Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi formally launched a Cabinet-level panel, led by Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, to review foreign national-related issues that warrant urgent attention and propose specific solutions by January.

To meet that deadline, three groups, which have mostly been lumped together as the ¡°foreigner problem,¡± need to be separated to identify the issues and benefits each group presents.

Japan has experienced an explosive increase in overseas tourists since the COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted, and its global appeal as a travel destination has grown.