Chronic labor shortage is a prevalent issue not only in the capital city, Tokyo but also across different cities and prefectures in Japan. The aging population as a result of low birth rate and a decline inward migration has already taken its toll in a number of industries and sectors in the Land of the Rising Sun particularly in fourteen identified areas such as nursing or care giving, construction as well as food and service industry.
In view of this worsening workforce setback in numerous domestic companies and firms all over Japan, the government through its National Diet has amended the immigration policies that used to provide stringent requirements for foreign nationals who apply for gainful employment in the country. The previous immigration act mostly accommodates foreign professionals with expertise and relevant contribution in the particularly field.
Meanwhile, the New Immigration Control Act welcomes skilled workers and foreign technical trainees who do not have high educational attainment such as a college or university degree. In this way, Japan will be able to attract more and more foreign nationals to work and stay in the country on a permanent basis.
What the government seeks to avoid, however, is the concentration of foreign workers in the capital city and other major prefectures in Japan. Based on a survey conducted by various government groups, regional areas in Japan suffer more severe forms of labor shortage as compared to big cities.
In order to avoid the excessive concentration of foreign workers in major cities, the Justice Ministry of Japan intends to announce or make known to the public the number of foreign people working under the new system by prefecture and by sector. The said public announcement shall be made once every three months.
In general, the Japanese government plans to accept up to three hundred forty five thousand blue collar workers from different foreign countries under the new immigration act which took effect last April 2019.
Reference: Japan to regularly release figures for foreign workers by region and sector under new visa system
