■ Introduction｜What the “Niseko #1” Headline Looks Like on the Ground

In May 2025, Kyodo News and the IT company Unerry released an analysis based on smartphone location data, ranking the top 100 locations in Japan with the highest concentration of inbound foreign visitors. The number one location is Niseko Resort in Hokkaido — where my office is based. Of the top 100 locations, 72 are concentrated in just seven prefectures, while 25 prefectures, including most of the Hokuriku region, do not have a single location on the list. The geographic concentration of foreign visitors in Japan has become increasingly clear.

As an administrative lawyer (gyoseishoshi) specializing in visa and status of residence applications, I do not read this story as a simple tourism ranking. Areas with a high concentration of inbound visitors are, almost without exception, areas that rely heavily on foreign workers. In this article, I share what we see on the ground in Niseko and outline practical points on foreign employment and status of residence for the next phase of regional coexistence.

■ 1. Reading the Data｜Geographic Concentration and What “Niseko #1” Really Means

By prefecture, the top 100 locations include 17 in Kyoto, 16 in Hokkaido, and 11 in Kanagawa, followed by Yamanashi, Osaka, Okinawa, and Tokyo with 6 to 8 locations each. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Okinawa together accounted for 69.7% of total foreign overnight stays in 2025, while 31 prefectures recorded less than 1% each.

Two important realities emerge:

  1. Inbound visitors are not spread evenly across Japan; they are highly concentrated in specific locations.
  2. Niseko has long been, and remains, one of the most prominent examples of this concentration.

Niseko is also distinctive in the depth of its long-stay visitors, seasonal workers, and immigrants. Hotels, restaurants, ski schools, resort operators, real estate, construction, medical interpretation, cleaning, and logistics — virtually every sector of the local economy is supported by workers from overseas.

■ 2. Beyond Overtourism｜The Real Challenges Faced by Rural Japan

The benefits of inbound tourism cannot be discussed without also acknowledging its costs. As both a resident and a practitioner, I see the following challenges on a daily basis:

  • Rising prices: Not only accommodation and dining, but also rents and everyday goods, putting pressure on local households.
  • Overtourism: Traffic congestion, waste, noise, and friction between local residents and tourist areas.
  • Traffic accidents: Risks linked to unfamiliar roads, snowy conditions, and left-hand traffic.
  • Strained medical services: Emergency transport during peak seasons, lack of multilingual support, and uninsured patients.
  • Competition for talent: Local employers increasingly compete with one another for foreign workers, because the domestic labor pool alone is no longer sufficient.

These issues will not be solved by simply scaling back tourism. For a small town like Niseko, tourism and foreign labor are no longer optional industries; they are core pillars of the local economy. The real challenge is how to redesign the system for long-term sustainability.

■ 3. In an Era of Population Decline｜Foreign Workers Are No Longer Optional

Population decline is hitting rural Japan hardest. In small municipalities like Niseko, the outflow of younger residents and rapid aging are happening simultaneously, resulting in structural labor shortages in not only tourism but also construction, transportation, elderly care, healthcare, and snow removal.

A crucial point is that foreign workers are not needed merely to entertain tourists. They are increasingly indispensable in:

  • Elderly care and medical services for local residents
  • Winter snow removal and road maintenance
  • Logistics and last-mile delivery
  • Construction and infrastructure renewal

The headline figures on inbound visitors represent only the visible part of a much larger reality: rural infrastructure in Japan is increasingly supported by multinational teams.

■ 4. For Business Owners and HR Managers｜Foreign Employment Is a Strategic Decision

When advising business owners and HR managers, I emphasize that foreign employment should be viewed as part of corporate strategy, not as a stopgap solution to labor shortages.

Key points include:

(1) Choosing the appropriate status of residence

  • Specified Skilled Worker (SSW i / ii): Suitable for sectors such as accommodation, food service, construction, building cleaning, nursing care, agriculture, and fisheries.
  • Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services: For roles such as interpretation, marketing, hotel front-office management, and engineering.
  • Business Manager: For foreign nationals operating their own companies in Japan.
  • Skilled Labor and Designated Activities, among others, depending on the work involved.

(2) Avoiding mismatches between actual job duties and status of residence
A common pitfall is hiring someone under the “Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services” status, but assigning them primarily to cleaning or food-service floor duties on a long-term basis. This creates serious risk at the time of renewal and creates risks for both the employee and the employer. Aligning actual duties with the chosen status of residence from the recruitment stage is essential.

(3) Compliance and support systems
Bilingual employment contracts, work rules, housing support, life orientation, anti-harassment measures, and accessible consultation systems are increasingly expected. For Specified Skilled Worker programs, coordination with a Registered Support Organization and proper implementation of the support plan are also legally required.

(4) Long-term career paths
Treating foreign employees as future managers, executives, and community leaders — rather than as short-term labor — has a significant impact on retention and corporate reputation.

■ 5. For Foreign Residents in Japan｜Protecting and Maximizing Your Status of Residence

For foreign residents, the status of residence is the foundation for life, work, and family stability in Japan. Key practical points include:

  • Match between work and status: Engaging in activities outside the scope of permitted activities can lead to revocation or denial of renewal.
  • Timing: Renewal applications can be filed up to three months before the expiration date. Avoid last-minute filings.
  • Notification of changes: Changes of address or employer must be reported within 14 days, as required by law.
  • Tax, pension, and social insurance: Compliance is closely scrutinized in permanent residence and renewal procedures.
  • Family members: Spouse visas, Dependent status, and children’s status of residence should be reviewed at every life event.

Consulting a specialist early — before problems become serious — is the most effective way to avoid serious issues at renewal, change of status, or permanent residence application procedures.

■ 6. From Niseko｜A Vision for Coexistence in Rural Japan

In many ways, Niseko is a microcosm of the future of rural Japan: an economy that cannot function without inbound tourism and foreign workers, alongside friction and structural challenges in everyday life. How we respond here is highly relevant to rural communities across Japan.

Three principles guide my approach:

  1. Do not separate “visitors,” “workers,” and “residents.”
    Treat them as people sharing the same town and design healthcare, education, transportation, and disaster preparedness as common infrastructure.
  2. Start from “the system is complex,” not “they don’t speak Japanese.”
    Update administrative procedures, contracts, insurance, and medical access on the assumption of a multilingual, multicultural user base.
  3. View foreign talent as an investment, not a cost.
    Build training, career development, and family support so that workers can build long-term roots in the community.

These principles may sound abstract, but they are realized through concrete, day-to-day work: each employment contract, each status-of-residence application, and each consultation. The role of an administrative lawyer is precisely to support that careful, day-to-day groundwork.

■ 7. Conclusion｜Reading “Niseko #1” as a Question About the Future

Ranking first in inbound visitor concentration is a source of pride for Niseko, but it also poses a pressing question: how do we make this concentration sustainable? Inbound tourism is both an economic tailwind and a magnifying glass that exposes deeper issues in the region.

For a depopulating Japan — and particularly for small towns like Niseko — inbound visitors and the foreign workers who support them are no longer a passing trend. They are becoming indispensable members of the local economy, community, and social infrastructure. Rather than focusing only on short-term numbers, we must seriously discuss, at the levels of policy, practice, and the front line, how we live, work, and build sustainable communities together.

Our office supports:

  • Status of residence and visa applications, changes, renewals, permanent residence, and naturalization for foreign residents
  • Status of residence design, employment contracts, and compliance frameworks for companies employing foreign nationals
  • Practical support tailored to the realities of Niseko and the wider Hokkaido region

We particularly welcome inquiries from those who feel they do not yet know where to begin. Together, let us shape what multicultural coexistence in Niseko — and across Japan — can look like in the years ahead.

▼ Reference article
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/9bcad72878529c2c0d6695c3b0a78af18039dcb2

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