JAPAN LOOKS TO INDIA FOR CAREGIVERS AS DOMESTIC LABOUR CRUNCH DEEPENS

TOKYO, Dec 14 (Bernama-Kyodo) - Indian health care workers are being eyed by Japan as a promising source of caregivers, with hopes that accessing labour from the world's most populous nation could help address personnel shortages in the sector, Kyodo News reported.

Major care provider Sompo Care Inc. is stepping up efforts to train caregivers from India, helping them obtain Japanese national qualifications and encouraging them to build long-term careers in the country, which is facing a declining birthrate and an ageing population.

Since 2024, the company has been recruiting Indians with nursing backgrounds and providing around nine months of training in Japanese language and caregiving skills before bringing them into the country. This year, the first group of six trainees arrived in Japan on specified skilled worker visas.

The company already employs about 300 foreign workers, mainly from the Philippines and Myanmar.

"We don't treat Japanese and foreign employees differently, so those who perform well can even aim for management positions," said Mitsuru Sakoda, head of the firm's overseas business office.

One of the six Indians recruited by Sompo Care, Rincy George assists residents at a nursing home in Tokyo's Taito Ward. She previously worked as a nurse in her home country, but low wages and the limited availability of jobs prompted her to search for other options.

"Japan is safe and there are many job opportunities. I'd like to become a certified care worker in the future," the 25-year-old said.

According to government estimates, Japan is set to face a shortage of 570,000 care workers by fiscal 2040 due to its ageing population. The Specified Skilled Worker programme was launched in 2019 to bring in foreigners already equipped with skills in various sectors to begin work immediately.

As of the end of June 2025, around 54,000 foreigners under this residence status were working in caregiving, with Indonesians, Vietnamese and Myanmar nationals accounting for roughly 70 per cent.

Indians, for whom recruitment fully began around 2022, stood at around 300, but the figure represented a 73 per cent surge from the previous year.

With a population of 1.4 billion and a general willingness to move abroad for work, local governments in Japan are also beginning to show interest in India, where workers are reputed for openness to language learning and good communication skills.

The Shizuoka prefectural government in central Japan has held seminars for care providers to deepen their understanding of Indian caregivers, while the government of Ibaraki Prefecture in the east has organised tours to visit Japanese language schools and recruiting organisations in India.

Makoto Kato, a senior researcher at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., noted India's future potential but stressed that "Japan must showcase the strengths of caregiving as a stable career path, while improving the overall environment for foreign workers."

-- BERNAMA-KYODO