Subsidies Eyed For Teaching Foreign Residents Daily Rules

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:30 JST, April 8, 2026

The government is planning to subsidize municipalities’ efforts to help foreign residents understand local rules and customs, such as how to properly sort garbage.

Ministerial ordinances will be amended this fiscal year by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry so the government can use a special local grant tax to cover half the cost of initiatives that local governments conduct independently for such matters.

The measure is aimed at promoting the “realization of a well-ordered inclusive society with foreign nationals” advocated by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration.

Half the costs that local governments incur informing foreign residents of common systems in Japan, such as taxes and social insurance, are already covered by the central government.

However, the growing number of foreign residents had led to more and more difficulties with such daily matters as throwing away garbage. Municipalities have therefore sought greater support from the government.

The central government envisions paying part of the costs necessary to raise awareness of detailed local rules and to assist with administrative procedures at city offices. The grants will cover some expenses for classes meant to help foreign residents acquire adequate language skills to understand local rules.

The support will cover labor costs for staff who respond to foreign residents who are asked to visit local government offices by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA)’s consultation desk. Financial help will likewise be provided for initiatives aimed at training and recruiting personnel who act as intermediaries between foreign residents and municipalities to convey information about daily life and people’s requests.

A system will be introduced that provides an additional ordinary local allocation tax based on the number of foreign staff members, known as coordinators for international relations (CIRs), who are assigned to those municipalities. The aim is to expand CIRs’ roles to include language instruction and lifestyle counseling by increasing their number.

There were 4,125,395 foreign residents as of the end of 2025, a record high for the fourth consecutive year, according to the ISA. This represents an increase of 356,418 compared to the same period the previous year, exceeding the 4 million threshold for the first time.