News Japan to ease foreign worker rules for hotels and restaurants

thomas · 3 Feb 2025

To combat severe labour shortages, Japan is considering relaxing its skilled worker visa program to allow foreign nationals to work in hotel restaurants. While they would be permitted to take orders, serve food, and cook at restaurants in ryokans and hotels, they would still be prohibited from serving alcohol. The government plans to present this proposal to experts soon to revise the relevant guidelines as early as this spring.

The program allows foreign workers to stay in the country for the medium to long term. Type 1 workers with certain skills and experience can work in 16 fields for a stay of up to five years, while Type 2 workers with higher skill levels, who can work in 11 fields, can stay in Japan indefinitely. The restaurant industry is included in both types, but foreign nationals under the program are in principle not allowed to work at restaurants licensed under the entertainment business law, in order to ensure a safe working environment for them. Many inns and hotels have licenses under the law so that they can entertain guests, including with geisha dances and other performances.

Japan to ease foreign worker rules for hotel restaurants

The government is considering allowing foreign workers under the program to take orders and serve and cook food at restaurants at inns and hotels.

www.japantimes.co.jp

From a legal perspective, why would foreign waiters and waitresses be allowed to serve soft drinks but not alcoholic beverages?

johnnyG · 3 Feb 2025

thomas said:
From a legal perspective, why would foreign waiters and waitresses be allowed to serve soft drinks but not alcoholic beverages?

There's no working visa that allows bartending, for example. And serving alcohol is 風営業 (IIRC)--only can do that on a spouse visa, or PR.

The law is 風営法, which probably controls this. It probably says no alcohol serving, since defining/splitting what is a restaurant vs what is a bar would be gamified--bars serving supposed 'meals' or something.

News Japan to ease foreign worker rules for hotels and restaurants

thomas

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Japan to ease foreign worker rules for hotel restaurants

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