# Japanese Municipalities with Over 5% Foreign Nationals Up More Than Twofold

> Japan's municipalities with over 5% foreign residents doubled from 53 to 132 since 2020, driven by rural labor shortages.
- Title: Japanese Municipalities with Over 5% Foreign Nationals Up…
- Summary: Japan's municipalities with over 5% foreign residents doubled from 53 to 132 since 2020, driven by rural labor shortages.
- Keywords: japan, municipalities, foreign nationals, population, labor shortages, rural areas, foreign workers, news, politics, world, Japanese, Foreign
- Source: The Japan Times — https://japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10/13/japan/society/foreign-population-up
- Author: No Author
- Published: 2026-10-13T12:34:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: japan, municipalities, foreign nationals, population, labor shortages, rural areas, foreign workers, news, politics, world
## Foreign Residents in Japan
The number of Japanese municipalities with foreign residents over 5% of population rose from 53 to 132 since 2020.
## Rural Areas See Growth
Foreign populations increased in rural areas where tourism and agriculture thrive, not just cities.
## Record Foreign Population
Japan's foreign residents reached 3.84 million, a 40% rise from 2.74 million in 2020.
## Municipalities with Over 5% Foreigners
Miyagi and Hyogo joined the list of municipalities with over 5% foreign residents, up from 17 to 27 prefectures.
## Rural Labor Shortages
Foreign workers are filling rural labor gaps, with some areas seeing over 20% foreign residents.
## Kawakami Town
Kawakami, Nagano, has 26.5% foreign residents, up from 19.0% in 2020.
## Shimukappu Village
Shimukappu, Hokkaido, saw foreign residents double to 21.7% since 2020.
## Over 20% Foreigners
Four municipalities now have over 20% foreign residents, the first time in a census.
## Key takeaway

Japan's municipalities with over 5% foreign residents doubled from 53 to 132 since 2020, driven by rural labor shortages.