Man arrested for living in Japan for 26 years on 15-day visa

A man who lived in Japan for 26 years on a 15-day visa has been arrested.

Police in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture have arrested a 72-year-old South Korean man on suspicion of living in the country for more than 26 years despite his visa having expired, The Japan Times reported.

Police were reportedly tipped off in June. The man entered Japan in September 1993 on a 15-day tourist visa using his brother's passport. He was hoping to find a high-paying job in Japan.

The suspect was arrested on August 26. He had been living in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and had not left Japan since 1993. Overstaying a visa was not a criminal offense in Japan until February 2000.

After that, a new immigration law came into effect. Therefore, the police detained him only for the period after 2000. The suspect stated during the investigation that he worked in odd jobs and fully confessed to his guilt.

According to the Ministry of Justice, as of January 2026, 68,488 people were identified as illegally staying in the country. This figure is significantly lower than in 1993. In 1993, the number of such people reached its peak, amounting to 298,646.