May 23, 2019

The number of workplace accidents among foreigners working in Japan has been on the rise as more and more foreigners come to Japan to work.

According to the Ministry of Labor data, 2,847 foreigners were injured or killed due to accidents at work in 2018, hitting record highs for seven consecutive years. Foreign "technical interns" or "industrial trainees" comprised 784 of the 2,847.

The ministry's statistics show that nearly 1.5 million foreigners, as of the end of October 2018, worked in Japan. Of the 1.5 million, 308,489 were foreign interns or trainees which accounted for 21.1%. The ratio of foreign interns or trainees to the total number of foreigners who experienced workplace accidents was 27.5%.

Based on the revised Immigration Control Act, Japan in April began accepting more foreigners on specified skill visas to work in Japan. The government plans to accept up to 345,000 workers from abroad in the next five years.

With the surge in the number of foreign workers coming to Japan, it is necessary to give them support in their livelihoods and jobs. It is also imperative to ensure safety at work sites regardless of nationality.

Past related articles:
> New visa system launched without adequate preparations to accept more foreign workers [April 26, 2019]
> JCP Fujino: New residence status lacks protection of foreign workers’ human rights [March 14, 2019]