For close to a million foreign residents in Japan, permanent residency (永住権, eijūken) has long been the quiet endpoint of a life built there: no more renewal queues, no employer tether, the freedom to change jobs and buy property without the usual friction. Over roughly 18 months, that finish line has moved — repeatedly, and mostly without the kind of coverage a change this size would normally get outside Japan. Japan Is Quietly Raising Its PR Fee 20x — Here's Everything Else