News Japan’s appeal to foreign workers fading as economy stalls

[thomas]

Japan is slowly losing its appeal to foreign workers amid its prolonged economic stagnation.

A director in his thirties from a Tokyo-based cooperative that brings in technical trainees from across Asia said the number of interns arriving from China had fallen sharply. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he remarked that Japan no longer held the same attraction it once did.

In 2015, there were 38,327 Chinese workers under the Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 visa, but by 2023, this number had dropped to less than a third, at 11,347. In contrast, the number of Vietnamese workers more than doubled to 77,634 during the same period. When working in Japan, these interns earn around 170,000 to 180,000 yen (about $1,120 to $1,200) a month. After deducting expenses including dormitory fees and insurance, their take-home pay is about 130,000 to 140,000 yen, from which they send a few tens of thousands of yen (less than $600) back to their home countries.

The decline was not limited to China. In countries such as Cambodia, he said, many capable workers could now earn stable incomes at home, removing the need to seek employment in Japan. In response, his cooperative had shifted its focus to Indonesia, where Japanese employers often praised trainees as diligent and sincere. Even there, however, he noted that recruits from the capital, Jakarta, had become rare, with most newcomers now arriving from rural or island regions.

While much of Asia was seeing rapid economic expansion, Japan continued to struggle with prolonged stagnation and a persistently weak yen. Although recent increases in the minimum wage had drawn attention, Japanese pay levels still lagged behind those in Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

Japan losing attractiveness to foreign workers amid economic stagnation - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- While the Japanese public's expectations for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who advocates stricter regulations on foreign nationals, are sign

mainichi.jp

 

[Lothor]

Japan is slowly losing its appeal to foreign workers amid its prolonged economic stagnation.

A director in his thirties from a Tokyo-based cooperative that brings in technical trainees from across Asia said the number of interns arriving from China had fallen sharply. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he remarked that Japan no longer held the same attraction it once did.



The decline was not limited to China. In countries such as Cambodia, he said, many capable workers could now earn stable incomes at home, removing the need to seek employment in Japan. In response, his cooperative had shifted its focus to Indonesia, where Japanese employers often praised trainees as diligent and sincere. Even there, however, he noted that recruits from the capital, Jakarta, had become rare, with most newcomers now arriving from rural or island regions.

While much of Asia was seeing rapid economic expansion, Japan continued to struggle with prolonged stagnation and a persistently weak yen. Although recent increases in the minimum wage had drawn attention, Japanese pay levels still lagged behind those in Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

Japan losing attractiveness to foreign workers amid economic stagnation - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- While the Japanese public's expectations for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who advocates stricter regulations on foreign nationals, are sign

mainichi.jp

Japan's appeal is going to shrink further if it continues its recent path of hostility to foreigners – potential immigrants take note of these things. But perhaps that's what the country wants: to decline in peace.

The comments praising Indonesian workers in the article also contradict those on social media (usually by white American samurai living in Japan) about how Japan should not be 'flooded' with Muslims, who according to them cannot fit in with Japan's culture.

 

[thomas]

The comments praising Indonesian workers in the article also contradict those on social media (usually by white American samurai living in Japan) about how Japan should not be 'flooded' with Muslims, who according to them cannot fit in with Japan's culture.

Sounds like the Japan Today comments section!

 

[Lothor]

Sounds like the Japan Today comments section!

I was thinking about the comments on Asahi Shimbun articles posted on Facebook!

 

[Ukigumo]

I wonder what it is about Muslims that the Japanese (and others) feel doesn't fit in with their culture?

 

[Lothor]

I wonder what it is about Muslims that the Japanese (and others) feel doesn't fit in with their culture?

I think the vast majority of Japanese people don't have a problem with Muslims, unlike the shocking Islamophobia in the West.

 

[Ukigumo]

I think the vast majority of Japanese people don't have a problem with Muslims, unlike the shocking Islamophobia in the West.

Ah right. This same phobia doesn't seem to apply to the Hindu, Chinese or indeed Japanese community here in the UK. So what is it about Muslims in particular, that 'attracts' this discrimination, I wonder, and are they the same factors that apply to Muslims in Japan?

 

[Lothor]

Ah right. This same phobia doesn't seem to apply to the Hindu, Chinese or indeed Japanese community here in the UK. So what is it about Muslims in particular, that 'attracts' this discrimination, I wonder, and are they the same factors that apply to Muslims in Japan?

Off the top of my head, most Muslims in Japan are Indonesian. They look less different from Japanese people compared with, say, Pakistanis and whites, and perhaps they share some aspects of East Asian culture. Having taught quite a lot of Muslim boys in the UK, I'd also suggest that Indonesian Muslims are less in-your-face than your average Pakistani Brit (not a criticism – I really liked the ones I taught), and Japanese people tend to be uncomfortable with such personalities. There are also relatively few Muslims in Japan (about 200,000 Indonesians).

Japan has also never experienced significant harm from Muslims, whereas Western countries have through terrorist attacks. (Muslims would argue, with some justification, that Western countries have caused a lot of harm in Muslim countries, such as through George Bush's revenge attacks war on terror on Iraq and Afghanistan). In addition, the Japanese media have bigger fish to fry, such as the 'Chinese threat' and the 'gaikokujin problem', so have not poisoned attitudes as much as Britain's rabid tabloids.

 

[mdchachi]

Ah right. This same phobia doesn't seem to apply to the Hindu, Chinese or indeed Japanese community here in the UK. So what is it about Muslims in particular, that 'attracts' this discrimination, I wonder, and are they the same factors that apply to Muslims in Japan?

Personally the hijab makes me feel uneasy. I don't "discriminate" against them though.

 

[Ukigumo]

Personally the hijab makes me feel uneasy. I don't "discriminate" against them though.

It's worn for 'modesty' and to reduce the possibility of receiving male attention. I find a bit of an affront that someone might think the sight of a woman's hair would raise lascivious thoughts in my mind and, worse still, I might find it impossible to not act upon those thoughts

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Social media like Facebook do them no good. To watch videos there , you would believe all of Europe and the UK are being taken over by Sharia law and Muslim thugs/radicals. Seems these days , many people believe if it's on the internet , it must be true without getting trusted trueful info.

 

[mdchachi]

It's worn for 'modesty' and to reduce the possibility of receiving male attention. I find a bit of an affront that someone might think the sight of a woman's hair would raise lascivious thoughts in my mind and, worse still, I might find it impossible to not act upon those thoughts

Yes I know what it's purportedly for. They're not that uncommon around the city where I live.

 

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Mina-san!

Japanese people don't really care about Muslim or not. What Japanese people really care about is "日本人" or "外国人".

However, the number of Muslim tourists in Japan is increasing, and the tourism industry is lagging behind in its response.

Japanese don't know the direction to Mecca and don't even know where the nearest mosque is. There are not prayer facilities at Hotels and tourist sites, restaurants do not have halal menus, toilet does not have a hand shower...

And a hot spring towel is no substitute for a hijab.

In order to provide comfortable hospitality, employment of Muslim workers may increase in Japan in the future.

NANGI

 

[Ukigumo]

If the 'Islamic Yen' is important enough to the tourism industry of Japan then of course they should create prayer rooms with washing facilities, allow mosques to be built and attend to their food requirements.

Personally, if I had religious requirements like these, I'd pray in my hotel room, modify my praying in public to be as unobtrusive as possible (I'm sure the deity wouldn't mind that as long as the prayer to it was sincere) and eat vegetarian style for the short duration of my holiday. In other words, I wouldn't want to create a fuss

 

[Lothor]

If the 'Islamic Yen' is important enough to the tourism industry of Japan then of course they should create prayer rooms with washing facilities, allow mosques to be built and attend to their food requirements.

Personally, if I had religious requirements like these, I'd pray in my hotel room, modify my praying in public to be as unobtrusive as possible (I'm sure the deity wouldn't mind that as long as the prayer to it was sincere) and eat vegetarian style for the short duration of my holiday. In other words, I wouldn't want to create a fuss

I've never heard of Muslims 'creating a fuss' about a lack of facilities in Japan. Rather, little acts of thoughtfulness by a holiday destination (which is what Japan is trying to do and should be praised for) go a long way. I'd liken it to having a clearly labelled vegetarian option on a menu (something Japan is less good at) - it suggests that someone has made an effort to cater for as many people as reasonable.

 

[Ukigumo]

I've never heard of Muslims 'creating a fuss' about a lack of facilities in Japan. Rather, little acts of thoughtfulness by a holiday destination (which is what Japan is trying to do and should be praised for) go a long way. I'd liken it to having a clearly labelled vegetarian option on a menu (something Japan is less good at) - it suggests that someone has made an effort to cater for as many people as reasonable.

I'm sure they don't, and yes of course; I understand omotenashi is deeply entrenched amongst some Japanese people ('Be not inhospitable to strangers lest the be angels in disguise') and the things you describe require very little effort to implement. But I, personally, would feel embarrassed if, for my religious requirements, a small restaurant in say, Sendai felt the need to set assign a room, furnish it with carpet/prayer mats and those special wash basin(s) for religious ablutions (the feet must be washed as well as hands face etc before prayer) for maybe a family of muslim visitors a week/month. Perhaps it should be the council that take on this responsibility and have municipally-funded prayer facilities, but where would you locate it? The greatest convenient place would be in the town centre so everyone could find and access it…prime real estate . Too expensive? OK, out-of-town prayer facilities, but they'd need to have good signage (in the UK, those brown road signs that direct you to a facility/tourist location cost £8000-£20,000 to install!) a good transport infrastructure (bus, drivers etc) departing in time for each five-times-a-day prayer times, a muezzin to shout the 'call to prayer' over a tannoy of each prayer area, perhaps. You can see where I'm going with this; you'd need prayer complexes near every major tourist attraction in Tokyo, Kyoto (that'd go down well with Kyotoites ), Osaka etc because the time taken to commute to a central place would be prohibitive for tourists.

Maybe religious person should adapt their practices to the locale they are visiting and at minimal inconvenience, (whatever the perception of that is) to other people…it's polite!

 

[Lothor]

I'm sure they don't, and yes of course; I understand omotenashi is deeply entrenched amongst some Japanese people ('Be not inhospitable to strangers lest the be angels in disguise') and the things you describe require very little effort to implement. But I, personally, would feel embarrassed if, for my religious requirements, a small restaurant in say, Sendai felt the need to set assign a room, furnish it with carpet/prayer mats and those special wash basin(s) for religious ablutions (the feet must be washed as well as hands face etc before prayer) for maybe a family of muslim visitors a week/month. Perhaps it should be the council that take on this responsibility and have municipally-funded prayer facilities, but where would you locate it? The greatest convenient place would be in the town centre so everyone could find and access it…prime real estate . Too expensive? OK, out-of-town prayer facilities, but they'd need to have good signage (in the UK, those brown road signs that direct you to a facility/tourist location cost £8000-£20,000 to install!) a good transport infrastructure (bus, drivers etc) departing in time for each five-times-a-day prayer times, a muezzin to shout the 'call to prayer' over a tannoy of each prayer area, perhaps. You can see where I'm going with this; you'd need prayer complexes near every major tourist attraction in Tokyo, Kyoto (that'd go down well with Kyotoites ), Osaka etc because the time taken to commute to a central place would be prohibitive for tourists.

Maybe religious person should adapt their practices to the locale they are visiting and at minimal inconvenience, (whatever the perception of that is) to other people…it's polite!

I agree. I think what is mainly required is for tourist information centres to liaise with Muslims already living in the area so that Muslim tourists have access to facilities if they need them – the onus shouldn't be on family-run restaurants to provide a prayer room any more than it would be for them to have separate preparation areas for meat and dairy to satisfy the needs of Orthodox Jews. However, there should be a push to get restaurants in touristy areas to provide more information on the suitability of food for religious groups with food prohibitions.

 

[Ukigumo]

to have separate preparation areas for meat and dairy to satisfy the needs of Orthodox Jews.

(As a complete aside in the 80s, I used to volunteer in Jewish nursing home on Palatine Road in Manchester. That was my first introduction to the food preparation requirements for Orthodox Jews and I was amazed by the complexities; you'd think the deity would have better things to come up with! One of the residents, a Dr Prinz, if I remember correctly, suffered with the starts of dementia, but was lucid enough to inform me that as a student, he had attended a lecture course delivered by Albert Einstein! He even showed me his yellowing notes from them! )