What's It Like To Be A Foreign Worker in Japan?

Oct 29, 2022 | News On Japan

Oct 29, 2022 (CNA Insider) - The abuse of a Vietnamese worker in the western Japanese city of Okayama sparked outrage in Japan in January 2022.

The incident once again turned the spotlight on Japan's treatment of migrant workers and the decades-old Technical Intern Training Program. Its initial aim was to bring in interns, also known as technical trainees, from developing countries, mostly from Southeast Asia. They would learn new skills and when they returned to their countries, they were expected to transfer these skills to their countrymen. But that concept is hardly alive anymore. Critics say technical trainees have become a cheap source of manual labour for farms, factories and other businesses in Japan.

But for Japan to be the top choice for foreigners to work and live in, this has to change. And the Japanese people must learn to be more accommodating to those who cannot speak Japanese and are of different cultures and values. As its demographic time bomb keeps ticking, there's no other option.

Typhoons 28 and 29 Forecast to Turn North Around Weekend

Two typhoons are moving across the Pacific east and southeast of Japan, with both expected to change course around the weekend and remain well away from the main Japanese islands, though high waves and stronger winds could affect some areas. Typhoon No. 28, a strong storm, was moving west near Wake Island at about 45 kilometers per hour as of 3 a.m. on October 7, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Typhoon No. 28 Moves West at Very Strong Intensity

Typhoon No. 28 (Noro) was moving west near Wake Island at very strong intensity at 3 p.m. on October 6, traveling at about 30 kilometers per hour, with forecasts showing the storm gradually weakening before turning north later this week and then northeast over the weekend.

Japan Holds Sleep Contest With 2.22 Million Yen Prize

A first-of-its-kind sleep competition was held in Tokyo on October 5, with contestants competing for a 2.22 million yen top prize by trying to achieve the deepest, fastest and most stable sleep during a 90-minute session.

Japan Ends Asian Games With Record 83 Golds and 269 Medals

Japan brought the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to a close on October 4 with a record 83 gold medals and 269 medals overall, finishing second behind China after 16 days of competition that produced historic victories in swimming, athletics, judo, wrestling, softball and other sports, while a closing ceremony in Nagoya marked the end of the first Asian Games held in Japan in 32 years.

Tokyo Court Recognizes Voice Rights in Landmark AI Ruling

A Tokyo court has recognized the commercial rights of performers over their voices for the first time, ruling that unauthorized use of AI-generated voices resembling those of celebrities can constitute an infringement of publicity rights in a landmark lawsuit brought by popular voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda against the operator of TikTok.

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