An NHK survey has found that 92 percent of major Japanese companies accept foreign workers. They cited reasons such as the need to secure people with special skills amid the declining population.

The survey was conducted among 100 major domestic firms between December and January, with 78 responding.

Almost two-thirds said they accept foreign workers to secure special skills and technologies, and to help promote innovation through a diverse workforce.

Other reasons included strengthening global business operations and as a response to the labor shortage.

The survey also asked about the challenges related to accepting foreign workers, with multiple answers allowed.

Fifty-one percent mentioned improving Japanese language and job training systems, and 38 percent pointed to speeding up the process of getting visas and resident status for foreign staff.

About a third of companies see improving career tracks for foreign workers as an issue, while 29 percent highlighted supporting their livelihoods.

Menju Toshihiro, a visiting professor at Kansai University of International Studies, said Japan has to compete with other countries in Asia and Europe for human resources.

He said "It's important to provide foreign workers with job training opportunities on the same basis as Japanese employees. The government or the company needs to take responsibility for providing them with Japanese language education."

Menju added "Japan has reached a point where expertise will be lost if skilled domestic workers retire without passing their techniques on to foreign hires."

nhk