The number of registered foreign residents in Japan as of the end of 1994 reached an all-time high of 1,354,011 due primarily to an increase in those who are legally employed here, Ministry of Justice statistics revealed. This means that registered foreigners account for a record-high 1.08% of Japan's total population.
The foreign population has risen 1.8-fold over the past two decades. By nationality and country of origin, those from the Korean Peninsula remained the largest group, but their share has been falling year by year, now standing at 50.0%. Other major groups are from China (16.1%), Brazil (11.8%), the Philippines (6.4%), and the United States (3.2%). Asians and Latin Americans together account for over 90% of the total.
By residence status, there were 631,554 permanent residents (46.6%)--mostly Koreans born and raised in Japan-- followed by 231,561 who are spouses or children of Japanese citizens. The number holding visas allowing them to engage in certain kinds of work, such as people involved in entertainment or sports, business workers, engineers, and language instructors, rose by 10.7% from the year before, reaching 105,611, the first time this figure has exceeded 100,000. Conversely, those in Japan to study at Japanese language schools and other institutions came to only 37,653, a 15.2% decline from the previous year.
The figures do not include sightseers and others on visits of less than 90 days, diplomats, and U.S. military personnel and their families who are exempt from alien registration.
(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)