On May 21, 2026, at a session of the House of Councillors Judicial Affairs Committee, Professor Atsushi Kondo of Meijo University—a leading authority on immigration policy and a member of the Ministry of Justice’s Advisory Council on Immigration Administration—made a statement that raises fundamental questions about the future direction of Japanese society: “If a rising foreign resident ratio is a concern, then Japanese citizenship should be made easier to obtain.” Far from being mere academic theory, this proposal reflects a pragmatic social integration strategy grounded in trends observed across the G7. In this article, written from the perspective of an immigration-focused Gyoseishoshi (administrative procedures legal specialist) whose practice focuses on visa applications, status-of-residence procedures, and naturalization cases, we examine the true significance of this news and outline the concrete preparations that foreign residents in Japan, as well as the executives and HR professionals who employ them, should begin considering now.

【What Was Actually Debated in the Judicial Affairs Committee】

On May 21, 2026, Professor Kondo, appearing as an expert witness before the House of Councillors Judicial Affairs Committee, addressed questions posed by Councillor Yuji Adachi of the Sanseito party. Professor Kondo stated: “In order for the percentage of foreign residents not to rise into the double digits, more people must acquire Japanese nationality.” The backdrop to this remark is the fundamental challenge facing a depopulating Japan: how to secure the human resources needed to sustain its society. Professor Kondo identified three response pillars: (1) childcare and family policy, (2) the strategic use of robotics and artificial intelligence, and (3) the acceptance of foreign nationals. With respect to the third pillar, he advanced an integration model based on foreign residents acquiring sufficient Japanese-language ability and a thorough understanding of Japanese laws and social rules before obtaining citizenship.

【 Lessons from Canada and Germany on “Citizenship-Based Integration”】

Professor Kondo cited Canada and Germany as instructive examples. In Canada, although foreign-born residents account for 20 to 30 percent of the population, the “foreign national ratio” remains below 10 percent. This is because a high proportion of immigrants acquire Canadian citizenship and are formally integrated as full members of Canadian society. Germany, for its part, long maintained a policy disallowing multiple nationalities, but recent legal reforms have moved the country toward broader acceptance of dual citizenship, which is expected to accelerate naturalization among long-term residents. By contrast, Japan continues to adhere to the principle of single nationality under its Nationality Act, requiring naturalizing individuals to relinquish their previous citizenship. This requirement is a significant psychological and practical barrier, as it asks applicants to make the weighty decision of formally relinquishing legal ties with their country of origin.

【Permanent Residency vs. Naturalization — A Gyoseishoshi Lawyer Explains the Essential Differences】

A question I am frequently asked by foreign residents is, “Since I already hold permanent residency, I probably don’t need to naturalize, do I?” While it is true that permanent residents are exempt from periodic status renewals and face no restrictions on employment, the differences between permanent residence and Japanese citizenship are, in fact, substantial. First, there is the issue of voting rights: permanent residents have no right to vote in national or local elections, whereas Japanese nationals enjoy both the right to vote and the right to stand for election. Second, there is the risk of deportation: even permanent residents may be subject to deportation proceedings if convicted of certain crimes, a risk that does not apply to Japanese nationals. Third, there is the passport: the Japanese passport consistently ranks among the world’s most powerful passports for visa-free travel, conferring significant advantages for both business and leisure. Fourth, there is the question of children’s status: the treatment of nationality may differ for children born before and after the parent’s naturalization, with important implications for long-term family planning.

【The Practical Side of Naturalization — Preparation Essentials and Common Pitfalls】

A naturalization application typically takes ten months to one and a half years from filing at the Legal Affairs Bureau to final approval. The required documentation spans both home-country records and evidence of the applicant’s life in Japan, and in many cases the complete file can easily fill an entire cardboard box. The statutory requirements, set forth in Article 5 of the Nationality Act, include: (1) a residency requirement (continuous residence in Japan for five years or more), (2) a legal capacity requirement (being at least eighteen years old and possessing legal capacity under the applicant’s home-country law), (3) a good conduct requirement, (4) a livelihood requirement (the ability to support oneself through one’s own or a household member’s assets or skills), (5) a single-nationality requirement, (6) a constitutional loyalty requirement, and (7) a Japanese language ability requirement (roughly equivalent to the level of a third-year elementary school student). Among the most common stumbling points are tax and pension payment histories, traffic violation records, and the articulation of one’s connections to Japanese society. Salaried employees may often satisfy the documentary requirements with withholding tax certificates, but self-employed applicants must prepare complete tax filings and supporting documentation.

【What Employers and HR Professionals Should Be Doing Now】

As competition for talent intensifies, capable foreign professionals are making increasingly careful assessments of whether Japan offers them a viable long-term future for themselves and their families. For companies, possessing a working knowledge of status-of-residence, permanent residency, and naturalization procedures—and being able to support employees through these important life decisions—is no longer an optional employee benefit but a core element of strategic human resource management. Concrete measures include: (1) regular informational sessions for foreign employees on legal status and pathways, (2) systematic reminder mechanisms for status-of-residence renewal deadlines, (3) timely issuance of supporting documents such as certificates of employment and remuneration for employees pursuing permanent residency or naturalization, and (4) robust compliance training programs. Errors related to status renewal or change of status can, in the worst case, result in an employee losing the legal right to remain in Japan; retaining a specialist on an ongoing basis is therefore an effective risk-management measure.

【The Life Plan Foreign Residents Should Be Building for the Coming Decade】

As of 2026, the foreign resident population of Japan exceeds approximately 3.3 million and continues to reach record highs. Both institutional expectations and social demands on foreign residents are likely to rise in the years ahead. The key strategic question for foreign residents is whether to stop at permanent residency or to proceed to full naturalization—and this question should be considered early rather than postponed. Life events such as children’s education, mortgages, entrepreneurship, and inheritance each unfold differently depending on one’s status of residence or nationality. Rather than postponing such planning on the grounds that nothing is urgently wrong today, a forward-looking plan designed in consultation with a specialist, with a five- to ten-year perspective, is strongly advisable.

【Why Engage a Gyoseishoshi Lawyer Rather Than Applying on Your Own】

Both naturalization and permanent residency applications may, in principle, be submitted by the applicant personally. In practice, however, situations frequently arise—document deficiencies requiring correction, unexpected issues arising during interviews, the appropriate handling of past traffic violations—where specialist judgment is essential. A Gyoseishoshi lawyer who is authorized to handle immigration application procedures may represent clients in immigration procedures; while naturalization applications do require personal appearance, comprehensive support with document preparation is fully available. Our office offers a complimentary initial consultation, during which we listen to each client’s specific circumstances and propose an optimal strategy, including a carefully considered recommendation as to whether permanent residency or naturalization best serves the client’s life plan.

【Conclusion — From “Waiting for the System to Change” to “Using the System Strategically”】

Professor Kondo’s remarks mark a symbolic starting point for a broader debate about whether Japan will close or open itself to the world. How the formal system evolves is ultimately a matter for political decision-making, but the choices available to each of us today, within the current legal framework are already extensive. For foreign residents in Japan and for the companies that employ them, treating this news not as someone else’s story but as one’s own—and using it as a prompt to design the next decade of one’s life plan or corporate strategy—is the most powerful form of preparation for the era ahead. Our office stands ready to take that first step together with you, as a dedicated professional partner.

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