wasn’t familiar with them. I hope that there will be a handbook or something that shows us how to rent
apartments in Japan, including the process from finding to leaving apartments. (woman in her 20s)

etc.

Socializing (1,527)○ Interaction between Japanese and foreign nationals
・ It’d be great to see programs that give us opportunities to interact with Japanese not only when we’re students, but also when we’re in our 30s or beyond. (man in his 30s)
・ There are always local festivals, dances, and special events, but I never find out about them until afterwards. I would love to know what is happening in my community so I canparticipate. It is also difficult to join clubs with likeminded people. It took me more than three years to find a choir I could join in my town. Foreigners want to assimilate into thecommunity, but we don't know how to do so. (woman in her 40s)
・ Hopefully, my community will have an organization or group that connects foreigners with Japanese who are interested in them (including their languages, cultures, customs, or waysof communication). I’ve lived in Japan for five years, but I haven’t had the opportunity to learn Japanese systematically. I can’t find the time to improve my Japanese on my own
because I’m busy with household chores. I only have the Japanese communication skills necessary for daily life. I can read 50 to 60% of documents in Japanese distributed by mykids’ schools, but I’m not good at listening to Japanese, even though I work at a convenience store. For these reasons, I’ve always wanted to be able to participate in events forinteraction between Japanese and foreign residents. I want to talk and interact with Japanese to be more confident in communicating in Japanese. I am very open-minded and love totalk with people, but I find it very challenging to talk to Japanese for fear that I may be criticized and avoided for my poor Japanese. I sometimes go out with a group of three
Japanese friends. I’m happy with their friendship, but I sometimes have trouble understanding what they say and following their conversations because they talk fast in a way thatthey talk with Japanese people. Even if I manage to understand what they are saying, I can’t say what I want to say. In this situation, I feel very lonely and embarrassed and wish thatthe conversation would end soon so I don’t feel sad. I really want to talk a lot with a Japanese colleague, who is gentile and kind, but I don’t have the courage to talk to her for fearthat she may not be able to understand what I say. I really want places where everyone can enjoy interacting with each other without racial discrimination, regardless of wherever
they are from. (woman in her 20s)
・ The biggest challenge I am facing is access to information that helps foreign residents integrate into Japanese society. In particular, we have little access to unofficial information on
local communities (such as community associations’ activities, local festivals, and neighborhood socializing). I have no problem with communicating in Japanese, but it’s not easy toaccess information on community activities. This has forced me to live only in a community of foreigners. My sons, who were raised in Japan, don’t identify themselves as membersof Japanese society. I hope that the demographic crisis Japan is currently facing will change the Japanese mindset in a positive way so we will gradually be accepted by Japanesesociety. (woman in her 60s)
○ Interaction among people from the same country
・ I want to know how many people from my country live in each region and where communities of people from my country are. (woman in her 30s)

etc.

10

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Opinions/Requests of Foreign Residents (4) Consultations/Medical Care/Tax/Pension—
Consultation (1,495)
・ The facility of directing to proper consultation centers or institutions when someone a problem to be solved. On many occasions, people are left to drift from one department to another notnecessarily being understood in depth about the problem. Having an expert present during the initial consultation is must to give the proper support to the person in need. Also, lots ofpaperwork in Japan makes people reluctant to seek help, especially for those who are not confident enough in the language. (woman in her 30s)
・ We need services accompanying or assisting us at hospitals and clinics, and public services that help us in our native languages (acquaintances and friends do not always give us correct
information). (man in his 40s)
・ I’d like to see organizations where experts in various fields can provide us with counseling and support services when we are in trouble. (woman in her 40s)
・ When we unfortunately find a job at a workplace with terrible working conditions, we often have trouble with the employer. Support services or visa extensions will help many of these people.
(man in his 40s)
・ I want support (especially consultation) services for foreign residents that guide us from the ground up and who are conscious that their clients are foreigners. Some common Japaneseknowledge may not be shared by foreigners. (woman in her 20s)
・ Sometimes it’s difficult to access information or support in my native language, or the issue is too specific to my situation to search online, so I feel like I don’t know who to ask. (woman in her
30s)
・ I would like to receive better support when it comes to visa questions as well as financial support regarding taxes, where to find jobs as a foreigner, and so on. I would also be interested inmental health support and how to overcome times of loneliness in a foreign country. (woman in her 20s)
etc.
Medical care (1,987)
・ I had trouble communicating my symptoms to a doctor and couldn’t receive the necessary medical treatment, so I want more medical support. (man in his 20s)
・ I’m pregnant. I want someone to guide me through medical care in Japan so I can better understand medical consultations at hospitals. (woman in her 30s)
・ I want to know more about financial assistance programs for intractable diseases. (man in his 20s)
・ In my case, I have difficulty in seeing doctors. It’s hard to express my complaints and it’s difficult for me to understand what the doctor is saying. Due to the language barrier, I am not sure if
I’ll be OK after consultation. (woman in her 50s)
etc.
Tax (2,196)
・ For foreigners who come to Japan for the first time, year-end income and tax declarations are difficult. (man in his 20s)
・ The residential status and tax systems are complicated and difficult to understand. When I moved to Osaka from Nagoya for a job change in March, I didn’t renew my status of residence orcomplete the procedures related to municipal tax in time due to my lack of knowledge about the procedures. I’m afraid that this may negatively affect my future application for permanent
residency. I’d be happy if we could get a checklist of what we need to do after moving, like the checklist provided to us when we submit a moving-out notification at city offices. (woman in her
30s)
・ I didn’t know that we are required to notify local governments if we return to our home countries for more than one year in order to avoid being charged the municipal tax for that year. When I
returned to Japan from giving birth in my native Vietnam, I had to pay the municipal tax for the year I hadn’t live in my prefecture. (woman in her 20s)
etc.
Pension (1,749)
・ I hope that that Japanese pension system will be linked to the pension system of my home country. (man in his 40s)
・ Differences in values and culture are partly responsible for foreigners’ annoying behavior. If we are taught about some rules on living in Japan, I believe that things that annoy others will
decrease to some extent. We also need guidance about the Japanese tax and pension systems. As I went to Japanese school, I’m proficient enough in Japanese to find the necessary
information about the systems on my own. However, I’m afraid that most foreign residents can only understand everyday Japanese and don’t know about the pension structure, the types oftaxes, income tax, and other pension/tax issues. I’m also afraid that the lack of such knowledge has forced some foreigners to work under unfair working conditions. While many city offices inmetropolitan areas provide support in English, many of those in rural areas don’t, making it difficult for some local foreign residents to find the support they need. I hope there will be morearrangements that encourage Japanese and foreign residents to respect and help each other. (woman in her 20s)
etc.

11

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Opinions/Requests of Foreign Residents (5) Political Participation/Insurance/Bank Accounts/Disasters—
Political participation (514)
・ I think that if they’ve lived a long time in Japan, foreigners are able to make constructive contributions to political issues. The reason is that with their different cultural
backgrounds, foreigners see things from a different perspective. To find good solutions, discussion from a variety of angles is important. (woman in her 60s)
・ Although I should not be involved in Japanese politics as a foreigner, it seems to me that the Japanese government leaves foreigners who know everything to communicate
what they know to other foreigners around them, and does not actively seek ways to communicate directly with foreigners. A small level of involvement of a minimum numberof long-term foreign residents in Japanese politics may prompt government agencies to pay closer attention to the needs and concerns of foreign residents, and help them
foster a more accurate understanding of our community. (man in his 30s)
・ I don’t see any particular disadvantages to living in Japan as a foreigner, so I don’t have specific opinions about this issue. Despite my permanent residency, I don’t have theright to vote here because my nationality is still Philippine, so I sometimes feel isolated in politics. While I’m proud that I’m almost Japanese as I’ve lived in Japan since mychildhood, I’m not particularly interested in politics since I don’t have the right to vote. (woman in her 20s)
etc.

Insurance (1,589)
・ I wanted more information about unemployment insurance, for example. I don’t know how it works. (woman in her 50s)
・ Guidance on medical, automobile, and other insurance systems and the pension system should be available. (woman in her 30s)
・ Though there are offices that provide initiatives for foreigners to live better lives in Japan, I still feel that these offices are not reaching out more actively. When we needsomething related to tax, insurance, or pension issues, for example, we are not sure where to go. And even if we do find English support, at times the help they provide isinadequate. (woman in her 60s)

etc.

Bank account/credit card/loan (1,587)
・ The most important thing for me when I first arrived was getting a cellphone, apartment, and bank account. - Banks will not open accounts without a permanent address. Apartments will not rent to people without bank accounts and phone numbers. - Phone companies will not sell phones to people without bank accounts. My current problem
is trying to find a bank that will allow me to take out a housing loan so I can buy a house for my wife and I as we try to start a family. (man in his 30s)
・ My mother is also a permanent resident who has lived in Japan for more than 10 years. When I made an appointment at a branch of a major bank to open a savings accountfor her, a bank clerk at the branch refused to open an account over the phone, saying, “Does she understand Japanese? Does she know how to use touch panels? If shedoesn’t know, she can’t open an account with us.” I told the clerk that I would translate for her and show her how to use touch panels, but the clerk insisted that my mother
had to understand Japanese and operate touch panels independently. I felt discriminated against enough to consider lodging a complaint with the local city office or the
Ministry of Justice. A more flexible response would make it much easier for us to live in Japan. I hope that Japanese people will treat us equally, without prejudice. (woman inher 30s)・ With a very long name, we can’t get credit cards or open bank accounts. Our names themselves become problems here. I hope that we’ll have better arrangements. (man in
his 20s)
etc.

Disaster (752)・ Community associations are not ready to accept local foreign residents in their disaster management activities. (woman in her 60s)
・ There’s an announcement system in my building and sometimes sirens go off, but I can’t understand the message or can just see “emergency announcement” on the screen.
It’s really scary and I wish there were pictures or a website with the different sirens/announcements so I can learn. The Safety Tips app helps, but one time there was a firesiren at 1 a.m. and I had no idea what was going on. (woman in her 20s)
・ Many foreign residents rarely watch Japanese news programs or may not fully understand them. For this reason, I want warnings of natural disasters, such as tsunamis anderuptions, to be available in more foreign languages. (woman in her 20s)
etc.

12

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Opinions/Requests of Foreign Residents (6) Child-Raising/Death/Other—Child-raising (1,205)○ Provision of information
・ I leave my husband to read letters from my kids’ schools because I can’t read them. (woman in her 40s)
・ Parenting and job information is not accessible to foreign residents, while Japanese people have their own networks of such information, like groups of mothers. (woman in her 40s)
・ I know little about Japanese elementary education system because I came to Japan for the first time as a university student. I want support related to child education. (man in his
40s)○ Parenting-related issues
・ Support services for education, parenting, pregnancy, and depression after childbirth are available only in Japanese, so I can’t fully communicate what I feel and what I want todiscuss, and I feel like I have no place to go for help. (woman in her 30s)

etc.

Death (securing a burial plot, etc.) (500)・ I want more information about graves and wakes. (woman in her 20s)
・ While more foreigners are buying homes in Japan, they have to return home to obtain a lot of necessary documents for inheritance. This requirement lacks humanity and should bereformed. (man in his 40s)・ If I die in Japan due to a natural disaster or work-related accident, support for carrying my body to Vietnam will be necessary to my family. (woman in her 20s)

etc.

Other (550)○ Loneliness/isolation/mental health・ Japan is actually very comfortable for foreigners like me, but I still often feel lonely because of my lack of language knowledge and socialization with Japanese people. (woman in her
20s)
・ As a foreigner, it is not easy to ask for help. We only realize that something is wrong with our mental health once it becomes really bad. Even when we know that something is wrong,
it is still difficult for us to speak up and get help from someone. (woman in her 40s)
・ I think I need support for mental health because I’m very worried about my future. (woman in her 20s)
○ Naturalization
・ Someone like me who has lived in Japan for a long time should be able to acquire Japanese citizenship easily. Since I can’t imagine living in another country, I find it too muchtrouble to apply for a passport from my home country and go through other administrative procedures. Having lived in Japan for a long time, I think and live like a Japanese. I hopethat such foreigners will be able to become naturalized Japanese citizens more easily. (woman in her 30s)
○ Religion
・ I’m Muslim (Islam religion), and in Islam we should wear a hijab on our head, but at some workplaces we can’t wear a hijab it’s so difficult. (woman in her 20s)
・ I hope there will be more halal food stores and restaurants nearby. (man in his 20s)
○ Same-sex marriage
・ Same sex marriage equality. My Japanese husband and I married under the law of my home country in its embassy in Tokyo. I have worries about the Japanese tax system notrecognizing him as my spouse. This means if I share money with him, is it liable for gift tax? If I die, will he have to pay a big inheritance tax because he has to sell our house (which I
am the registered owner of) because he is not my legal spouse under Japanese law? That is a big worry and unfair. (man in his 50s)
○ Other issues with life
・ Many foreign workers are facing various difficulties due to the current soaring prices and weak yen, so I want the Japanese government to take some action. Thank you for thequestionnaire. (man in his 20s)
・ Since I’m not proficient in Japanese, I can’t request disposal of bulky waste via my PC. In addition, I’m not comfortable with making a request by phone because I can’t sometimes
clearly tell what I want to say. (man in his 60s)
・ I would like to see more awards for foreigners for their contributions or achievements in Japan. (man in his 20s)

etc.

13

Survey on Institutions

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Institutions (1) (Respondents’ Attributes)—■ The most numerous industries of respondents (based on the Japan Standard Industrial Classification) were “Education, learning support” (34.6%), followed by“Manufacturing” (16.8%), and “Services, N.E.C.” (10.1%).
■ The most common statuses of residence of foreign members were “Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services” (49.0%), followed by “TechnicalIntern Training” (35.9%), and “Student” (33.5%).
■ The most common category of the number of foreign members was “1 to 10” (30.5%), followed by “101 to 500” (28.3%), and “11 to 50” (18.0%).
■ The proportion of institutions that provide some support to their foreign members was 93.3%, while that of those which provide no support was 5.2%.

Industry

Status of residence of foreign members

Other (126
institutions)
22.7%
Wholesale andretail trade (28institutions)
5.0%
Construction (28institutions)
5.0%
Compoundservices (32institutions)
5.8%

Services, N.E.C.
(56 institutions)
10.1%

Engineer, Specialist in Humanities,
International Services
Education,
learning support(192 institutions)
34.6%

Manufacturing(93 institutions)
16.8%（n=555）

Organizational category
Corporation (profit-making)

42.9%

Educational institution (e.g.,
universities, technical colleges, andJapanese language schools)

34.4%

Supervising organization
Registered support organization
Corporation (nonprofit)
Other
Independent business proprietor

35.9%

Student

33.5%

Permanent Resident

32.8%

Specified Skilled Worker

31.4%

Spouse or Child of a Japanese
National

15.3%

Dependent

14.6%
11.2%

Other non-working status ofresidence (e.g., cultural activities)

6.5%

23.8%
4.7%

（n=555）1.3%
1.1%（n=555）51 to 100(55
institutions)
9.9%* The number of institutions answering that they had at least one
foreigner with the status of residence (multiple answers allowed)

No foreigners(15 institutions)
2.7%
1 to 10(169
institutions)30.5%

11 to 50
(100
institutions)
18.0%

Support for foreign members
28
institutions
5.2%

9.5%

Other working status of residence(e.g., professor)

14.6%

101 to 500(157
institutions)
28.3%

21.6%

Long-Term Resident

Spouse or Child of a Permanent
Resident

17.1%

501 or more
(59
institutions)
10.6%

49.0%

Technical Intern Training

Designated Activities

Number of foreign members

213
institutions
39.4%

8 institutions
1.5%

234
institutions
43.3%

57
institutions
10.6%（n=555）

Available (the institution
has an official point ofcontact section and staff
primarily engaged insupport duties)
Available (the institution
has an official point ofcontact but has no staff
primarily engaged insupport duties)
Available (the institution
has no official point ofcontact but provides
support through specificsections)
Not available

Other（n=540）14

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Institutions (2) (Content and Frequency of Consultations)—■ The most common issue brought to institutions by their foreign members for consultation was “Work (working conditions, employment, transfer, etc.)” (61.0%), followed by“Status of residence” (52.4%) and “Japanese language study” (42.4%). While the most common issue is the same as the most common issue discussed by foreign
residents with their institutions, the rankings below second place are different.
■ The most common frequency of consultation requests by foreign members was “At least once per week” (30.2%), followed by “At least once per month (less than once perweek)” (28.0%) and “Less than once per six months” (13.9%).
■ In terms of the number of foreign members, about one-quarter (23.0%) of the institutions with a small number (1 to 10) of foreign members received requests for
consultation at least once a month, while about three-quarters (74.0%) of all institutions received requests for consultation from their foreign members, regardless of
frequency.

Content of consultation
Work (working conditions, employment,
transfer, etc.)

61.0%
60.7%
52.4%

Status of residence
Japanese language study
Interpersonal relationships
Housing
Medical care
Tax
PensionRelatives in home country
Money matters
Insurance
Mental healthPregnancy or childbirth
Marriage or divorce
Issues about the familyChildraisingChildren's education
Racial discrimination, equal opportunity,
respect for individuals
DisasterDomestic violence
Death (securing a burial plot, etc.)
Nursing care
Political participation
Other

6.9%

34.6%
42.4%
27.1%
41.3%
19.5%
40.0%
17.3%
39.8%
23.0%
29.0%
35.7%
27.5%
26.1%
26.0%

25.8%
17.9%
25.1%
28.3%
21.4%
13.8%
19.3%
4.3%
14.1%
2.9%
12.3%
6.4%
7.6%
7.9%
6.3%
11.4%
4.3%
10.6%
3.2%
4.9%
0.9%
1.1%
0.9%
1.9%
0.4%
3.5%
Survey on institutionsー(n=462)
1.4%
6.3%
Survey on foreign
2.3%
residents (n=4,087)

Content of consultation (by organizational
category) (excerpt)

Frequency of consultation requests

Work

Status of Japanese
residence language
study

Interpersonal
relationships

Educational
institution(n=152)

52.6%

78.9%

40.1%

Supervisingorganization(n=91)

83.5%

42.9%

54.9%

71.4%

Registeredsupportorganization(n=77)

83.1%

48.1%

46.8%

70.1%

Selected"Corporation(profit-making)"
only (n=176)

54.0%

38.1%

67.1%

17.0%

Don't know
5.7%
Not providing
consultation
8.7%
At least once
per week
30.2%

Less than once
per six months
13.9%

At least once per six months (lessthan once per three months)
4.3%
At least once per three months(less than once per month)
9.3%

25.6%

At least once permonth (less thanonce per week)
28.0%（n=540）Frequency of consultation requests (by the number of foreign members)
1 to 10 4.1%
18.9%
14.8%
（n=169）11 to 50
14.0%
40.0%
（n=100）51 to 10040.0%
（n=55）
101 to 500
52.9%（n=157）
501 or more
62.7%
（n=59）

7.7%

28.4%

21.3%

2.0%

11.0%

15.0%

29.1%

10.9%
30.6%
25.4%

9.0%

9.0%

5.5% 7.3% 7.3%
1.9%
5.1% 3.8% 5.1%
3.4% 1.7%
3.4% 3.4%* The items whose percentage is 1.0% or less are not shown.

At least once per week

At least once per month

At least once per three months

At least once per six months

Less than once per six months

Not providing consultation

Don't know

4.7%

15

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Institutions (3) (Difficulties and Action)—■ The most common difficulty faced by institutions when helping their foreign members, except for “No particular difficulties,” was “The foreign member lacks knowledge about
Japanese systems” (41.1%), followed by “Difficult to communicate accurately due to language barriers” (37.7%) and “Difficult to identify the problem due to differences inculture or values” (29.2%).
■ The most common action taken to address foreign members’ problems was “use available systems or personnel within the establishment” (61.9%), followed by “use or refer
the foreign member to services that provide information necessary for living in Japan” (53.2%) and “redesign or introduce systems within the establishment to solve theproblem” (42.9%). The fewer foreign members an institution has, the less likely the institution is to take action.

Difficulty in helping foreign members
The foreign member lacks knowledge about
Japanese systems

Action taken
41.1%

Difficult to communicate accurately due tolanguage barriers

37.7%

Difficult to identify the problem due to cultural
or value differences

29.2%

Foreign members only seek help after theirproblems get complicated14.7%

Difficulty to establish a relationship of mutual
trust with the foreign member
Don't know where to refer the foreign member
because addressing the problem requires
specialized knowledge
Don't know which service to refer the foreign
member to first because the problem iscomplicated

4.5%
4.5%
3.5%

The foreign member can't bear the cost of theservice

3.5%

Don't know what information to provide

3.2%

Service providers that can address the
problems are not readily available

3.0%

The foreign member is ineligible for the systemor service

1.1%

Don't know what to do in the first place
Other
No particular difficulties

Use or refer the foreign member toservices that provide informationnecessary for living in Japan *(2)
*(2)

0.9%

32.9%

Seek support from or refer the foreign
member to other public institutions

29.0%

Seek support from or refer the foreign
member to a regional agency of thenational government（n=462）

*(3)

*(4)

1 to 10 (n=125)

49.6%

28.0%

38.4%

14.4%

11 to 50(n=82)

53.7%

46.3%

39.0%

22.0%

101 to 500(n=148)

70.3%

69.6%

45.3%

42.6%

26.2%

Seek support from or refer the foreign
member to an expert, such as lawyers
and certified administrative procedures
legal specialists

20.1%

Seek support from or refer the foreign
member to another organization in thesame business or the industrial
association

15.4%

Seek support from or refer the foreign
member to an external privateorganization, such as NPOs and NGOs

4.1%

Don't know where to seek support orrefer the foreign member and can't takeaction-How institutions submitted requests related tohelping foreign members
Have submitted requests to aregional agency of the national
government directly from theestablishment or through the head
office, etc.

7.8%

9.4%

Have submitted requests to the
local government directly from theestablishment or through the head
office, etc.

7.4%

Have submitted requests throughthe industrial association

4.3%
30.7%

*(2)

42.9%

Seek support from or refer the foreign
member to the local government or a
support service engaged by the local
government *(3)
*(4)

Other

*(1)

53.2%

*(3)

5.4%

Don't have partners that can provide support toforeigners

61.9%

Redesign or introduce systems within theestablishment to solve the problem

11.0%

Support tasks disrupt normal operations

Use available systems or personnel
within the establishment *(1)*(1)

Action taken(by the number of foreign members) (excerpt)

5.9%

Have submitted requests throughthe personal connections of staff

4.1%

Have submitted requests throughcouncils for specified skilled areas

0.4%（n=555）（n=462）* “Have not submitted requests before” (81.4%)(The percentages total more than 100% as multiple answers
were allowed.)

16

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Institutions (4) (Support Staff (1))—■ The most common knowledge or ability considered necessary for support was “Knowledge of the status of residence system” (76.9%), followed by “Knowledge oftax, pension, and other social systems” (69.5%) and “Communication skills” (62.7%). When compared to what foreign residents expect from support staff,
conversational or linguistic skills, including “Multilingual skills” (57.3%), are ranked higher.
■ More than 80% of the institutions gave positive responses (“Yes” and “Somewhat yes”) to whether they want specialized support staff for foreigners (“support
staff”) and whether they want to participate in or have their staff participate in foreign resident support training. Though institutions that don’t have many foreign
members tend to respond less positively, still about 70% of them gave positive responses.
■ The most important thing in foreigner support training was “Training provided by a public institution” (42.9%).
Knowledge or ability necessary for support

Whether institutions want support staff

Knowledge of the status of residence system

Communication skills

36.8%

Multilingual skills/native language skills

35.5%

Knowledge of different cultures and values

26.2%

Knowledge of mental care

22.5%

Ability to work with service providers
Knowledge of pregnancy and childbirth
Knowledge of childraising
Knowledge of children's education

Don't know

Somewhat no
5.8%

57.3%
49.4%

38.7%

35.5%
40.6%
29.5%
24.5%
18.2%
Institutions (n=555)
13.5%
13.5%
Foreign residents
16.1%(n=6,154)
12.6%
21.2%

Knowledge of medical care and welfare

2.2%
1.5%
4.0%
6.9%

Somewhat
yes
36.2%

25.8%

5.0%
(n=555)

Financial assistance available
Training available on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays (non-business days)
Other

1 to 10(n=169)

68.6%

15.4%

11 to 50(n=100)

77.0%

15.0%

101 to 500(n=157)

95.5%

3.2%

By the number of foreign members(excerpt)
Yes +somewhatyesNo +somewhat no1 to 10(n=169)

67.4%

18.9%

11 to 50(n=100)

74.0%

13.0%

101 to 500(n=157)

88.5%

6.4%

Don't know
9.7%
No
4.5%
Somewhat no
7.4%

Yes
39.3%

Training provided by a public institution
Training achievements certified by a public institution

No +somewhat no(n=555)

Whether institutions want to participate in or
have their staff participate in foreign resident
support training
2.9%

23.4%

Yes
47.4%

* “What is expected fromsupport staff”

What is important in foreign resident support training

42.9%

Yes +
somewhatyes

Don't know
No
7.4%
3.2%

69.5%
61.0%
62.7%

Knowledge of tax, pension, and other social systems

Other

76.9%

49.3%

By the number of foreign members(excerpt)

Somewhatyes
39.1%(n=555)17

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Major Results from Institutions (5) (Support Staff (2))—■ Most institutions saw “Training (a few days to less than 6 months)” (53.0%) as the optimal way for the national government to help develop support staff.
■ The most common thing that institutions expect from public institutions in employing support staff was “Our support staff is at least as competent as public institutions’support staff for foreigners” (46.6%).
■ To the question of whether support staff need refresher training to update their knowledge of relevant systems and other issues, 89.5% answered “Yes” or “Somewhat yes.”■ The Immigration Services Agency is discussing support coordinators for foreign residents, who are supposed to refer foreign residents who have concerns in their daily lives
to necessary support. To the question whether they want to have their staff participate in training for foreign resident support coordinators or hire foreigner support
coordinators, 71.9% answered “Yes” or “Somewhat yes.”
Optimal way of helping the development of
support staff
2.7%

3.1%

5.6%

Training (a few days
to less than 6months)
Qualification/certifica
tion examination

35.7%

53.0%

Whether support staff needrefresher training
No
2.0%

Don't
know
6.3%

Somewhat no2.2%

Training (6 months toless than 1 year)
Taking a course atuniversity or
graduate school

Somewhat
yes
41.4%

Yes
48.1%

(n=555)

46.6%
45.3%

Whether institutions want tohire support coordinators

Don't know
13.3%

The background information ofpotential support staff is available

32.1%

No
5.9%

The national government certifies
the expertise of support staff withqualification examinations

30.8%

Somewhat no
8.8%

Other

26.9%
1.5%

No +
somewhat no

Education,
learning
support(n=192)

75.0%

11.5%

Manufacturing(n=93)

59.1%

26.9%

Others(n=126)

71.4%

14.3%

By organizational category (excerpt)

What you expect from public institutions in
employing support staff

The national government certifies us
as a company actively supporting
foreign residents

Yes ＋
somewhat yes

Yes ＋
somewhat yes

No ＋
somewhat no

Educational
institution(n=191)

77.0%

9.4%

Supervisingorganization(n=95)

86.3%

6.3%

Corporation(profit-making)
only (n=220)

60.9%

22.3%

(n=555)

Other

Staff
of public
institutions
Our
supportstaff
is at least(theasnational
andaslocal
government)
is atcompetent
the support
staff forleast as competent
as our support…
foreignersof public institutions(thenational and local governments)
The national government gives
financial assistance

By industrial classification (excerpt)

By the number of foreign members (excerpt)
Yes
33.3%

Somewhatyes
38.6%（n=464）(n=555)

Yes ＋
somewhat yes

No ＋
somewhat no1 to 10(n=169)

57.4%

23.7%

11 to 50(n=100)

67.0%

21.0%

101 to 500(n=157)

84.1%

7.0%

More than 50% of institutions with any
attribute answered “Yes” or “Somewhat yes.”18

Basic Survey on Foreign Residents in FY2023—Open-Ended Questions to Institutions—■ This survey was conducted to find out what kinds of support and efforts are needed for institutions to solve the concerns of their foreign members by asking
respondents to answer additional open-ended questions. The following are some of their answers. Obvious typographical errors and information that could identify
an individual or organization have been corrected. Not all opinions and requests are provided here.
Opinions/requests○ Points of contact for help
・ I hope that we’ll be able to solve our foreign members’ problems in one place. For example, when we contact a local city office to seek advice about tax, we are asked to contact a local tax office. When
we contact the Organization for Technical Intern Training to ask some questions about the technical intern training system, we are asked to contact the Immigration Services Agency. That is, we haveto contact more than one place, so it’d be great if there was a one-stop shop for support for foreign residents.
・ We often get passed from one department to another, so administrative agencies should improve their sectionalism and clarify their roles and responsibilities. They should also promote digitalization of
their administrative procedures, taking into account that the procedures may involve foreign residents.
・ We are frequently asked for advice and help on pregnancy, childbirth, parenting, and enrollment in daycare centers. In addition to providing explanations, we also directly assist foreign residents in
preparing necessary documents and contacting government agencies. With the growing population of foreigners in Japan, the demand for support services for them will also rise. We will needconsistent support throughout the stages from childbirth and parenting to enrollment in elementary school, rather than individual support provided by government agencies.
・ Some issues foreign interns have are sensitive. For this reason, we try to interview both sides of the issues to avoid bias. Since more and more foreign interns swallow information found on social
media without thinking, we as a supervising organization seek help from relevant organizations to provide accurate information to foreign interns, but sometimes we are given the runaround among theorganizations. As their issues need to be solved quickly, we are fully aware of the need to clarify where we can solve them.
・ It’d be great if each municipal office had specialists in advising and helping foreign residents and a system that refers foreign residents to persons or organizations that can solve their problems. We
hope that such specialists will regularly visit organizations that have foreigner members, interview them, and address their issues.
○ Support staff’s skills and support systems
・ Support staff need training opportunities or other assistance that helps them develop expertise.
・ The language barrier is are one of the biggest challenges facing foreigners living in Japan. Hopefully, public assistance will be provided for developing tools of communication between those who don’t
speak the same language.
・ International students who face some difficulties tend to talk to friends from their own countries and try to solve the problems by themselves. This is not always a bad thing, but their problems may besolved more appropriately and expeditiously if they sought help or advice from us. A point of contact for help and counselors accessible to international students would effectively address many of the
problems they may have.
・ We need a leader of foreign staff who can manage foreign staff and serve as a mediator between foreign and Japanese staff (the leader should have Japanese proficiency at the N2 level).
・ Our organization is represented by a foreigner and has a large number of foreign staff in our group companies, so working with foreigners is common for us. We don’t see the need to take action to
support our foreign staff.
・ Supporting only foreign staff can lead to dissatisfaction among Japanese staff, so it is necessary to ensure balanced support for both groups.
・ Government authorities should meet regularly to share their cases of solving foreign residents’ problems and hold workshops for personnel in charge of dealing with foreign residents.
・ There is a need for assistance in providing mental care to foreign members in their native languages.
○ Promotion of a cohesive society
・ Community integration: It’s important to strengthen ties between local foreign and Japanese residents and promote intercultural cohesion through cultural events, socializing activities, and volunteer
activities.
・ Foreign residents are facing a broad range of psychological, financial, and cultural challenges. For Japanese society to accept more foreigners, it’s necessary to raise awareness of intercultural
cohesion not only among foreign residents but also among Japanese.
・ Even when foreign residents properly sort their garbage, they are often the ones who get the blame if some Japanese residents don’t. Although it seems that they are not directly criticized, I feel pained
to think that they may have experienced discriminatory treatment in other aspects of everyday life. I hope that all of us will give up this discriminatory way of thinking against foreign residents.
○ Requests to government agencies
・ It’d be helpful if the information provided on the website of each government agency were available in both Japanese and English. Then we’ll be able to show our foreign members the information
available on the websites of the National Tax Agency, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and other government agencies when explaining various systems to them.
・ It’d be very helpful if the Immigration Services Agency held workshops to help us understand the immigration control law.
・ We want to distribute to international students booklets on what they should know to live in Japan as international students, such as student visa requirements, the requirement to obtain permission to
engage in an activity not permitted by the status of residence to work part-time, and how to make a deemed re-entry into Japan (entering or leaving Japan with permission). We would like to see the
Immigration Services Agency create such a booklet and distribute it to educational institutions.
・ The Guidebook on Living and Working available on the website of the Immigration Services Agency is very helpful.
・ We want to employ foreign workers but have difficulty finding accommodation for them. Our Japanese staff have to assist our foreign workers in completing necessary administrative procedures at local
etc.
government offices, using postal services (such as responding to delivery notices), and using other public services. Public services should improve for foreign residents.

19