"Foreigner Oversight Office", or dog whistling election ploy?

As a foreigner in Japan for over a decade now, I've become used to the balancing act of being both a welcome part of the economy at times, and the target of political debate at others. This week the latter really hit home, with PM Ishiba launching a new office under the Cabinet Secretariat to oversee policies tied to the growing foreign population here.

There's lots to love about Japan. Policies like this, not so much. 

This new team of around 80 people is supposed to look at things like immigration control, unpaid social insurance premiums, and even how foreigners buy land. Ishiba insists it's not an election tactic, but the timing is hard to ignore since it's happening right in the middle of campaigning for the upcoming election.

It doesn't help that lately there's been a surge of rhetoric about foreigners. Sanseito (an ultraconservative right-wing party rising in the polls) is pushing a "Japanese First" platform and calling for fewer foreign workers (sounds like a certain American President). Meanwhile, the opposition says Japan needs laws to help Japanese and foreign residents live side by side with mutual respect.

It’s honestly a bit unsettling to hear this chatter, all while rumors swirl on social media -- for instance, the exaggerated claims that foreigners owe hundreds of billions of yen in unpaid insurance. Even Japan's health minister had to step in to correct that.

At the same time, the government knows it needs foreign workers more than ever because of the aging population issue. Ishiba has even said as much, though he also warned Japan may take a stricter approach toward rule-breakers.

For those of us who have built our lives here, it's another reminder of how easily the conversation around immigration can shift. I do hope that this new office recognizes how much foreigners contribute to Japan, and works towards fostering unity rather than dog-whistling division.