The first foreign housekeepers to be hired under a government policy aimed at helping Japanese professional women re-enter the workforce after having children will take up their new duties as early as March in Kanagawa Prefecture and the city of Osaka, according to prospective employers.

About 50 Filipino domestic helpers are scheduled to begin arriving in Japan in February to undergo training before being dispatched to clients in the two areas by Pasona Inc. and three other employers.

Previously, only certain households, such as those of foreign diplomats, were allowed to employ foreign housekeepers. But in 2015 the Abe administration pushed to deregulate the market in a bid to increase participation by Japanese women in the workforce.