A major domestic political debate is brewing over whether non-Japanese permanent residents should be granted the right to vote in local elections of prefectural governors, prefectural legislators, and chiefs and council members of lower local administrative entities. Those foreigners will still be ineligible to run for those public offices, however. The current proposal would grant the right to vote only to those who have obtained the Japanese government's permission to reside in this country permanently.

As of December 1999, the number of non-Japanese permanent residents stood at 113,038. They included 37,960 Chinese, 28,768 North and South Koreans, 14,884 Filipinos, 5,063 Americans, 4,756 Peruvians, 4,592 Brazilians, 3,903 Vietnamese, 1,342 Britons and 1,313 Thais. Altogether, those residents come from 125 countries.

Looking at these numbers, one would conclude that what is really at issue is whether permanent residents from China and North and South Korea should be given the right to vote. Supporters of the proposal argue that it is only natural to grant that right to the second, third and fourth generations who were born in Japan, live in Japan and are paying taxes here; some questions may arise with regard to the first generation. Even among Japanese citizens, most of those born after World War II have no special feeling toward the people of North and South Korea, and do not object to granting them the right to vote in local elections.