June 1st, 2008Are Foreign Workers Key to Japan’s Future?
The use of foreign workers in any nation is often a touchy subject, eliciting a population’s fear of losing jobs to people who will often work for much less money than a regular citizen. However, using foreign workers to the nation’s best interests is an important task and should be handled properly by any government who is seeking to sustain growth and vitality amid declining birth-rates, a shrinking labour force, and ageing society.
Prime Minister Fukuda established yet another panel last month in an effort to study how Japan can accept more foreign workers with specialized skills and knowledge. Reporting to the chief cabinet secretary, these experts are expected to find ways the country can make itself more appealing to the better educated. Whether this exercise will bear any fruit, however, is yet to be seen.
For the moment, Japan does not technically allow the entry of unskilled foreign labourers, but has a very streamlined (a.k.a. Requiring less than 8 kanji-heavy documents to complete) process for accepting highly skilled people. That said, despite this paperwork concession, it’s often difficult to draw the world’s best and brightest to a nation that is known to treat its foreign workers very differently than the citizenry.
As of January 2008, there were 2,152,973 foreigners registered in Japan. While many seem to be here on a spousal or educational visa, about 158,000 were given resident status as researchers, engineers, teachers (language instructors not included) and other professionals. However, only half of these people are employed with 30 or more hours per week, and a piddly 5% are employed at one of Japan’s major organizations.
Non-Japanese people tend to have difficulties in getting promoted at Japanese corporations and research institutes. This isn’t due to language barriers, either. Many people who have invested years studying proper use of Japanese often find themselves looked over when it comes time to move up a rank. This glass ceiling is often a huge problem for highly motivated and driven individuals with great educations and ambition. It’s no wonder that after a few years of working in Japan, many transfer or move to Europe and North America to earn more respect and responsibility.
To solidify the country’s international competitiveness, the government panel must establish a functional, two-way, collaborative relationship with both industry and academia to attract people to the nation. On top of this, implementation of measures to help foreign students find work in this nation should be made a priority. For these reasons, Tokyo should consider expanding the list of conditions where foreigners can be granted residence in the country.
Paper vs. Sweat
I’ve discussed some of the reasons Japan should accept more skilled workers to the nation, but it’s also important to examine some of the problems with accepting too many unskilled workers. Contrary to popular belief (and government policy), a large number of non-Japanese are working in the agricultural, manufacturing and construction industries. These are often foreign nationals with Japanese ancestry and trainees who come under the guise of the “foreign trainee system,” which was created to foster international co-operation.
The foreign trainee system has been little more than a loophole for many employers who wish to bring in lots of labourers who will work ridiculous hours for illegally-low wages. Naturally, this needs to be stopped and should be followed up with measures to reform the system.
Marketing Meets Muddled Mindsets
Very few highly skilled foreign nationals will come to Japan if companies continue to follow the status quo. They will never consider Japan to be an option if their perceived careers entail working on a minimal salary like a pyramid-building slave, only to be discarded at will.
Japan imports thousands of care workers from Indonesia and the Philippines under bilateral economic partnership agreements. And, considering the aging population, these people should be nurtured carefully as they will be the ones to provide the vital medical and welfare services this nation needs.
That said, there are some people who are pushing to establish a system to accept unskilled foreign workers in an effort to ramp up production at factories and processing plants. Hidenao Nakagawa, the former Secretary General, is just one example.
Of course, like we see in other nations with high immigration numbers, the population is expressing some concerns with the number of foreigners coming in to the nation. They argue this measure will reduce the employment opportunities for Japanese citizens, which could instill some “social discontent.”
Suffice to say, the topic is only lightly discussed in the halls of power. The Prime Minister should aim to encourage deeper discussion on the matter and provide a clear direction on how the country should handle its worker shortage, as well as how Japan should attract intelligent foreign workers.
What’s your take on the foreign situation in this country? Should Japan just follow the same route until there aren’t enough Japanese people left to do the work? Is it a good idea to change the corporate culture to help reduce or eliminate the glass ceiling?
As a foreigner married and living in my wifes country I am all for ease of restrictions on marrying, working and living overseas, and if possible dual nationality.
The world is however going both ways — depending on the country they are either restricting access (some European countries) or opening up (some Asian countries).
In Europe the discussion is currently very much fueled by the difficulties in integrating the second generation into society — after their mostly Turkish / African parents came in the 60’s and 70’s to relieve massive shortages of unskilled labor.
Is Japan ready to become a multi-cultural society and face all the benefits, changes to society, and problems associated with becoming a thriving multi-cultural society?
I would have thought Japan needed more manual laborers rather than “foreign workers with specialized skills and knowledge”. Isn’t it the bottom-of-the-ladder workforce that is supposed to prop up the aging population? Either way, any increase in the number of foreigners will probably be so gradual, no-one will even notice!
I don’t know. I think Japan is grudgingly starting to accept the inevitable and is considering allowing more foreign workers in, but on Japan’s terms. For example, evaluating a foreigner’s Japanese ability when deciding on visa length or whatever.