As of October 2024, the United States had nearly ******* Japanese citizens, making it the country with the highest number of Japanese residents outside of Japan itself. The United States counted around **** times as many Japanese citizens as second-placed *********.  Japanese immigrants in the United States Lately, there has been an increase in the migration of Japanese individuals, especially to the United States, which has *********** immigrant population worldwide. This surge in Japanese migration to the United States can largely be attributed to the substantial presence of Japanese companies with offices in the country, which ranks among the highest globally. Consequently, many Japanese nationals choose to relocate to the United States in pursuit of employment opportunities offered by these companies.  Status of immigrants in Japan The total number of foreign residents in Japan has been rising lately, with ***** having the highest number of foreign nationals registered among 47 prefectures. The main nationality of foreign residents living in Japan are people from the ********************************************* The increasing number of foreign nationals working in Japan is indicative of the growing interest in job opportunities within the country.

As of October 2024, Los Angeles had the highest number of Japanese residents among cities outside Japan, with approximately ****** residents. In the same year, the United States remained by far the country with the largest Japanese population outside Japan.

As of October 2024, approximately ****** Japanese residents lived in Los Angeles, continuing the downward trend. Los Angeles had the largest Japanese population of any city outside Japan. In the same year, the United States was by far the country with the highest number of Japanese residents.

In 2024, approximately **** million residents of foreign nationality were registered in Japan, making up below ***** percent of the population. The total number of foreign residents increased by about ****million in the last decade. Development of immigration to Japan Except for a large minority of people of Korean descent who have lived in Japan since the first half of the twentieth century, immigration of people from other countries did not become an issue in Japan until the 1980s when the economy required more labor. A revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act in 1990 allowed people of Japanese descent, so-called "nikkeijin," to enter the country and work without restrictions. The nikkeijin who entered Japan in the years that followed mainly came from Brazil and other South American countries. Chinese immigration increased as well throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. A breakdown of foreign residents by major nationalities shows that ********immigrants overtook ******* as the largest minority group in 2007. People from ******* were the strongest growing minority in the 2010s. Recent immigration reform Due to its demographic changes, Japan has a relatively low unemployment rate. As a consequence, a large share of companies report labor shortages. The temporary immigration of foreign workers is considered one of the possible solutions to this problem, next to the increasing labor market participation of women and the elderly. In 2019, the Japanese government enacted a major immigration reform. The reform allowed lower- and semi-skilled workers to enter the country and work in one of 14 different industries suffering from a lack of labor. The vast majority of participants are not allowed to bring their family members and are expected to return to their respective countries after their terms in Japan end.

As of October 2024, approximately ****** Japanese residents were registered in Switzerland, the highest number in the past decade. The population has gradually increased over the surveyed period, starting at about ****** residents in 2015.

As of October 2024, approximately ***** Japanese residents lived in Düsseldorf, the second lowest number of the past decade. The western German city is known for being home to the largest Japanese community within Germany.

As of October 2024, approximately ******* Japanese residents were living in the United States. The figure has shown a slight declining trend since 2018, when it reached the decade high of around *******.

As of October 2024, approximately ****** Japanese residents lived in Shanghai. The Japanese population in the city has been on a downward trend from around ****** residents ten years earlier. Despite the decline, Shanghai remains one of the cities with the highest number of Japanese residents outside Japan. Similarly, China was one of the countries with the highest number of Japanese residents.

As of ************, close to ************* Japanese residents were registered in San Diego. In the same year, the United States was the country with the highest number of Japanese residents by far. The statistic, which is based on the information gathered by Japanese diplomatic missions abroad, does not include descendants of Japanese emigrants (nikkeijin) who do not hold Japanese citizenship. People with multiple citizenship are counted.

As of October 2024, approximately ***** Japanese residents lived in Sweden, the highest number of the decade. The population has been growing steadily throughout the observed period, starting at around ***** residents in 2015.

As of October 2024, approximately ****** Japanese residents were registered in the San Francisco metropolitan area. In the same year, the United States was the country with the highest number of Japanese residents by far.

As of October 2024, approximately ******* Japanese residents lived in Australia. The number has increased for four consecutive years, reaching the highest level in the past decade.

As of October 2024, approximately ****** Japanese residents lived in South Korea, the second-highest number in the past decade. The population has shown a general upward trend following a decline recorded in 2020.

As of October 2024, the number of Japanese residents in the Houston amounted to approximately ***** people, the highest amount of the past decade. In the observed period, the size of the Japanese population in the city has been on a general upward trend, from around ***** people in 2015.

In 1800, the population of Japan was just over 30 million, a figure which would grow by just two million in the first half of the 19th century. However, with the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of the emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan would begin transforming from an isolated feudal island, to a modernized empire built on Western models. The Meiji period would see a rapid rise in the population of Japan, as industrialization and advancements in healthcare lead to a significant reduction in child mortality rates, while the creation overseas colonies would lead to a strong economic boom. However, this growth would slow beginning in 1937, as Japan entered a prolonged war with the Republic of China, which later grew into a major theater of the Second World War. The war was eventually brought to Japan's home front, with the escalation of Allied air raids on Japanese urban centers from 1944 onwards (Tokyo was the most-bombed city of the Second World War). By the war's end in 1945 and the subsequent occupation of the island by the Allied military, Japan had suffered over two and a half million military fatalities, and over one million civilian deaths.

The population figures of Japan were quick to recover, as the post-war “economic miracle” would see an unprecedented expansion of the Japanese economy, and would lead to the country becoming one of the first fully industrialized nations in East Asia. As living standards rose, the population of Japan would increase from 77 million in 1945, to over 127 million by the end of the century. However, growth would begin to slow in the late 1980s, as birth rates and migration rates fell, and Japan eventually grew to have one of the oldest populations in the world. The population would peak in 2008 at just over 128 million, but has consistently fallen each year since then, as the fertility rate of the country remains below replacement level (despite government initiatives to counter this) and the country's immigrant population remains relatively stable. The population of Japan is expected to continue its decline in the coming years, and in 2020, it is estimated that approximately 126 million people inhabit the island country.

In 2023, the United Kingdom had the highest number of European residents living in Japan, with approximately **** thousand registered residents. France ranked second with around ***** thousand registered residents.

According to an estimate, there were almost *** thousand immigrants from China living in Japan in 2019. Chinese were followed by South Koreans with an immigrant stock of more than *** thousand people.

As of October 2024, around ***** Japanese residents were registered in Poland, the highest number in the past decade. Throughout the observed period, the population grew steadily each year, starting at about ***** individuals in 2015.

With approximately ** million inhabitants, Tokyo Prefecture was the largest prefecture based on population size in Japan as of 2023. The smallest prefecture in this regard was Tottori Prefecture, which in the same year counted about ******* residents. Rural depopulation Like many industrial economies, Japan is facing the problem of depopulating rural areas. While the birth rate continues to decline, many young people decide to migrate from small towns and villages to large cities like Tokyo or Osaka for higher education and employment. The population of Tokyo Prefecture has shown substantial growth over the past decades and consists largely of working age citizens. Smaller communities are trying to counteract the depopulation process with initiatives meant to invite younger workers and tourists back. Migration to Japan Japan is often described as a very homogenous society, with a low share of foreign residents. Despite the declining birthrate and many businesses experiencing a labor shortage, companies have been hesitant to employ foreign workers, in part due to the strict immigration laws. The Japanese Government has tried to ease immigration restrictions and encourage foreigners to work in Japan. The largest share of foreign workers in Japan, however, is residing in the county with a permanent residence or as the family member of a Japanese national.

There were approximately 36 thousand Japanese nationals residing in the United Kingdom in 2021, an increase from the 28 thousand Japanese nationals residing in the United Kingdom in 2008. The highest number of Japanese nationals residing in the United Kingdom was in 2016 with 39 thousand nationals.