Japanese Media: Japan's Attractiveness to Foreign Workers Declines Sharply
As reported by Japanese media outlet COURRiER JAPAN on July 22, in a society marked by declining birth rates and rapid population aging, the presence of foreign workers has become crucial for maintaining basic social welfare infrastructure.
However, foreign workers—including Vietnamese trainees who had long been eager to work in Japan—are increasingly leaving the country.
A British journalist analyzed that "this is due to changes in Japanese government policies, significant tuition hikes, and rising right-wing and xenophobic trends within domestic politics, making foreign workers feel unwelcome in Japan, leading to growing resentment and distrust toward the country."
Meanwhile, institutional reforms have accelerated the departure of Vietnamese nationals. Vietnamese online media outlet VN Express provided a detailed report on Japan’s labor market—a nation once seen as full of promise by Vietnamese workers—now rapidly losing its appeal.
Behind this shift are new barriers and economic burdens imposed by the Japanese government.
Under new residence status regulations set to take effect from April 2027, applicants must pass at least the N4 level of Japanese language proficiency when renewing their visas.
Duan, a former Vietnamese technical trainee, told the publication: "According to my visa category, I can stay at most five years. Now I only have time to work in agriculture—I simply can't afford to take exams."
In addition, Japan’s government announcement in July 2026 regarding fee adjustments dealt a major blow to foreign workers. The cost for changing or renewing residence status has been drastically increased from the previous 10,000 yen (approximately 420 RMB) to a maximum of 100,000 yen (around 4,200 RMB). "For those who must renew their visas annually, the new application fee amounts to 60% of their monthly income," said Duan.
According to Nguyen Duc Viet, General Manager of MD Vietnam Human Resources Development Company, the company’s labor visa processing volume is expected to decline by 30% to 50% in the first half of 2026. Coupled with rising inflation and increasing living costs, workers from middle-income families are becoming more likely to return home earlier.
Currently, for Vietnamese families to achieve stable living in Japan, monthly income must reach between 500,000 yen (about 21,000 RMB) and 700,000 yen (around 29,000 RMB), with at least one family member holding at least N2-level Japanese language proficiency and a university degree.
A report released by Mynavi Global on July 7, 2026, also showed that the proportion of Vietnamese workers wishing to work long-term in Japan declined by 18.4% compared to 2025. On the other hand, the percentage of respondents saying "I want to return to Japan within a year" increased by 3.7 percentage points.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1871420694276105/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.