🇯🇵 BREAKING: Japan just made permanent residency 20× more EXPENSIVE for foreigners. The application fee got a +1900% increase from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, effective October 1st. Japan is also tightening permanent-residency standards, with stronger Japanese-language and income requirements being phased in through 2027. This is a major overhaul of Japan’s residency system as Tokyo pushes for stricter rules on long-term foreign residents.