The international workforce in Japan has now exceeded the one million mark. Approximately 20 percent of this figure is made up of people who have been invited to Japan to participate in practical training programs, which sees workers acquire new technical skills during their stay before returning back to their home country. But in reality, a significant proportion are engaged in unskilled work. Their labor has become a valuable commodity in rural areas where populations are declining.
The existing model can be traced back to a trainee program for overseas workers, which was established in 1990 under the name Kokusai Kouken (International Contribution). A system was put in place in 1997 that gave apprentices the opportunity to stay in Japan for a total of three years; the first year is more introductory and sees participants take on a trainee position, while the following two years involve more hands-on, practical training. By the end of October last year, the number of people engaged in this program had reached around 210,000, which represents an increase of 25 percent compared to the year before. The majority of the participants are from developing countries in Asia.
Many of these workers are engaged in physical and low-skilled labor across industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, and construction. A significant number have limited rights and receive very low wages during their first year as trainees. During the period of practical training, workers are not able bring their families to Japan and cannot easily change their profession.
This system started when the Japanese economy was flourishing and the number of workers from rural areas began to decrease. Many companies began recruiting in order to fill the labor shortage under the guise that employees would be able to take the skills they learn back home. Under these kinds of conditions, many workers experienced ill-treatment and frequently had their rights denied. Trainees and interns who return to their home country after three years are not really seen as “immigrants,” and are overlooked in many ways in the debate surrounding international workers.
Revisions to the law saw some conditions improve for interns. In 2010, the minimum wage was raised for those who completed their first year, and last November a new law was put in place that tightened regulations concerning supervisory organizations. There will be 500,000 trainees and interns if the current rate continues. But even with an international workforce, fears persist as to whether or not local industries can realistically keep going. It appears that only minor changes to the current system might not suffice.
Original article from Nishinippon Shimbun (3/6/2017).
New Era of Immigration in Kyushu
The number of workers from abroad, including international students and technical interns in Japan, exceeded one million for the first time last year. This group of people form an indispensable component of the workforce, irrespective of the government’s position on immigration. Read more installments from this series here.
