National | Help Wanted? Dec 31, 2018
Japan said unready for drastic social changes despite impending arrival of foreign workers
by Reiji Yoshida
Experts bemoan the lack of support measures so far for incoming laborers.
National | Help Wanted? Dec 31, 2018
Japan's denial of immigration reality echoes Germany's experience with 'guest workers'
by Satoshi Sugiyama
The recent sweeping revision to the immigration law opens a gateway for as many as 345,000 migrant workers to enter Japan in the next five years. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, however, has repeatedly said the new visa system does not constitute an immigration policy. "This ...
National | Help Wanted? Dec 31, 2018
Foreign talent eager to work for Japanese firms, but staid office culture a hindrance
by Kazuaki Nagata
Dozens of young people from around Asia descended on Tokyo last month for a job fair, dressed in a plain black suit of the type considered "the uniform" for Japanese college students when they meet with prospective employers. Some of the visitors said they were ...
National | Help Wanted? Dec 31, 2018
As Japan prepares for more foreign workers, Hamamatsu serves as precedent of interculturalism
by Sakura Murakami
Step into the municipal office of this city and you'll find pamphlets in multiple languages lining the walls, as people waiting in lines converse quietly in Portuguese. Walk along the streets around the station and you'll find an array of Brazilian, Filipino, and Peruvian flags ...