Abstract
The projected impending labour shortage in Japan arising from its rapidly aging population is the greatest impetus for Japan to initiate policies for foreign talent attraction. After Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came into power in late 2012, reconstruction of Japan’s northeast devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake (also known as “311”) and preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics infrastructure needs added pressure on manpower supply. Such manpower needs increased the inflow of non-Japanese workers.
This case study is derived from a limited circulation background brief working paper for National University of Singapore (NUS EAI): Lim, Tai Wei, “Japan’s Foreign Talent Policy” dated 2018 in EAI Background Brief, (Singapore: National University of Singapore East Asian Institute NUS EAI), 2018 [Unpublished at the time of submission of this manuscript].
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Notes
- 1.
Sieg, Linda and Ami Miyazaki, “Japan Eyes More Foreign Workers, Stealthily Challenging Immigration Taboo” dated 26 April 2016 in Reuters [downloaded on 26 April 2018], available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-immigration/japan-eyes-more-foreign-workers-stealthily-challenging-immigration-taboo-idUSKCN0XN07X.
- 2.
Nikkei Staff Writers, “Japan to Allow Foreign Interns to Work Five Additional Years” dated 11 April 2018 in Nikkei Asia website [downloaded on 11 April 2018], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-to-allow-foreign-interns-to-work-five-additional-years.
- 3.
Mehta, Dhriti, “A New Deal for Japan’s Foreign Workers” dated 28 November 2017 in the Journal of International Affairs Columbia University website [downloaded on 28 November 2017], available at https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/new-deal-japans-foreign-workers.
- 4.
Nagata, Kazuaki, “With Fast-Track Permanent Residency Rule, Japan Looks to Shed Its Closed Image” dated 4 January 2018 in Japan Times [downloaded on 4 Jan 2018], available at https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/04/national/fast-track-permanent-residency-rule-japan-looks-shed-closed-image/#.WvtswaSFOpo.
- 5.
Nikkei Staff Writers, “Japan to Allow Foreign Interns to Work Five Additional Years” dated 11 April 2018 in Nikkei Asia website [downloaded on 11 April 2018], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-to-allow-foreign-interns-to-work-five-additional-years.
- 6.
Chandran, Nyshka, “Foreigners Could Ease Japan’s Labor Shortage, but Tokyo Prefers Robots” dated 9 March 2018 in CNBC Asia [downloaded on 9 March 2018], available at https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/09/foreigners-could-ease-japans-labor-shortage-but-tokyo-prefers-robots.html.
- 7.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 8.
Smith, Noah, “Japan Struggles to Attract Immigrants as Shrinking Population Time Bomb Keeps on Ticking” dated 30 November 2017 in The Independent [downloaded on 30 November 2017], available at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-immigrants-migrants-worker-shortfall-shrinking-population-demography-a8084436.html.
- 9.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 10.
The Asahi Shimbun, “Editorial: If Japan Wants More Foreign Workers, More Flexibility Needed” dated 26 February 2018 in The Asahi Shimbun website [downloaded on 26 February 2018], available at http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201802260027.html.
- 11.
Sieg, Linda and Ami Miyazaki, “Japan Eyes More Foreign Workers, Stealthily Challenging Immigration Taboo” dated 26 April 2016 in Reuters [downloaded on 26 April 2018], available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-immigration/japan-eyes-more-foreign-workers-stealthily-challenging-immigration-taboo-idUSKCN0XN07X.
- 12.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 13.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 14.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 15.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 16.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 17.
Mehta, Dhriti, “A New Deal for Japan’s Foreign Workers” dated 28 November 2017 in the Journal of International Affairs Columbia University website [downloaded on 28 November 2017], available at https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/new-deal-japans-foreign-workers.
- 18.
Mainichi Shimbun, “Learning to Coexist with Foreign Workers, on Whom Japan Relies Heavily” dated 28 February 2018 in Mainichi Japan [downloaded on 28 February 2018], available at https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180228/p2a/00m/0na/016000c.
- 19.
Mainichi Shimbun, “Learning to Coexist with Foreign Workers, on Whom Japan Relies Heavily” dated 28 February 2018 in Mainichi Japan [downloaded on 28 February 2018], available at https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180228/p2a/00m/0na/016000c.
- 20.
Chandran, Nyshka, “Foreigners Could Ease Japan’s Labor Shortage, but Tokyo Prefers Robots” dated 9 March 2018 in CNBC Asia [downloaded on 9 March 2018], available at https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/09/foreigners-could-ease-japans-labor-shortage-but-tokyo-prefers-robots.html.
- 21.
Smith, Noah, “Japan Struggles to Attract Immigrants as Shrinking Population Time Bomb Keeps on Ticking” dated 30 November 2017 in The Independent [downloaded on 30 November 2017], available at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-immigrants-migrants-worker-shortfall-shrinking-population-demography-a8084436.html.
- 22.
Smith, Noah, “Japan Struggles to Attract Immigrants as Shrinking Population Time Bomb Keeps on Ticking” dated 30 November 2017 in The Independent [downloaded on 30 November 2017], available at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-immigrants-migrants-worker-shortfall-shrinking-population-demography-a8084436.html.
- 23.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 24.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 25.
Nagata, Kazuaki, “With Fast-Track Permanent Residency Rule, Japan Looks to Shed Its Closed Image” dated 4 January 2018 in Japan Times [downloaded on 4 January 2018], available at https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/04/national/fast-track-permanent-residency-rule-japan-looks-shed-closed-image/#.WvtswaSFOpo.
- 26.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 27.
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017], available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
- 28.
CBS News and Adam Yamaguchi, “Replacing Humans: Robots Among Us” dated 27 April 2018 in CBS News, available at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robots-replacing-humans-cbsn-originals/.
- 29.
CBS News and Adam Yamaguchi, “Replacing Humans: Robots Among Us” dated 27 April 2018 in CBS News, available at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robots-replacing-humans-cbsn-originals/.
- 30.
CBS News and Adam Yamaguchi, “Replacing Humans: Robots Among Us” dated 27 April 2018 in CBS News, available at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robots-replacing-humans-cbsn-originals/.
- 31.
CBS News and Adam Yamaguchi, “Replacing Humans: Robots Among Us” dated 27 April 2018 in CBS News, available at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robots-replacing-humans-cbsn-originals/.
Bibliography
Aiyar, Pallavi, “Rhetoric and Reality of Japan’s Skilled Labor Dilemma” dated 27 November 2017 in Nikkei Asian Review [downloaded on 27 November 2017]. Available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Rhetoric-and-reality-of-Japan-s-skilled-labor-dilemma2.
CBS News and Adam Yamaguchi, “Replacing Humans: Robots Among Us” dated 27 April 2018 in CBS News. Available at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robots-replacing-humans-cbsn-originals/.
Chandran, Nyshka, “Foreigners Could Ease Japan’s Labor Shortage, but Tokyo Prefers Robots” dated 9 March 2018 in CNBC Asia [downloaded on 9 March 2018]. Available at https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/09/foreigners-could-ease-japans-labor-shortage-but-tokyo-prefers-robots.html.
Mainichi Shimbun, “Learning to Coexist with Foreign Workers, on Whom Japan Relies Heavily” dated 28 February 2018 in Mainichi Japan [downloaded on 28 February 2018]. Available at https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180228/p2a/00m/0na/016000c.
Mehta, Dhriti, “A New Deal for Japan’s Foreign Workers” dated 28 November 2017 in the Journal of International Affairs Columbia University website [downloaded on 28 November 2017]. Available at https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/new-deal-japans-foreign-workers.
Nagata, Kazuaki, “With Fast-Track Permanent Residency Rule, Japan Looks to Shed Its Closed Image” dated 4 January 2018 in Japan Times [downloaded on 4 January 2018]. Available at https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/04/national/fast-track-permanent-residency-rule-japan-looks-shed-closed-image/#.WvtswaSFOpo.
Nikkei Staff Writers, “Japan to Allow Foreign Interns to Work Five Additional Years” dated 11 April 2018 in Nikkei Asia website [downloaded on 11 April 2018]. Available at https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-to-allow-foreign-interns-to-work-five-additional-years.
Sieg, Linda and Ami Miyazaki, “Japan Eyes More Foreign Workers, Stealthily Challenging Immigration Taboo” dated 26 April 2016 in Reuters [downloaded on 26 April 2018]. Available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-immigration/japan-eyes-more-foreign-workers-stealthily-challenging-immigration-taboo-idUSKCN0XN07X.
Smith, Noah, “Japan Struggles to Attract Immigrants as Shrinking Population Time Bomb Keeps on Ticking” dated 30 November 2017 in The Independent [downloaded on 30 November 2017]. Available at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-immigrants-migrants-worker-shortfall-shrinking-population-demography-a8084436.html.
The Asahi Shimbun, “Editorial: If Japan Wants More Foreign Workers, More Flexibility Needed” dated 26 February 2018 in The Asahi Shimbun website [downloaded on 26 February 2018]. Available at http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201802260027.html.
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Lim, T.W. (2019). Case Study 1: Japan’s Foreign Talent Policy and the Future of Robot Replacements. In: Industrial Revolution 4.0, Tech Giants, and Digitized Societies. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7470-8_6
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