Supporting Foreign Talent Retention with 'Workplace-Ready Japanese Classes'

Comprehensive human resources service provider Crea Anabuki Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Takamatsu, Kagawa; President: Mitsunori Kusudo) launched the ANABUKI® Japanese Language Class, an online educational program for foreign talent working in companies, in February 2026. Following a company survey conducted in December 2025, which revealed that approximately 60% of companies feel challenged by the retention of foreign staff, the program aims to support post-hiring retention by focusing on workplace communication.

In a survey conducted by Crea Anabuki in December 2025 targeting companies that employ foreign talent (103 companies distributed, 53 responses), approximately 60% of companies responded that they feel "greatly or somewhat challenged" by the retention of foreign staff. While "personal reasons (such as returning to their home country)" were prominent reasons for turnover, "internal communication" was cited as a retention challenge, revealing that companies are struggling with "daily workplace interactions." In particular, more than half of the companies identified Japanese language proficiency as a challenge. At the same time, the hurdles to providing training for retention became clear: although 29 companies felt challenged by Japanese language proficiency, only 15 were actually implementing Japanese language education. This indicates that while there is an awareness of the issue, the implementation of concrete support measures is lagging behind.

Based on these results, Crea Anabuki has launched a practical Japanese language education program aimed at improving workplace communication for foreign employees to support companies that hire them. The first term, which began in February 2026, included 12 foreign participants from 7 companies, primarily in Kagawa Prefecture, but also including companies in Ehime and Hiroshima Prefectures and overseas subsidiaries, across two courses: beginner and beginner-intermediate.

Crea Anabuki will continue the ANABUKI® Japanese Language Class from May 2026 onwards, based on the needs of companies supported by our foreign talent recruitment services, and will continue to improve and expand the content. We will continue to address post-hiring challenges and support the creation of environments where foreign talent can thrive, thereby helping companies utilize human resources with peace of mind. At the same time, we will continue to connect foreign nationals who wish to work in Japan with companies, contributing to the development of local communities.

Scenes from the February 2026 launch of the ANABUKI® Japanese Language Class: 'Workplace-Ready Japanese Classes for Foreign Employees'