Japan’s increasingly heated debate over immigration and national identity intensified this week after Sohei Kamiya, leader of the fast-rising conservative party Sanseito, sparked controversy with remarks questioning foreign residents’ access to public infrastructure. Speaking at a major street rally in Miyazaki attended by thousands of supporters, Kamiya stated that there was “no need to let foreigners use roads and other infrastructure for free,” comments that quickly drew backlash online and reignited concerns over the mainstreaming of anti-immigration rhetoric in Japanese politics.
Kamiya’s remarks come amid Sanseito’s growing political momentum following its strong performance in the 2025 House of Councillors election, where the nationalist-leaning party capitalised on public anxieties surrounding overtourism, record migration levels and concerns over social cohesion. Once regarded as a fringe movement, Sanseito has steadily expanded its support base by positioning itself as a defender of traditional Japanese values and stricter controls on immigration and foreign influence.
Critics were swift to challenge Kamiya’s comments, pointing out that foreign residents contribute to Japan’s public finances through income tax, resident tax and consumption tax, while many also play increasingly vital roles in sectors suffering from acute labour shortages. Long-term foreign residents and business leaders alike voiced frustration at what they described as divisive rhetoric that ignores the economic contributions of international workers and taxpayers who help sustain Japan’s ageing society.
The controversy highlights a growing contradiction at the heart of modern Japan’s economic strategy. While the country continues to open itself gradually to greater numbers of foreign workers in response to severe demographic decline and chronic labour shortages, parts of the political establishment remain hesitant—or openly hostile—towards deeper social integration. Japan’s foreign resident population reached a record high in 2025, surpassing 3.7 million people, a figure that has increasingly fuelled political debate over taxation, welfare, public services and cultural assimilation.
For many observers, Kamiya’s comments are less notable for their substance than for what they represent: the growing normalisation of rhetoric once largely confined to the political fringes. As Japan grapples with the realities of demographic decline, economic necessity and social change, the question facing policymakers is no longer whether immigration will shape the country’s future—but how willing the nation is to accept the societal transformation that may come with it.
