Over the last ten years the reported number of migrant workers in Japan has more than tripled, reaching almost 1.5 million in 2018. This unprecedented high number of foreigners migrating to work and live in Japan requires policy makers and academics to understand what is happening, why and how. We will take up the issue from the perspective of political science.

What do political parties have to say about the issue? What are their policy proposals, who is pushing them, and how high does immigration rank on the respective political agendas?