As more foreigners choose to remain in Japan long-term, increasing numbers have sought a status change to reflect their commitment to the country and make it easier to build a stable life here.
Since 1997, the number of foreign residents who have secured permanent residence status has risen from 82,000 to nearly 280,000. This figure excludes about 500,000 so-called special permanent residents who were brought to Japan from colonies in China and Korea before and during World War II and their descendants.
Permanent residency can help to secure credit, bank loans and housing, while also removing the need for visa renewal. The application process is more straightforward and often faster than that for citizenship, where ministry officials have been known to visit and check the contents of applicants' refrigerators, quiz them on their sex partners and see what their neighbors think of them.