When it comes to Japan’s low income protection, you may think of China’s minimum living standard protection, both of which are life-saving money for people who have difficulty making ends meet. But Japan’s life protection Japanese life protection and China’s low income compared to both like and unlike, details hidden in a number of cultural and institutional differences.
Today, we’ll start with an incident in Osaka 14 years ago in which Chinese people piled into the country to apply for low-cost insurance, and show you what Japanese low-cost insurance is all about, and whether foreigners can get a piece of the action or not. The story has some twists and turns, and the knowledge is a bit dry, so let’s talk about it slowly!
The Osaka fiasco. 48 people applied for relief just after landing.
In 2010, Osaka City made a big news 48 Chinese people just arrived in Japan within a few days, ran to apply for living protection, so that the local government and the Japanese Internet public opinion have exploded.
These people came from Fujian Province in China, said they were relatives of Japanese orphans left behind after the war, and got the status of residence of permanent residents on the pretext of taking care of the elderly. As soon as they landed in May and June 2010, they went straight to the ward offices of five wards in Osaka to submit applications for relief.
In July of the same year, the government approved 32 applications, 26 of which were actually paid. But it wasn’t long before this came to light, and some people questioned if this wasn’t just a rush for relief. The city of Osaka then called a halt to the program, and the money that had already been paid out was withdrawn, and the city looked at the records of the past five years to see if there was anything fishy about it. By September, all 48 people had voluntarily withdrawn their applications, and the furor died down.
The Osaka city government was still unsure, so it asked the Immigration Bureau, a central organization under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, to re-check the visas of these people, and it turned out that the change of the visas from “resident” to “specific activities” was a tacit admission that there had been a loophole in the previous screening process. This incident has caused a lot of controversy in Japan, and people are wondering whether foreigners can receive Japan’s low income insurance or not.
What is the meaning of Japan’s low income insurance? Is it the same as China’s?
Japan’s subsistence program is a government subsidy for poor people to ensure their basic survival, which sounds similar to China’s low income insurance. For example, a single person in Tokyo can receive about 130,000 yen per month, which is about 6,500 yuan at the 2025 exchange rate, as well as full medical care, rent subsidies and other benefits, which is a full insurance package. What about China’s low-cost insurance? It’s mainly cash, for example, more than 1,000 yuan per month in Beijing, but maybe 500 yuan in rural areas, and other benefits depend on medical aid and public rental housing, which is more like a basic payment.
But there are many differences. Japan is particularly strict check, deposits, assets, relatives and support what are not approved, the amount is high but the threshold is also high, coupled with the Japanese culture to receive relief is a bit humiliating, in fact, the application rate is low in 2024 only 16 population, and China’s emergency relief for the poor is an old tradition, everyone’s mentality is open to the nation’s people to receive a lot of people in 2023, about 40 million people. So, it’s seven parts like, three parts unlike, each with its own flavor.
Can a foreigner receive the Japanese low income insurance or not?
According to the Law for the Protection of Life, this benefit is for Japanese nationals, and foreigners theoretically have no part in it. However, in 1954, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare made an exception, saying that foreigners in difficulty could be treated as nationals. This rule is still in force today, and even the Supreme Court has recognized it. Foreigners have no legal rights, but there are administrative remedies.
But not just any foreigner can do it.
As of March 2025, those who are eligible must have these statuses.
Status Visa Permanent Resident Spouse of Permanent Resident or Japanese National
Special Permanent Resident Korean nationals in Japan Korean nationals in Japan Taiwanese nationals in Japan
Certified Refugee Recognized by the Immigration Law
Working visa, like technical, humanities, international business, or non-certified refugees, don’t stand a chance. In other words, only those who are living like Japanese or in need of humanitarian protection have a chance. Also, when you renew your visa on welfare, it may be considered that you can’t support yourself, so your visa will be in jeopardy.
What happened in Osaka? What are the loopholes?
Let’s go back to the 48 people in 2010. They were on a permanent resident visa, which is designed for foreigners with special backgrounds, like Japanese descendants, like the third generation of the Japanese family, relatives of Chinese residuals, or any other group of people on humanitarian grounds. Holders of this visa can live and work in Japan for a long period of time, with no occupational restrictions, but unlike Permanent Residents, who have an unlimited period of time, there is usually a period of 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, etc., which must be renewed at the end of the period.
It is said that they can apply for relief, but the newspaper reported that in their application form, the source of income is written as living protection, and the guarantor is written as the ward office, so how sloppy the examination must be to pass? The Immigration Law of Japan clearly states that people who are so poor that they are a burden on public resources cannot enter Japan, but the Osaka Immigration Bureau just let them in.
The city of Osaka had a hard time, too. They entered legally, they had no money, no backers, so they had to be approved. 32 people were approved, 26 got paid, but when they realized something was wrong, they didn’t have the power to stop, so they had to ask for help from the top. The city’s mayor at the time, Kunio Hiramatsu, was so angry that he said, “It’s outrageous that the state doesn’t take responsibility for approving the visa, but lets Osaka approve the visa, and the citizens are not happy about it, and we have to pay for it.
How dare you apply for relief? No way!
This matter is too sensational, after Japan to make up for the leakage. 2011, the Ministry of thick labor notification, foreigners just entered the country to apply for relief, you have to additional diplomatic work plan sponsor income certificate or something, do not submit it will be rejected. The entry control also tightened the audit, want to rely on the relief mix in, the door is not there. Now this way, basically blocked.
The Osaka incident may still be associated with foreigners coming to Japan to take advantage of the welfare system. There are also many rumors on the internet about the protection of living, such as foreigners can receive whatever they want, but Japanese people are not allowed to do so.
Like this Japanese netizen Chinese people who just landed in Japan 48 people applied for life protection after only 6 days, and 32 of them were granted subsidies. Japanese A Japanese woman had only 600 yen on her and her electricity was cut off, but she was still rejected for low income protection Eventually she died Japan is a country that really worries its citizens!
The truth is not that exaggerated, the system is a safety net, anyone can use it, don’t let individual cases or prejudices ruin its meaning. To put it in our style, Japan’s low income insurance is like a meticulous old housekeeper, checking your family background closely, but really approving everything China’s low income insurance is like a neighbor’s big brother, pulling you a hand, but don’t expect a full package. If a foreigner wants to receive Japan’s? You have to be in a good position to qualify. It’s only when you understand this that you can see the differences behind the benefits. If you’re living in Japan, you’ll have to earn your own money to make a living.
If you like our work, please stay tuned to Japan Story and use your little hands to star us, as well as the bottom right corner of the article in the watch !
Going to Japan dog head master plus vx inuyama7 Japan business life planning
Leave a Reply