The number of foreigner’s registration (so-called “Alien registration”) decreased by 56,000 people from 2010 to 2011, MInistry of justice announced on 6/8/2012. It was 2,079,000 people in total.
It has been decreasing in these 3 years but especially in the 3 prefectures of disaster area, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, it decreased by 14.3%, which is the biggest decreasing range.
Immigration Bureau of Japan under ministry of justice assumes it is because of the earthquake and nuclear accident. The decrease from September to December was relatively small, they think probably it’s bottomed.
It increased in Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa, where are thought to be less contaminated and it decreased in all the rest of the prefectures. The decreasing range was larger in eastern Japan than western Japan.
Decreasing %
Fukushima ↓ 15.1%
Miyagi ↓ 13.2%
Iwate ↓ 15.5%
Iori Mochizuki