Japanese Police Consider Increasing Foreign Workers in Security Sector

Japan’s National Police Agency has formed an expert panel to consider the possibility of more foreign nationals working in the private security services sector. Japan is currently facing challenges regarding labour shortages and an ageing workforce within the security sector.

According to Kyodo, the National Police Agency stated that the panel will examine whether individuals under the Specified Skilled Worker or the Training for Development of Skills systems should be permitted to work in the security field. Under current regulations, foreign nationals in Japan can only work in this sector if they hold specific residency statuses, such as long-term resident status.

“The labour shortage in the security sector is very severe,” said Yoshitaka Yamada, Head of the Public Security Bureau at the Japanese National Police Agency.

The special panel, he added, consists of university professors and representatives from the Japanese security industry groups. The report compiled by the panel is expected to be completed by January 2027 at the latest.

Based on the panel’s recommendations, the Japanese National Police Agency will consult with the Ministry of Justice, as well as the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, regarding the details of a new framework.

Data from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry shows that the ratio of job vacancies to applicants in the security sector reached 6.55 in 2025. This means there are 655 vacancies for every 100 job seekers, compared to 112 for all types of employment. In 2024, it was recorded that 47 per cent of security officers in Japan were aged 60 or older.