Why foreign workers are essential to Japan

Living in Japan as a foreigner, it's been hard to miss the change in how foreigners are talked about in recent years. Immigration, residency rules, tourism, and concerns about foreign residents have all become much bigger topics, and some of the rhetoric is difficult to hear when you're trying to build a life here.

A recent survey of Japanese businesses reported on via the Japan Times highlights a different part of the picture.

Many companies are now relying on workers from overseas, particularly in industries struggling to find enough staff. Almost two-thirds of businesses that already employ foreign workers said that being unable to recruit more would affect their operations. In nursing and healthcare, that figure was more than 90%.

The reliance is even stronger outside Japan's major cities, and for those of us living in rural Japan, this probably won't come as much of a surprise. Foreign workers are commonly a part of the workforce in local hotels, restaurants, factories, transport, and care facilities to name just a handful of industries.

More than half of the companies surveyed also supported expanding opportunities for foreign workers, while many called for better Japanese-language and everyday-life support.

I think that last point matters. If foreign residents are expected to become part of Japanese communities, there needs to be support for that to happen, rather than simply expecting people to navigate everything on their own.