16-5-2024 (TOKYO) As Japan grapples with an acute labour shortage exacerbated by its rapidly ageing population, the country is increasingly turning to Myanmar to fill critical gaps in its workforce, offering a lifeline to citizens fleeing the turmoil in the Southeast Asian nation.
One such beneficiary is Ms Myo Myo Thein, a 25-year-old university graduate from Myanmar, who seized the opportunity to work in Japan in 2022. Unlike many of her compatriots relegated to low-skilled jobs, Myo Myo’s proficiency in Japanese secured her employment as a skilled worker, earning a salary on par with her local colleagues in the cleaning and maintenance sector.
“My friend who was here told me Japan places importance on discipline, so I thought of working in Japan,” Myo Myo told CNA. “If I have the chance, I want to work for a famous hotel.”
Her five-year skilled worker visa not only affords her greater stability but also reflects Japan’s shifting attitudes towards immigration – a once-taboo subject in the famously insular nation.
Traditionally viewed as xenophobic and resistant to foreign workers, Japan is being forced to confront its demographic reality. The number of foreign workers in the country reached a record high last year, surpassing 2 million for the first time, as policymakers scramble to address labour shortages across various sectors.
However, Japan’s perceived reluctance to embrace diversity has drawn criticism. In January, three foreign-born residents filed a lawsuit against the national and local governments over alleged racial profiling by police. More recently, US President Joe Biden claimed that “xenophobia” from countries like Japan, China, and India was hindering their economic growth due to their aversion to immigrants.
While acknowledging lingering apprehensions, experts argue that Japanese society is becoming more accepting of foreigners, driven by economic necessity rather than ideology.
“As far as Mr Biden’s statement, I’m not so much worried about it. I think maybe Japanese media has made … too much fuss about it. I think Mr Biden’s statement is mostly oriented to the domestic audience,” remarked Akio Kawato, a former Japanese ambassador and columnist at Newsweek Japan.
As Japan seeks to attract more talent, it is set to replace its controversial foreign trainee scheme – long criticized for exploiting workers as cheap labour – with an alternative that offers better rights protection and job flexibility. This reform could benefit the tens of thousands of Myanmar workers in Japan, many of whom fled the violence that erupted after the 2021 military coup.
According to official figures, more than 70,000 Myanmar citizens were working in Japan as of 2023 – an almost 50 per cent jump from the previous year, making them one of the fastest-growing groups of foreign workers alongside those from Indonesia and Nepal.
The influx of Myanmar workers is particularly pronounced in Japan’s eldercare industry, which is projected to face a shortfall of 320,000 employees by 2024 due to the country’s ageing workforce. Kenji Sato, the director of Kokusaikaigojigyoudan, an agency that recruits, trains, and matches foreign workers to eldercare facilities, has brought in 120 workers from Myanmar since 2019.
“Myanmar has the most similarities to Japan in terms of culture. The people are calm. Many are devoted Buddhists. Their character is the most suitable, so we all decided on Myanmar,” Sato explained.
Among his recruits is 21-year-old Moe Moe Khine, who was scouted for a daycare facility last year. After three years in Japan, she can qualify as a skilled worker and extend her stay for another five years – or even longer if she passes a national exam for caregivers.
“I want to work (here) for 10 years. After that, I will return to Myanmar … I will build a school and teach nursing care,” she added.
