migrant workers in Japan

Hard Work, Furtive Living: Illegal Immigrants in Japan
Japan needs, but does not welcome, migrant help

Sharon Noguchi
YaleGlobal, 2 March 2006

As Japan confronts challenges of a low birth rate, an aging population, and a shrinking labor pool, Sharon Noguchi describes the country’s newfound reliance on illegal workers who are employed in low-wage jobs and unprotected from exploitation. Immigrants from China, Latin America and South Asia seek jobs with employers willing to risk legal punishments in order to hire workers at lower wages. Illegal workers are willing to accept bottom-rung pay, risking arrest and finding it difficult to claim all the wages they are owed. Some unions agree to represent illegal migrant workers, yet the country as a whole does little to welcome the laborers it desperately needs. Despite a lack of official policy, Japan continues to draw workers through unspoken promises of steady work and the hope of a better life. – YaleGlobal