Eased border restrictions that came into effect Tuesday have brought relief to Japanese businesses that are heavily reliant on foreign workers and trainees to cope with labor shortages stemming from Japan’s rapidly aging population.
One key industry that has been suffering from a severe labor crunch due to the nation’s strict border controls is elderly care, which employs many staffers from Southeast Asian countries.
A slew of nursing care facilities were expecting to accept new foreign trainees, but the entry ban derailed their plans.