Foreign Minister: Japanese ability might be necessary for work visas in future

30 Responses to “Foreign Minister: Japanese ability might be necessary for work visas in future”

1. Shari on January 15th, 2008 2:10 pm

   I wonder if this has anything to do with plans on the part of the Japanese government to increase the number of Japanese language schools abroad. This is something they did to compete with China which has far more schools abroad than Japan.

   In the end, while the point is a good one, I think this will hurt Japan economically and isolate it further. Japan isn’t the economic powerhouse it once was and jobs here aren’t as lucrative as they used to be. There will be serious limits to the hoops folks will jump through to come (or remain here) and having to learn reading and writing in Japanese at any level higher than basic understanding of hiragana and katakana is likely to not be worthwhile for many folks.

2. Ken Worsley on January 15th, 2008 2:14 pm

   To be honest, I doubt that there’s any correlation to past proposed measures. There’s so little consistency on immigration from cabinet to cabinet, and when Fukuda’s gone it will probably all change yet again. There’s still no coherent immigration policy even being discussed, and hopefully Komura’s comments will start that.

   I think the beginning of your second paragraph is right on. This is another potential economic barrier that would make Japan less competitive. Is it necessary for social cohesion? One can certainly make that argument.

   The trouble with this plan is that it does not distinguish between visa types. Language ability for someone coming here to work in a factory and someone coming to be a doctor should not be evaluated according to a single standard.

   Japan needs to offer more in the way of opportunity. But Komura seems more interested in hoops and sticks rather than carrots.

3. zmcnulty on January 15th, 2008 2:31 pm

   I’d be interested to hear the JET Programme’s response to this. As probably every “non-Asian” foreigner who has looked to go to Japan for work is well aware, foreign language instruction is the failsafe method of getting into the country as it has seemingly low barriers for those serious interested in going. No Japanese? No work experience? No problem.

   Now I realize that the issue of instructor quality has really surfaced with NOVA and others finally facing the music, and obviously that’s a function of the spontaneity with which someone can decide to come to Japan. But at the same time, I think there’s a clear relationship between someone’s career prospects within Japan and his/her Japanese abilities. There are exceptions, but it seems to me that someone with good Japanese would be less likely to become a language instructor making 250,000 yen a month.

   Even within the JET Programme itself you can see the discrepancy; those with decent Japanese skills are more likely to shoot for the CIR role rather than the ALT role.

   So I think JET and others would find themselves having to actually compete with other industries to bring good people into the country. I think a move like this would even the playing field a bit more, so I support it in that sense. But at the same time, I get the feeling there would be far fewer native English speakers working as language instructors.

4. Buzz on January 15th, 2008 2:37 pm

   Of course most workers will be Asian, but this should be funny for the English teaching business. For years they’ve said “No Japanese necessary” and even seem to prefer hiring foreigners who can’t speak Japanese.

   Maybe they’ll set up some type of system where people on ‘teacher’ visas won’t have to pass any language requirement.

5. www.japansoc.com on January 15th, 2008 2:40 pm

   Japanese ability to be requirement for getting a visa?…

   On Tuesday morning, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura talked about changing the current visa system so that some degree of Japanese ability would be necessary to get or renew a work visa….

6. CMM on January 15th, 2008 3:45 pm

   As someone who’s been teaching here a while, I have to say this would be a great move. Those who have time on the ground and made the effort at integrating into the society would benefit if only those serious about being in Japan were allowed to come here and live and work.

   Job competition is crazy because of the wages that those who come to Japan on a one year or two year lark are willing to accept. Those who are serious about being in Japan get punished.

   Coming to live and work in Japan should not be seen as a sort of vacation. The Japanese themselves end up being shortchanged by setting the bar so low.

7. Ken Worsley on January 15th, 2008 4:00 pm

   CMM, While such a policy may benefit you personally (and big congratulations on that), it makes little sense when applied to the economy at large. Creating barriers to doing business in Japan will not help the nation become more competitive, which is the goal it keeps repeating out of the other side of its mouth.

8. Durf on January 15th, 2008 5:32 pm

   The MOJ and MOFA guys will get together in their discussion group just long enough for business interests to tell them to stop it, I’m thinking . . . Either that or a system will be put in place, but will feature loopholes large enough to drive a truck full of monolingual expat execs through.

9. CMM on January 15th, 2008 8:40 pm

   Ken, I think you got me wrong. I don’t want the policy just because I’d benefit, but I won’t complain. It’s not easy to make a living long-term when the labor market gets distorted by what are basically migratory workers.

10. Cratz on January 15th, 2008 10:42 pm

    a system will be put in place, but will feature loopholes large enough to drive a truck full of monolingual expat execs through.

    They better hope so, at least in my industry (finance). Start requiring Japanese tests and just about all of my office is going home. It just isn’t relevant. At all. It’s the opposite. We need more Japanese with English skills who can operate in a global workplace. Notice how that’s not on the agenda.

11. ThePenguin on January 15th, 2008 11:07 pm

    I wonder if this is really aimed at the Brazilian nikkeis?

12. billywest on January 15th, 2008 11:47 pm

    The definition of a long-term resident, as given by the MOFA website:

    Quote:
    Refugees as stipulated by the convention relating to the Status of Refugees, Indochinese refugee settlers, second- and third-generation Japanese settlers, etc.

    http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/04.html

13. Ken on January 15th, 2008 11:51 pm

    billywest, although the Nikkei reads “entry visas for long term residency” a ministry official later said that “work visas” would be the main target of the new policy.

    You have a point that “long term residence” is a visa status. In the case of refugees it is obviously seldom given.

    There’s definitely something that needs to be cleared up in the wording, and perhaps translation.

14. WG on January 16th, 2008 1:06 am

    I wonder if this is really aimed at the Brazilian nikkeis?

    Naaah….couldn’t be. Who would want to force them to integrate or be deported? That sounds so cold.

    It would be a confirmation that blood has nothing to do with being Japanese.

15. Alex N'Ganza on January 16th, 2008 11:12 am

    I think Japanese bureaucrats haven’t got a clue of what’s goin on around the globe! It’s seems to me they are behaving like an Ostrich, head burried in the sand!

    One thing Japan forgets is it’s not the powerhouse it used to be. What’s more, Japan is facing competition from countries like China, India, Singapore, etc. Unless one is really desperate, it would make more sense to choose to work in a country where you wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of learning a new language before capitalizing on your area of expertise. So why would you go to Japan instead Singapore, Hong Kong to an IT or finance job?

    It’s certainly helpful to anyone working in Japan to know the language. But, currently Japanese companies are desperate to find new market outside Japan. wouldn’t it be more beneficial to Japan to have more Japanese people speaking English rather than forcing a few to pick up Japanese and integrate Japanese society?

16. J on January 16th, 2008 1:07 pm

    Ken are you kidding? Japan lets in an average of about 1 refugee per year! That is 1 more than I thought they would ever let in!!

17. Ken Worsley on January 16th, 2008 1:56 pm

    Kidding about what? Japan has let in between 25-30 refugees a year over the last 5 years. It’s sickly low, which is what I was pointing out.

18. Ken Worsley on January 16th, 2008 4:44 pm

    One thing Japan forgets is it’s not the powerhouse it used to be. What’s more, Japan is facing competition from countries like China, India, Singapore, etc.

    I actually don’t think Japan forgets this. I think it’s a mix of a group of people in power who don’t care (legacy/aristocrat/land rich and have no risk of losing it), and those who have absolutely no idea whatsoever how to go about rectifying such a situation.

19. J on January 16th, 2008 6:59 pm

    dude I was being sarcastic. I think the number is 1 per year not 25-30

20. J on January 16th, 2008 7:01 pm

    Nobody has to worry about anything. This guy won’t even be the minister a year from now and people will forget about the language garbage. He’ll get busted in a Shabu shabu panty bar or for accepting bribes

21. Garrett on January 17th, 2008 11:56 am

    To clarify: Mr. Komura said “長期滞在を希望する外国人へのビザ.” “滞在,” unless I’m greatly mistaken, would translate to something like “stay.” Importantly, he did not say, “居住,” which means “reside” or “live.” Seems clear he was talking about shorter-term working visas, not residency.

    Thus, it seems clear he’s talking about contract workers and the like. Considering that the language requirement for citizenship is supposed to gauge whether or not a naturalizing resident can use Japanese at the level of a junior high school student, it seems unlikely much would be asked of prospective temporary workers.

    This could be a nod to reality on two levels: One, that Japan must increase immigration. Two, that increasing immigration is publicly unpopular. So, Komura could be nipping fears in the bud by addressing one complaint leveled at immigrants, viz. “We can’t communicate with them.”

22. Garrett on January 17th, 2008 1:44 pm

    J, in 2005 Japan granted asylum to 46 refugees and that’s only those to whom asylum was granted, the culmination of a process that takes and average of nine years. Considering that most asylum petitions are rejected, we’re looking at Japan allowing hundreds of refugees in per years and allowing a few dozen to stay.
    The peak for Japan was the early 1980s, when over 11,000 Indochinese refugees were allowed to reside in Japan without a firm asylum decision. Keep in mind, too, that many, if not most asylum seekers are permitted to remain in Japan sans a normalization of status while their petitions are being reviewed and or decisions are being appealed.

    Ken, your earlier comment is correct. There’s no way Komura was talking about long-term visa holders, who, as pointed out above, are by definition either refugees or spouses or children of nationals or permanent residents. Permanent residents themselves are, by definition, not visa holders.

23. Ken Worsley on January 17th, 2008 1:49 pm

    It certainly seems like a sight nod to reality that the number of foreigners living in Japan will increase, regardless of policy (unless sakoku comes back), and that there needs to be a discussion on it.

    I agree with the second part,but the public will eventually find out that this is tatemae, and that the tests would be ridiculous anyway.

24. J on January 18th, 2008 9:54 am

    Thanks for correcting me on the asylum thing. Still, it will be forgotten and this guy won’t even be minister for another year. Moreover, Ken is right, the test would be ridiculously easy. The minister’s buddies would own the company giving the test and charge 5,000 yen for it.

    As Japan falters it is natural for everyone to “get back” to Japanese culture.

25. Ken Worsley on January 18th, 2008 11:39 am

    The minister’s buddies would own the company giving the test and charge 5,000 yen for it.

    I though it was his brother-in-law, and that they were going to charge 10,000 yen for the test?

    Anyway, you’re dead-on there. Developing, administering and scoring such a test would be a great no-bid contract to get in on.

26. Garrett on January 19th, 2008 10:21 am

    Especially if the test administrator was also the test designer and ran prep schools for the test. How about a bonus for high passage rates on the test?

    As for Komura, he probably won’t be in his current job in a year, but he’ll probably still be in the Cabinet and he’ll definitely still be in a powerful position in the party. “This guy” won’t just disappear.

27. fuji on January 20th, 2008 2:01 am

    a foreigner in japan more than 2 years who not speak japanese should be sent home.
    why would japanaese people let such person stay?
    this policy should be voted by japanese people, who would express the truth, and vote fopr foreigner to go home.
    if you don’t learn japanese quickly, you are only here for selfish reason.
    we dont need such person in japan.
    go home.
    especially pretentious finance and teacher people.
    if you cant learn japanese language in two yares, please get out.
    you have niothing to offer.

28. J on January 20th, 2008 3:13 pm

    fuji- I’m glad that they don’t have that rule in America or there would be NOBODY left!!

29. J on January 20th, 2008 3:13 pm

    fuji-I’ve been here 13 years and I can’t speak Japanese. That must make you really mad buddy!!

30. Greg on August 14th, 2008 8:07 am

    You couldn’t help but know basic Japanese after 2 years. Why, if you didn’t know basic by then, you would be a very closed minded and bitter person. But making people learn won’t happen either. You either want to or you don’t want to. A lot of people living in the U.S. thinks that people should learn English. Most people want to. Others conveniently forget English when approached by police or signing phone contracts etc.. It is the same story in Japan. Learn and you’ll be happier in any foreign country.

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