Have Japanese Voters Begun to Care about Migration?

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February 5, 2026

Have Japanese Voters Begun to Care about Migration?
Have Japanese Voters Begun to Care about Migration?

Volume 24

Abstract: In recent elections across major destination countries in the developed world, migration has become a major issue of political salience. Japan has traditionally been an outlier to the trend, but migration did become a major topic driving public opinion in the 2025 Upper House election. This article explores the overall political salience of migration in Japan, focusing primarily on how the ruling coalition managed public discourse as it pushed through major reforms over the past decade, why it lost control of the narrative in the recent election, and what this means for the politics of migration in Japan going forward.

Keywords: Japanese Politics, Migration Policy, Political Discourse, Foreigners in Japan, Politics of Migration

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Volume 24

About the author:

Maximilien Xavier Rehm is a postdoctoral researcher at the Graduate School of Global Studies, Doshisha University, Kyoto. His research focuses on Japanese politics, specifically foreign policy and migration policy. He holds an MA in International Relations from Ritsumeikan University and Ph.D. in Global Studies from Doshisha University. An updated list of his recent publications can be found on his website (https://www.mxrehm.com/).

Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus is a peer-reviewed publication, providing critical analysis of the forces shaping the Asia-Pacific and the world.

    About the author:

    Maximilien Xavier Rehm is a postdoctoral researcher at the Graduate School of Global Studies, Doshisha University, Kyoto. His research focuses on Japanese politics, specifically foreign policy and migration policy. He holds an MA in International Relations from Ritsumeikan University and Ph.D. in Global Studies from Doshisha University. An updated list of his recent publications can be found on his website (https://www.mxrehm.com/).