It is beneficial to Japanese society as a whole to take measures to promote the entry, settlement and permanent residence of highly-skilled workers among those that Japan should welcome. In order to demonstrate to foreign nationals and Japanese society that Japan welcomes highly-skilled foreign nationals, the requirements of permission for permanent residence for foreign nationals will be clarified and published in order to encourage settlement. Easing the requirements for permission for permanent residence of highly-skilled foreign nationals will also be considered as well as extending periods of stay for such foreign nationals as noted in (a) above. In addition, reducing the burden on these foreign nationals regarding renewal of periods of stay will be considered.

## (2) Responding to a Population-Declining Society

According to the estimate (a median estimate) by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan’s population is predicted to peak at 127.74 million in 2006 before entering a long-term decline hitting some 100.6 million in 2050. The nation’s productive population, which already peaked at 87.17 million in 1995 and turned down, is predicted to decline to 53.89 million in 2050. If Japan were to accept foreign nationals simply to make up for the decline and to maintain a productive population at that peak, the nation would have to accept some 650,000 foreign nationals annually. It is, however, not appropriate to simply supplement the decline by accepting foreign nationals alone.

Measures responding to the population-declining society amid the falling birthrate and ageing population should be considered along with birthrate-boosting measures, improvements in labor force participation ratios for women and elderly people, and other measures in various fields. However, the time has also come for the immigration control administration to consider what the acceptance of foreign workers should be in a population-declining age.

As the productive population decreases substantially, it is important for Japan to further promote the acceptance of foreign workers in professional or technical fields. The statuses of residence or conditions for landing permission will be reviewed for foreign workers who are highly valued in professional or technical fields according to changes in the economy and society.

Accepting foreign workers in fields that are not valued as professional or technical at present will also be given consideration in light of the decrease in the productive population, while also taking into account the need to maintain Japan's economic vitality and national living standards, the public consciousness and the existing conditions of the nation's economy and society. In this respect, consideration should be given not only to new industrial fields, Japanese language aptitude and other conditions for accepting foreign workers, but also to the positive and negative impacts on Japan's industry and public welfare which stretch over a wide range of factors covering domestic security, the domestic labor market, industrial development and restructuring and social costs.

As for nursing-care workers who will be in growing demand due to the ageing of the population, consideration will be given to whether and how to accept foreign workers in the field while paying careful attention to the acceptance of such foreign nationals under economic partnership agreements with foreign countries and taking into account nursing-care jobs being created for Japanese workers.

One single administration field cannot cover all the responses to a declining population: the falling birthrate and ageing population. Technological innovation and other measures in various fields including industry should be combined to tackle these problems. The immigration control administration for its part will consider measures while taking into account various requests.

## (3) Expanding International Exchange through Tourism

A. Contributing to Development of Tourism in Japan