With the swearing-in of Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s 104th and first female prime minister on Tuesday, online rumors have quickly spread claiming she plans to carry out mass deportations of foreign nationals—a claim for which there is no evidence.
Japan, one of the world’s most culturally homogeneous nations, has long maintained strict immigration controls. However, the number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa requirements for workers in key industries facing labor shortages amid a declining birth rate and aging workforce.
The country is also experiencing unprecedented levels of tourism—up 48 percent in 2024 from the year before, per the Japan National Tourism Organization. This has been accompanied by an increase in complaints about disrespectful behavior and increased anti-foreigner sentiment, which some right-wing politicians have capitalized on.
Newsweek reached out to Takaichi’s office by email for comment.
Immigration was a central theme in Takaichi’s political platform, with the hard-line conservative calling for a crackdown on illegal immigrants and foreign nationals who overstay their visas. She has also raised concerns over unruly behavior and last month claimed foreign visitors had kicked sacred deer in Nara Park, a popular tourist site.
Over the past 24 hours, social media posts falsely asserting that Takaichi had created a “...
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