The number of foreign workers in Japan totaled 221,807 as of June 1, up 7.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

This figure marks a ninth consecutive annual rise, the ministry said in December.

The number of businesses employing foreign workers stood at a record 18,484, up 5.2 percent, with their foreign employees totaling a record 130,440, up 8.3 percent, it said.

In terms of direct laborers -- defined as those employed directly by companies as opposed to those dispatched on a temporary basis by an agency -- male workers accounted for 78,451, or 60.1 percent, and female workers 51,989, or 39.9 percent, the ministry said.

"The increase in foreign workers with special abilities boosted their overall number," the ministry said.

Some 44.9 percent of the direct laborers came from Central America and Latin America, 30.5 percent from East Asia and 11.8 percent from Southeast Asia, it said.

The number of workers from East Asia and Southeast Asia continued to rise, while the number of employees from Central America and Latin America remained almost unchanged from a year before.

Tokyo had the largest number of foreign direct workers at 22,800, followed by Aichi Prefecture at 17,126, Shizuoka Prefecture at 14,259, Nagano Prefecture at 9,220 and Kanagawa Prefecture at 8,055.

Regarding workers dispatched by agencies, Shizuoka Prefecture had 15,631, followed by Aichi Prefecture at 13,080, Nagano Prefecture at 8,113, Mie Prefecture at 7,516 and Gifu Prefecture at 6,764, it said.