Japanese-language schools expand offerings overseas
Japanese education companies are expanding their language offerings overseas, seeing business opportunities in meeting growing demand for Japanese-speaking foreign manpower as the nation opens its doors to workers from overseas.
As of October 2017, there were about 1.28 million foreign workers in Japan, including interns and student part-timers, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The numbers have grown 90% in six years, hitting record highs, due to the worsening labor shortage and an increase in foreign students.
The government has revised the immigration control and refugee recognition act to allow new visas for unskilled foreign workers. Japanese schools are betting that demand for Japanese-language education will increase, because foreign nationals are required to have a certain level of Japanese language proficiency to get a job.
Japanese education and recruiting company Human Holdings provides Japanese lessons at universities overseas for a fee through its Human Academy unit. Although the company now partners with a few schools, "we aim to contract with 100 schools over the next 12 months and win about 1,000 students a year," a company representative said.
The company has informally gotten green lights from several universities about providing Japanese lessons, the official said.
Human operates Japanese-language schools in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Most students come to Japan as interns or students at universities. Enrollment at its school in Indonesia has doubled from the previous year.
NHK - Nov 25
A Japanese government panel has proposed changes to a program for on-the-job training of foreign workers after the initiative was cited for labor abuses.
Dogen - Nov 24
Learn Japanese pitch-accent and pronunciation from my Patreon Series "Japanese Phonetics"
Watercolor by Shibasaki - Nov 22
This is Shibasaki, a painting instructor. Today I would like to draw a cute little squirrel with crayon. You are also welcome to try drawing while watching the video.
NHK - Nov 21
Japan has begun holding exams for foreign workers whose job types have been newly added to the list of fields that are eligible to get the country's Category 2 residence status.
News On Japan - Nov 20
A video discussing false molestation accusations ("chikan enzai") has been resonating on social media, coinciding with the introduction of a men-only carriage.
News On Japan - Nov 18
The sudden shutdown of Hoyu, a company managing school lunch programs, in September has had widespread effects, as school meal providers nationwide face critical losses.
Nikkei - Nov 17
Foreign workers in a new international trainee program that Japan plans to launch may be able to switch jobs after up to two years, according to a new proposal published by an expert government panel Wednesday.
nbcnews.com - Nov 16
Behind the barbed wire, the little boy pressed his ink-covered index finger onto the mint-green exit card. And a photograph was snapped of his frightened face.
News On Japan - Nov 14
A proposal to raise the rate of childcare leave benefits from the current 80% to 100% of take-home income would require both parents to take at least 14 days off, according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
News On Japan - Nov 12
A 48-year-old man who runs a tutoring school in Osaka has been arrested and charged for swindling 8.5 million yen in cash from a student's mother under the pretext of investment funds.
ROME REPORTS in English - Nov 12
Professor Saho Matsumoto says that the Vatican's diplomatic intervention saved many World War II Japanese prisoners.
Japanese natural beekeeping - Nov 12
Join us on an unexpected journey as we tackle a daring removal of a hornet's nest from our backyard. But what comes next is even more astonishing – we transform this potential danger into a unique dining experience for our flock of silkies!
NHK - Nov 09
Japanese Major League baseball star Ohtani Shohei says he plans to donate 60,000 gloves to elementary schools across Japan.
TAKASHii from Japan - Nov 06
Meet Kazu, a Japanese polyglot who speaks countless languages.
Sora The Troll - Nov 04
Japan VS Countries in Anime Style
medievalists.net - Nov 04
Time, a seemingly universal dimension, reveals its diverse facets across societies, historical epochs, and cultural contexts. The research project TIMEJ at the University of Zurich presents a fresh perspective on time in Medieval Japan, a concept far from unified.