At the same time university students are having increasing difficulty landing jobs after graduation, the job market is becoming a bit more promising for foreign students studying in Japan.
Leading small and midsize enterprises are engaged in a fierce battle with major enterprises as they look for foreign students to help their overseas business survive.
"We would like to begin recruiting immediately if there are personnel that meet our conditions," said an official in charge of personnel affairs at Sasakura Engineering Co., an Osaka-based machinery producer attending a joint-enterprise orientation meeting in the city for the first time on Jan. 15.