Nara City’s “zero welfare applications from foreigners” claim is unverified
A claim is spreading on X that “thanks to the efforts of city assembly member Hezuma Ryu, welfare applications from foreigners in Nara City have dropped to zero since September.” We found no official announcement from Nara City, and whether it is true has not been confirmed. We set out where the claim came from and how the system works, along with the arguments for reconsidering welfare assistance for foreign nationals and for keeping it.
Verdict: are the viral claims true?
- Unverified“Welfare applications from foreigners in Nara City have been zero since September”This was posted by assembly member Hezuma as the welfare division’s answer. There is no official announcement from Nara City.
- Unverified“Applications fell to zero because of assembly member Hezuma’s efforts”The city only began counting in September, so there are no earlier figures to compare with.
- Misleading“Local governments can decide on their own to stop welfare for foreign nationals”Payments to foreign nationals are an administrative measure based on a national notice, and the eligible residence statuses are set by the national government.
Translated and adapted from our Japanese original. Facts are as of the original publication date unless noted.
Should welfare assistance for foreign nationals be reconsidered?
- Source of the “0 applications” claim (no official city announcement)
- Assembly member’s post
- Foreign households among welfare recipients (FY2023)
- 2.9%
- Legal basis for payments to foreigners
- National notice (1954)
Reconsider welfare
Welfare is a system for Japanese nationals. Paying it to foreigners while some Japanese cannot get it is wrong.
Keep welfare
Foreigners are under 3% of recipients. Failing to support people living in Japan would also harm public safety and social stability.
- Both sides agree
- The actual use of welfare by foreign nationals needs to be accurately understood.
- What to watch next
- Whether Nara City publishes the numbers, and the national government’s review of eligible residence statuses (data-sharing due to start June 2027).
Key points
- Since around October 10, a claim has been spreading on X that “at the urging of city assembly member Hezuma Ryu, welfare applications from foreigners in Nara City have been zero since September.” The first post was framed as hearsay, and after saying “Nara Prefecture” it added a correction to “Nara City.”
- The source is a post by Hezuma on October 9. He wrote that when he earlier asked Nara City’s welfare division how many foreigners had applied for or were receiving welfare, it said it “does not keep track,” and that after he recommended collecting the data, “there were 0 applications from September to now.” He also wrote, “I told them firmly not to approve applications from foreigners.”
- The city only began collecting the data in September, so no comparison with earlier numbers is possible. As far as we could find, there is no record of Nara City publishing the numbers or announcing any change in practice.
- Welfare assistance (seikatsu hogo) for foreign nationals is an “administrative measure” based on a 1954 national government notice. In 2014 the Supreme Court ruled that foreign nationals are not covered by the Public Assistance Act and can only be eligible for protection as an administrative measure. Eligibility is limited to permanent residents, long-term residents, recognized refugees and similar groups.
- Of the households receiving welfare in fiscal 2023, 47,317 were headed by a foreign national, 2.9% of the total. In January the government said it would set up a system to check recipients’ residence status and would also consider reviewing which residence statuses are eligible.
1. What is happening
Sorting out the “zero since September” claim
| Viral claim | What we could confirm |
|---|---|
| Applications from foreigners fell to zero in Nara Prefecture | The original post was framed as hearsay, and later added that it meant “Nara City, not Nara Prefecture.” |
| Zero applications since September | Hezuma posted this on October 9 as the welfare division’s answer. As far as we could find, there is no official Nara City announcement or answer in the city assembly. |
| Applications “fell to zero” | The city had not previously tracked applications from foreigners and began collecting data in September. On X, someone who contacted the city posted that they were told “there were about 7 last year, and the pace is the same as usual,” but this could not be confirmed. |
| Zero thanks to Hezuma’s efforts | Hezuma says he “told them firmly not to approve applications from foreigners,” but no causal link showing this reduced applications has been established. |
| Local governments can decide to stop payments to foreigners | Payments are an administrative measure based on a national notice, and eligible residence statuses are set by the national government. |
How welfare for foreign nationals works
- 1954: A national notice provides that foreign nationals in need receive protection equivalent to the Public Assistance Act as an “administrative measure”
- Eligible: permanent residents, special permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals, long-term residents, recognized refugees and others
- 2014: The Supreme Court rules that foreign nationals are not covered by the Public Assistance Act and can only be eligible for protection as an administrative measure
- FY2023: 47,317 recipient households headed by a foreign national (2.9% of the total)
- January 2026: The government announces it will make operations more appropriate and consider reviewing eligible residence statuses
Sources (mostly in Japanese)
2. What each side says
We summarize each side's main arguments in our own words, based on the original statements and reporting.
Reconsider welfare
Welfare is for “nationals,” and under the text of the law foreigners have no right to receive it. It is wrong to pay it to foreigners while some Japanese who want it cannot get it. Making policy recommendations to the city administration is a normal part of an assembly member’s job (Hezuma Ryu, Nara city assembly member).
The purpose of welfare is to support the lives of people who hold Japanese nationality, and there are areas where a line is drawn by nationality (Sohei Kamiya, Sanseito leader). In the 2025 House of Councillors election, Sanseito called for stopping welfare for foreign nationals.
In its comprehensive package of measures in January, the government pledged to make the operation of the welfare system more appropriate. It will allow recipients’ residence status to be checked online to understand actual use, and will consider reviewing eligible residence statuses. Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Ueno says the lack of a full picture of actual use is a problem.
Keep welfare
Every country provides a certain level of livelihood support to foreign workers and immigrants. If poverty is left unaddressed, more people turn to crime to survive and public safety worsens, and infectious diseases spread from people unable to get treatment, making society unstable (Takanori Fujita, certified social worker).
Foreign households make up only 2.9% of all households on welfare. There is little concrete basis for narrowing eligibility, and there are concerns it could spread the unfounded view that fraudulent claims by foreigners are common and stoke anxiety (Yuma Osawa, secretary-general of Tsukuroi Tokyo Fund).
Those currently eligible are mainly people such as permanent residents and recognized refugees who have lived in Japan for a long time and pay taxes. A national council on welfare issues made up of lawyers and experts has issued an emergency statement opposing the government’s review plan.
A senior health ministry official says that even if a review is considered, “we will not cut foreigners off.” Minister Ueno has also said of the review of eligibility that “no specific policy or schedule has been decided at this point.”
Posts on X
Hezuma Ryu, Nara city assembly member: Posted that he had asked Nara City’s welfare division how many foreigners had applied, that it did not keep track, that he recommended collecting the data, and that there had been 0 applications from September to now. He also wrote that he told them firmly not to approve applications from foreigners.
View the post by Hezuma Ryu, Nara city assembly member on X ↗
Reading between the lines
This section is our editors' interpretation (speculation). It is not confirmed, but the facts it is based on are sourced.
Hezuma Ryu
Why did he take up welfare?
SpeculationHezuma was first elected in the July 2025 city assembly election and has drawn attention for activities such as protecting the deer in Nara Park. With interest in policy on foreign nationals rising nationwide, taking up welfare for foreigners likely also aims to broaden his support. On the other hand, the “zero” figure was not published by the city, and no causal link between his recommendation and the numbers has been established.
Facts this is based on
- • Hezuma won a seat in the July 2025 Nara city assembly election, and his first general question in the assembly was mainly about protecting the deer.J-CAST (Hezuma Ryu’s first assembly question, Japanese)(Sep 19)
- • Hezuma calls for “Japanese First.”sn-jp (Hezuma Ryu’s posts on X, Japanese)(Oct 13)
What people are saying
We searched Japanese posts on X (formerly Twitter) for “Hezuma Ryu welfare,” “foreigners welfare Nara City,” “foreigners welfare discrimination” and “Hezuma Ryu welfare illegal,” from October 9 to 15, 2026. Posts supporting Hezuma’s recommendation and hoping it would spread nationwide were widely shared, while there was also criticism that he had overstepped an assembly member’s authority, and experts posting that foreigners also need a certain level of livelihood support.
Reconsider welfare
- “I hope the move to stop welfare for foreigners spreads to local governments across the country.”
- “This is not discrimination — I just want Japanese nationals protected first. It makes no sense that welfare can pay more than a pension.”
- “Some Japanese keep working into old age. If foreigners are abusing the system, that cannot be overlooked.”
Keep welfare
- “An assembly member has no authority to give orders to city hall. Telling them “don’t approve applications” goes beyond what an assembly member’s job is.”
Posts are paraphrased, not quoted, and individual accounts are not named.
3. Where things stand
Where they agree
- The actual use of welfare by foreign nationals needs to be accurately understood.
- Figures of uncertain accuracy should be checked against official information before they spread.
Where they disagree
- Whether welfare for foreign nationals should be reduced or abolished, or continued in its current form.
- Whether local governments may stop payments to foreign nationals at their own discretion.
What to watch
- Whether Nara City publishes the number of applications from foreigners or its practices.
- Residence-status data-sharing (due to start June 2027) and the results of the national survey of actual use.
- Whether the government reviews which residence statuses are eligible.
The claim of “zero since September” cannot be confirmed from any official Nara City announcement, and any causal link to Hezuma’s recommendation is unknown. The national government and support groups agree that the actual use of welfare by foreign nationals should be properly understood. Those who want it reconsidered argue welfare is a system for Japanese nationals and that payments to foreigners should be reduced or abolished. Those who want to keep it argue foreigners make up less than 3% of recipients and that it should continue as a system that protects the lives of people living in Japan.