The education ministry and the Immigration Services Agency have asked language schools to point students at tests other than the JLPT, after the December sitting in Japan closed early for lack of seats.
Narita's two largest terminals began joint immigration-customs kiosk operations on 24 September. The customs half applies to residence card holders in full; the immigration half does not work the same way.
The Immigration Services Agency warned on 24 September about fraudulent emails demanding residence application fees, days before online applicants start paying by convenience store or bank transfer.
Applications accepted on or before 30 September keep the current fees. From 1 October a renewal costs between ¥10,000 and ¥75,000, and permanent residence goes to ¥200,000.
The government presented a plan on 9 September to open the aviation field to Ikusei Shuro. The programme's overall ceiling does not move, so the new field draws on the existing allocation.
The Immigration Services Agency published a reinforced Zero Overstayers package at the end of August, while figures showed nearly 1,000 Business Manager visa holders left Japan in the first half of 2026.