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July 05, 2025
 

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FOREIGN TRAINEES

EDITORIALS
Apr 6, 2019
Overhaul foreign trainee program
A disturbing new report shows once again how badly the foreign trainee program needs major fixes.
JAPAN
Mar 29, 2019
Probe reveals 759 cases of suspected abuse and 171 deaths of foreign trainees in Japan
The Justice Ministry's probe into the Technical Intern Training Program confirms growing concerns about a link between the trainees' working conditions and their growing disappearances from companies.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Mar 29, 2019
Vietnamese nun in Tokyo prays for compatriots who lost lives at work in Japan, fearing more to come
Rows of wooden mortuary tablets inscribed with names line an altar at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo — silent testimony to Vietnamese people who died after coming to Japan to work or study.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2019
Justice Ministry to accept online Japan visa renewals from July, but only by employers and agents
The ministry will start by accepting online applications for visa renewals for employees including highly skilled professionals, university professors, and interns working under the technical trainee program.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2019
Mitsubishi and Panasonic lose permits to hire foreign trainees after violations
The Justice Ministry said the firms ordered workers to perform tasks other than those specified in their contracts, among other violations.
JAPAN
Jan 23, 2019
First-time, short-term visitors to Japan hit record 27 million in 2018, making up 98% of arrivals
The number of new, short-term visitors to Japan hit a record high of 27.05 million last year, according to data showing arrivals from overseas by their visa status released by the Justice Ministry for the first time.
JAPAN / Help Wanted?
Dec 31, 2018
Japan said unready for drastic social changes despite impending arrival of foreign workers
Experts bemoan the lack of support measures so far for incoming laborers.
EDITORIALS
Nov 21, 2018
Address issues in the technical intern program
Any practices where abuse of foreign workers is suspected should be eliminated.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 15, 2018
Vietnam-born rights advocate Bungo Okabe steps in to stifle abuse of technical trainees in Japan
When it came to light in March that a Vietnamese man in Japan's foreign trainee program was duped into performing radioactive decontamination work in areas devastated by the 2011 nuclear disaster, Bungo Okabe, 36, was the first to offer help in seeking justice.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 14, 2018
The impact of accepting unskilled foreign labor
The new visa system will lack durability unless the needs of employers, local communities and foreigners are balanced.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2018
Four Japan firms used foreign trainees to clean up at Fukushima plant after nuclear meltdowns: final report
Officials visited 1,018 companies with facilities in eight prefectures in eastern and northeastern Japan, interviewing trainees there to probe the situation.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 21, 2018
Clear strategy needed for inviting foreign labor
Japan's gradual approach to welcoming unskilled labor from abroad helps ensure the maintenance of social harmony.
EDITORIALS
Aug 30, 2018
Secure proper conditions for foreign workers
With more low-skilled workers coming in from overseas, Japan must improve their work and living conditions.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2018
At least four firms used foreign trainees to clean up radioactive contamination from Fukushima nuclear plant: ministry
At least four contractors used foreign trainees for decontamination work related to the Fukushima disaster, the Justice Ministry determines after a 182-company internship probe.
JAPAN / Politics
May 29, 2018
Diet group drafts bill that aims to promote Japanese language learning at home and abroad
A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveils a draft version of what might become Japan's first-ever law defining the government's responsibility to systematically promote Japanese language education.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2018
Vietnamese trainee alleges he was misled into taking part in Fukushima decontamination work
The government is investigating a case involving a Vietnamese man in the foreign trainee program who alleges he was duped into taking part in 3/11 decontamination work.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FINDING COMMON GROUND
Jan 2, 2018
Abuses still abound in labor-strapped Japan's foreign 'trainee' worker system
Shinzo Abe has declared that his administration will never adopt “an immigration policy” despite an aging workforce, but numerous unskilled foreign workers continue to enter Japan through the “technical training” visa status.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2017
With new rules, Japan looks to wipe out abuse in trainee system — but critics say more must be done
Changes include creation of a watchdog organization and the requirement that firms secure accreditation for their training programs.
JAPAN
Oct 13, 2017
Vietnamese flock to Japan foreign trainee program as total tops 26,000
The number of Vietnamese in Japan's Technical Intern Training Program for foreign nationals stood at 26,437 in January-June this year — the largest group — according to a recent Immigration Bureau survey.
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2017
Record 4,004 firms with trainees from abroad found to have violated labor laws in 2016
A record number of employers accepting trainees from abroad under the nation's Technical Intern Training Program violated labor laws in 2016, the labor ministry said Wednesday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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