Foreign residents living in the southern part of Hokkaido have reached 4,434 as of January 1, 2025, based on the latest official resident registry figures, a threefold increase from a decade ago. The rise is notably driven by an increase in workers such as technical interns and those with specific skills, with inflows expanding across various sectors against the backdrop of labor shortages due to population decline. Meanwhile, many are believed to face challenges in understanding Japanese, and experts point to the need for community-wide support reinforcement.
