Transformation of Immigration Policy of Japan from 2018 to 2023

The number of immigrants in Japan has increased sharply, and the government is faced with the problem of regulating immigration flows. At the same time, Japan is experiencing an acute demographic crisis, which is aggravating the situation in the country. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to analyze the Japanese government policies towards immigrants from 2018 to 2023 and identify its main features. An analysis of the main laws and documents related to Japanese immigration policy such as the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, the Immigration and Residence Management Framework 2019, the Immigration Services Agency Brochure, the Immigration and Residence Management 2023 was carried out. These regulatory documents are the basis for current immigration regulation. Based on the results of the analysis, Japan's current immigration policy can still be defined as limited and selective, with an emphasis on attracting highly-skilled immigrants. However, since 2018, the country's immigration policy has become more open, which indicates its transformation in order to alleviate the labor shortage. Key words: immigration policy, labor migration, highly-skilled migrants, unskilled labor, demographic crisis.