JAPAN TIMES



 

The government is considering creating programs teaching Japanese language, culture and social rules to foreign nationals and making attendance of the programs a factor in residency screenings, sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The government plans to begin the programs on a trial basis in fiscal 2028, the sources said.

This comes in response to calls from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for measures to address problems between Japanese and foreign residents.

The programs will be tailored to participants' home countries and regions as well as their life stages, according to the sources.

The government will consider allowing foreign nationals to take the programs before coming to Japan, as well as the possibility of making children's attendance at school a factor in their parents' residency screenings and making participation in the programs a requirement for permanent residency, the sources said.

Outlines of the study programs will be drawn up within fiscal 2027, and the government will develop a system to track participation.

On Tuesday, Kimi Onoda, minister in charge of harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals, reported on the progress made in developing the envisaged programs to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

In a post on X, Takaichi said, "I aim to establish an orderly inclusive society by taking resolute actions against problematic behavior, in order to protect foreigners who abide by laws."