Cheap Foreign Labor, Through the Back Door

Japan’s Industrial Trainee and Technical Internship Program brings 80,000 to 100,000 foreigners to Japan each year [1] to work for up to three years in industries such as agriculture, textiles, and food prep [2]. Japanese immigration policy makes no general provision for unskilled foreign workers; technically, no visa category exists for unskilled labor. But by calling the participants “trainees” and “interns,” the program has created an ad hoc mechanism to bring these types of workers to Japan. JITCO, the organization that facilitates the program, explains that it was introduced in 1993 in response to Japan’s labor shortage, but also touts “international development” and “skills and technology transfer” as its goals [3]. However, since most interns and trainees work low-paid, unskilled jobs, we can surmise that the program’s primary function is to provide cheap labor to struggling Japanese industries.

It is easy to see the program as a cynical creation of lawmakers eager to woo manufacturing and agricultural constituencies. Indeed, the record on this score is not good. Around 67% of participants come from mainland China, while Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam account for 22% combined [4]. Employers can easily exploit these often impoverished trainees and interns. The Asahi Shimbun describes how employers require the (often willing) interns to work illegal overtime [5], and sometimes pay interns and trainees far below the minimum wage for their work [6]. Many program participants tolerate these abuses, because they expect to earn $500 - $700 per month, far more than they could earn in their home countries [7], although still far less than Japanese employees in similar jobs. These and other problems became so widespread that the US Department of State singled out the program in its Trafficking in Persons Report [8].

However, lawmakers and bureaucrats did not sit idle while these criticisms came to light. The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry both investigated and recommended reforms. In response to this, in July 2009 the Diet overwhelmingly voted to strengthen legal protection for trainees and interns and increase government oversight of employers [9]. For example, employers must now provide trainees with written contracts in their native languages, which are inspected by immigration officials. Trainees will be informed of their legal rights and obligations, and JITCO employees will inspect each place of employment once a month. The new regulations come into effect in one year [10].

These actions will certainly require a deeper investment of both government and employer resources. Even if the program is really a handout to crucial political constituencies, this heartening commitment demonstrates that the government is not willing to hand over cheap labor regardless of the human costs.

1. Ministry of Justice, Kenshuu, Ginou Jisshuu Seido no Genjou Oyobi Seido Kaisei no Gaiyou ni Tsuite, March 34, 2009 [cited 2009 December 15]; Available from: http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/jinzai/jitsumu/dai4/siryou2_1.pdf p.3.

2. Ibid, p. 2.

3. Japan Internation Training Cooperation Organization, Seido no Enkaku, Haikei, Chuugokujin Kenshuusei no Seikouritsu ha 3 Wari “Ihou Zangyou” mo Kakugo Available from: http://www.jitco.or.jp/system/seido_enkakuhaikei.html.

4. Ministry of Justice, Kenshuu, Ginou Jisshuu Seido no Genjou Oyobi Seido Kaisei no Gaiyou ni Tsuite, March 34, 2009 [cited 2009 December 15]; Available from: http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/jinzai/jitsumu/dai4/siryou2_1.pdf p.3.

5. Okubo, Maki, Chuugokujin Kenshuusei no Seikouritsu ha 3 Wari “Ihou Zangyou” mo Kakugo, Asahi Shimbun, 18 July, 2009, [cited 2009 December 15]; Available from: http://www.asahi.com/business/update/0718/TKY200907180200_01.html.

6. Okubo, Maki, ed, “Osame no Nougyou” Jisshuusei ni Izon, Asahi Shimbun, May 5, 2009 [cited 2009 December 15]; Available from: http://www.asahi.com/special/08016/TKY200905040215.html.

7. Ibid.

8. US Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report 2009, June, 2009 [cited 2009 December 15]; Available from: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2009/123136.htm .

9. Online Diet Record, [001/066] 171 - House of Councilors, Full Meeting #36 July 8, 2009 [cited 2009 December 15]; Available from: http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/cgi-bin/KENSAKU/swk_logout.cgi?SESSION=21550.

10. Ministry of Justice, Kenshuu, Ginou Jisshuu Seido no Mondaiten to Kongo no Sochi, October 2, 2009 [cited 2009 December 10]; Google search "研修技能実習制度の問題点と今後の措置" to retrieve this document.