Indonesia Plans to Send 100,000 Workers to Japan

However, the number of Indonesian workers increased by 47.5% from the previous year, the sharpest growth among major countries.

Japan has been reviewing its labor programs to attract more foreign talents, including a recent decision to overhaul the controversial “technical intern” system. ASEAN countries, in particular, are a major source of foreign labor for Japan due to geographical proximity and strong bilateral relations.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a meeting with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong in Tokyo in late November that human resources from the Southeast Asian country are important for Japan's socio-economic development.

However, life in Japan is not always smooth for foreign staff, who often face challenges in adapting to their workplaces, something that policymakers and employers need to consider if they want to attract more workers.

At a forum in Tokyo in late November, Indonesian citizen Dzaradin Falaq highlighted some of the challenges he witnessed both as a former student in Japan and as a recruiter at a company that introduces foreign talents to Japanese businesses.

“There is a tendency for both Japanese and foreign people to leave their companies due to dissatisfaction with their company, workplace, or job,” said Falaq, citing language barriers, possible unclear job roles, and rigid adherence to traditional methods in some companies.

“Many small and medium-sized companies are still reluctant to accept foreign workers… and the smaller the company, the more traditional they think,” he said. “Foreign workers… and workplaces that encourage diversity can produce innovation,” he concluded.