Some foreign fourth generation descendants of Japanese to be given long-term residency

The Immigration Services Agency said Friday that it will grant long-term residency to fourth-generation foreigners of Japanese descent from countries such as Brazil and Peru. It will revise the residency status system to allow such people to effectively stay in Japan indefinitely, if they meet requirements such as having lived in Japan for at least five years and having a certain level of Japanese-language proficiency. The revision, aimed at attracting such people to Japan amid labor shortages due to a decreasing population, will be implemented as early as Thursday. "We'll ease the requirements so that more people can come to Japan," Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi told a news conference. The current system for fourth-generation descendants was introduced in 2018 so that such people can study the Japanese language and culture while working.