Shiela Tahara Noble is living proof that nationality doesn't matter -- once language barriers are overcome -- when dealing with a sector where the domestic labor supply is increasingly scarce.
A registered "home-helper," Tahara looks after elderly people at two nursing homes in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture.
"I used to work as a nursing aide in the Philippines, and I've wanted to make use of my ability," said Tahara, 36, who is married to a Japanese and has lived here for 13 years.