TOKYO - The percentage of people in a panel study who opposed accepting more foreign residents in Japan grew to 56.3 percent this year, up 20.7 percentage points from 2024, according to the results recently announced by a University of Tokyo institute.
The rise was particularly notable among younger people, and those who felt that "there is no hope for Japanese society" were more inclined to share the sentiment.
"Opposition may have grown as there has been more exposure to negative discussions about accepting foreign nationals, fueled by anxiety and dissatisfaction with society," said Professor Shin Arita of the university's Institute of Social Science.
Asking the same selected individuals periodically about changes to their lifestyles, the survey this year obtained valid responses from approximately 3,800 people. Questions regarding the acceptance of foreigners are included about once every two years.
The percentage of people in favor of accepting more foreigners stood at 9.4 percent, down 8.4 points from 2024.
Analysis of those opposed to accepting more foreigners showed that while among people born between 1966 and 1976 there was an increase of 19.4 points, among people born between 1987 and 1998 there was an increase of 24.3 points.
In addition, among those who were not opposed to foreign residents in the 2024 survey, those who answered negatively to the statements "there is hope in Japanese society" and "life has improved compared to our parents' generation" tended to shift their stance toward opposition.
