Foreign Detainees in Japan Drop 40% Despite Surge in Residents

The number of foreign nationals detained in Japan has fallen by 40 percent compared with two decades ago, even as the country’s foreign resident population has nearly doubled, according to newly analyzed National Police Agency data.

Between 2021 and 2025, police processed 56,706 foreign nationals, a sharp decline from the 93,899 recorded between 2001 and 2005. The reduction was recorded in 40 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, with 14 prefectures reporting detention figures cut by half.

The data challenges persistent claims on social media suggesting that Japan’s expanding foreign population is driving a deterioration in public safety. Over the past 20 years, the number of foreign residents rose from 2.01 million to 3.95 million. Despite this near doubling, the proportion of foreign nationals involved in criminal cases has decreased.

Enforcement cases involving foreign nationals, excluding permanent residents and US military personnel, declined across most regions. 

Nagano Prefecture recorded the steepest drop at 73.2 percent, falling from 1,679 cases to 450. Significant decreases were also reported in Tokushima, Ehime, Wakayama, and Fukushima. In absolute terms, Tokyo saw a reduction of 22,344 cases, followed by Kanagawa with 3,358 fewer cases and Shizuoka with a drop of 2,241.

A senior National Police Agency official stated that while the number of foreign nationals entering Japan has increased, there is no clear evidence linking that growth to worsening public safety. Authorities, the official added, will continue enforcement measures irrespective of nationality.

On a single-year basis, detentions in 2025 rose 5 percent from the previous year to 12,777, marking the third consecutive annual increase.

Officials attribute the rebound to post-pandemic normalization, as crime rates had fallen during the COVID-19 period. Even so, the rise remains proportionally lower than the annual increase of approximately 300,000 foreign residents.

Looking at broader trends, total detentions for Penal Code offenses, including Japanese nationals, exceeded 600,000 annually in the early 1950s, declined to around 300,000 in the early 2000s, and have stabilized near 200,000 in recent years.

Analysts credit enhanced community patrols, expanded surveillance camera networks, and targeted crackdowns on organized crime for sustaining lower crime levels nationwide.