The number of people seeking asylum in Japan this year hit a full-year record by the end of October, government data shows, as looser visa rules and severe labor shortages attract more of those fleeing conflict and poverty.
Japan runs the tightest refugee recognition system among industrialized economies, accepting only 11 refugees last year.
That prompted calls for Japan, which has offered nearly $2 billion to nations hit by a flood of refugees from Syria, to take more asylum seekers from the Middle East.