Work can be dangerous for foreigners in Japan

I feel like a lot of people outside Japan still imagine expat life here as neon lights, spotless convenience stores, and weekend trips on the shinkansen, and yes, that version of life exists for some people. It's by no means the reality for most people, especially those who are working in physically demanding jobs.

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According to recent data reported by Kyodo News, more than 6,000 foreign workers in Japan were seriously injured or killed in work-related accidents in 2024, which is the highest number ever recorded. Of the roughly 2.3 million foreign workers in the country, 6,244 were hurt badly enough to need at least four days off work, and 39 lost their lives. The figures come from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and they've been steadily climbing since 2019.

What's striking is who is most affected. Long-term and permanent residents and spouses of Japanese nationals accounted for the largest group of serious accidents, followed closely by workers under Japan's Technical Intern Training Program and the Specified Skilled Worker scheme. Manufacturing and construction dominate the statistics, making up the majority of serious injuries and deaths. Being caught in machinery and falling from heights were the most common causes.

The accident rate for foreign workers is also higher than for the overall workforce. That gap is even wider for technical interns and specified skilled workers, whose accident rates are nearly double the national average. These are often the jobs that keep Japan's aging economy running (e.g. factories, building sites, and food processing plants) but they're also some of the most dangerous.

Yoshihisa Saito from Kobe University pointed out a core problem in the article linked above that many fellow expats will immediately recognize, and that's language. Limited Japanese ability, combined with insufficient safety training and poor communication on worksites, can turn an already risky job into a potentially life-threatening one. In some cases, workers may not even understand how to apply for workers compensation without help.

For those of us living in Japan as expats, it can be an uncomfortable reminder that the "glamorous" version of overseas life doesn't apply to everyone. I do hope the government takes adequate steps to try and support the health and wellbeing of all workers, but especially foreign ones who seem disproportionately affected by danger at work.