KUALA LUMPUR - According to new government data released last Sunday, foreign residents made up over 10% of the population in 27 areas across Japan as of January, Kyodo News reported.

Most of these areas have already surpassed levels that researchers had predicted would not be reached nationally until 2070.

The 27 towns identified span 13 prefectures, including industrial regions, resort towns, and areas with long-established foreign communities.

Nearly 80% of them have already exceeded the 10.8% foreign resident ratio predicted by the national institute.

Japan’s foreign resident population continues to rise as more migrants fill labour shortages in key industries.

Official figures show the number of foreign residents reached 3.76 million at the end of last year, an increase of about 350,000 people from the previous year, the largest annual jump on record.

Towns with foreign populations higher than the national average of 3% are largely industrial hubs or tourist destinations.

The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had projected in 2023 that foreign nationals would make up 10.8% of Japan’s population by 2070.

An analysis of data from 1,892 towns found that the village of Shimukappu in Hokkaido had the highest share of foreign residents at 36.6%.

It was followed by Akaigawa in Hokkaido, Ikuno Ward in Osaka, Oizumi in Gunma Prefecture, and Kutchan in Hokkaido, all with foreign populations exceeding 20%.

Overall, 151 towns in 27 prefectures now have foreign residents making up more than 5% of their population, while only two villages reported having none.

In the 1960s, Japan’s foreign resident population was about 600,000, but numbers increased sharply after the 1990 immigration law revision that allowed people of Japanese descent to live in the country as long-term residents.

The number decreased during the 2008 global financial crisis due to layoffs and return migration, then fell again during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has since entered a third phase of steady growth.

Recent immigration policy changes, including the Specified Skilled Worker visa, have further boosted the number of foreign residents.

In Onna, Okinawa Prefecture, where foreign residents make up 12.4 percent of the population, resort hotels now line the coast, and many foreigners work in tourism-related jobs.

"We have not seen an increase in problems. It seems we are coexisting well," a village official said.