Japan immigrationNumber of overseas residents reaches record 3.84m, according to censusTrainees from Vietnam and Indonesia attend a lesson in nursing care at a center in Misaki, Japan. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)FUKA SHIRAIOctober 9, 2026 06:56 JSTTOKYO -- More Vietnamese nationals live in Japan than Koreans, according to the latest census data, becoming the second-largest foreign population behind only the Chinese. Read NextJapan immigrationJapan faces wide language-teaching gap as new immigration scheme loomsImmigrationJapan hikes foreign residency fees, tightens rules: 5 things to knowDemographyElderly outnumber children in nearly all Japan prefecturesDemographyJapan's number of births rises for first time in 11 yearsJapan immigrationForeign business owners leave Japan in droves under tighter visa rulesJapan immigrationForeign students bring new life to graying community in northern JapanJapan immigrationJapan sees slower inflow of foreign professionals as AI crimps hiringImmigrationJapan wants more startups. Its new visa rules say otherwiseLatest on Japan immigrationJapan immigrationJapan faces wide language-teaching gap as new immigration scheme loomsJapan immigrationJapan's communities scramble to cope with rise in foreigner birthsJapan immigrationForeign students bring new life to graying community in northern Japan