Japan’s aging society and resulting labor shortage have pushed the number of foreign workers past 2.3 million, including about 470,000 in the Technical Internship Training program. While the government denies an immigration policy, permitting permanent residence and family accompaniment for highly skilled workers is viewed by some as de facto immigration. The government aims to expand the Special Skilled Worker program to about 820,000 admissions over five years, with no residence limit for highly skilled workers and the ability to bring dependents. Critics say the expansion exposes the government’s stated non-immigration stance and has fueled backlash against projects such as JICA’s hometown plan.