Since the first batch of Indonesian nurses and caregivers arrived in 2008 under a new bilateral economic partnership agreement, 570 have come to Japan, as have 310 Filipinos under another EPA that took effect two years ago.

But just two Indonesians and one Filipino — out of 254 applicants — passed Japan's nursing qualification exam in February, becoming the first successful candidates to receive the right to work in this country indefinitely.

While 89.5 percent of all exam-takers passed this year, the corresponding number for Indonesians and Filipinos was only 1.2 percent.