Foreign resident Kim Min-joong is expecting his working holiday visa to soon be replaced by a new type Japan introduced in April to bring in more workers.
"Two years in school are not enough to master Japanese cuisine. Thanks to the revised law, I believe I will have more time to learn cooking techniques and gain good experience," the 23-year-old South Korean said at a teppanyaki (iron griddle) restaurant in Tokyo's Roppongi district.
Given the rapidly graying population and declining birthrate, Japan created the Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 status to cope with a chronic labor shortage in 14 sectors, including food service.