Japan has made it harder for foreigners to gain permanent residency as part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s campaign to tighten immigration controls.

Under new rules that will come in stages, foreign residents wanting to stay in Japan permanently will have to prove their annual income is above average and they can carry casual conversations in the Japanese language.

Also, application fees will also rise by a factor of almost 20. Since the announcement hundreds of people have been reported to be queuing at immigration offices, hoping to finalise applications before the price rises come.

There has been a general concern among Japanese that accepting more foreigners might dilute Japan’s unique culture.

But at the same time, the country has a low birth rate and an aging population.

Some economic commentators have said that has to accept foreigners to maintain the economy.

But despite a rapidly ageing population and labour shortages in multiple sectors, opposition to immigration is growing, prompting Prime Minister Takaichi to impose tighter regulations on foreigners.

“As the number of foreign residents in Japan increases, the government is facing the fact that some citizens feel anxiety and a sense of unfairness,” Ms Takaichi said in a recent social media post.

But she also said it was important to maintain “orderly coexistence” with foreign nationals.

Recent program to attract international workers have created a public backlash with anti-immigration sentiment spreading across social media.

False claims conspiracy theories have been circulated widely on social media, including that welfare payments are going to foreigners, and that they are contributing to crime.

Japanese business leaders have countered, saying that the nation must welcome more foreign workers to sustain the economy.

“Japan should stop viewing foreigners merely as a temporary labour force and instead promote their long-term settlement by expanding Japanese-language education and improving their treatment,” the business publication Nikkei said in an editorial.

Foreigners were a major issue in last year’s elections which saw gains by the “Japanese-first” Sanseito Party, which describes immigration as a “silent invasion”.

The new rules for permanent residency come after

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party flagged the new rules for residence last year when it tightened regulations for businesses importing workers.

The changes may prevent some people from applying for permanent residency but local reports say they will not mean people being deported immediately.

Under the regulations, the application fee for permanent residency will soar to 200,000 yen ($A16,000) from the current 10,000 yen ($A1780).

Candidates must also show “understanding” of social rules and demonstrate expected pension benefits equivalent to someone who has paid pension insurance for 30 years.