Japan’s open to foreign workers. Just don’t call them immigrants

Facing an ageing, shrinking workforce, Tokyo flirts with breaking a taboo surrounding immigration by preparing to welcome half a million low-skilled foreign workers

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Many foreign students in Japan work several part-time jobs, in 7-Elevens or Yoshinoya restaurants, just to make ends meet. Photo: AP

Published: 10:15am, 30 Jun 2018Updated: 10:21am, 30 Jun 2018

In a clear departure from its former stance, Tokyo is vowing to greet low-skilled foreign workers with open arms in an effort to offset labour shortages caused by its ageing population.

On June 15, the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, which is chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, decided to introduce a new visa for non-professional foreign labourers. Abe had justified the visa by saying: “As the labour shortage becomes serious, we need to rush to build a system where foreign talents can be accepted as an immediate asset with a certain level of expertise and technique.”

Under the new policy, the government plans to create a new five-year visa category, through which Japan would receive 500,000 low-skilled labourers by 2025. The newcomers are expected to work in five sectors that have been suffering from an acute labour shortage: nursing care, lodging, agriculture, construction and shipbuilding.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to allow more non-professional foreign workers into the country. Photo: Reuters

Fears of lost jobs have long made immigration a taboo subject for Japanese politicians, and in the past the country has only accepted high-skilled talent from overseas. Even with the change, the government insists the new policy is not equal to receiving immigrants.

Japan has long lagged other developed countries in integrating foreign workers into local communities, but that hasn’t stopped newcomers from trying. Two years ago in Kathmandu, Samten Narayan (not his real name) heard from his friend that Japan was the “country of opportunity”. He had been working as an editor at a local TV station, creating animations. He borrowed money from his family and friends to move to Tokyo.