Acceptance and Retention of Foreign Care Workers - Administration, Municipalities, Care Providers, Researchers, and Participants Think Together
Osaka University of Economics hosted a seminar to discuss the severe care worker shortage in Japan (projected at 570,000 by 2040). MHLW officials and experts shared policy updates, including the new 'Training and Employment System' starting in 2027.
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- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 15:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 15:57 (120h 25m after Collected)
As the aging of the population progresses, the shortage of nursing care workers has become a serious social issue in Japan. It is estimated that there will be a shortage of approximately 570,000 care workers by the 2040s, requiring practical responses to maintain nursing care services. Against this backdrop, Professor Shie Mori of the Faculty of Economics at Osaka University of Economics held the 2nd "Foreign Care Worker Seminar" on Sunday, March 15, 2026. The seminar, funded by a research grant from the Japan National Council of Senior Citizens Welfare Service Providers, provided a venue for the administration, municipalities, care providers, researchers, and participants to share the current status and challenges regarding the acceptance and retention of foreign care workers and to think together.
The theme this time was "Acceptance and Challenges of Foreign Care Workers." Based on the latest policy trends, including the "Training and Employment System" scheduled to be implemented from April 2027, they shared the current situation and challenges from their respective standpoints.
On the day, Mr. Makoto Okamoto, Deputy Director of the Welfare Human Resources Securing Measures Office, Social Welfare and War Victims' Relief Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, gave an administrative report. In the subsequent panel discussion, Mr. Shogo Kinoshita, Chief of the Longevity Society Division, Mutual Support Welfare Bureau, Tottori Prefectural Welfare and Health Department; Mr. Kaku Ogura, Vice Chairman of the Shojin Fukushikai Social Welfare Corporation; and Mr. Wenbo Ma, a 3rd-year doctoral student in Economic Policy at the Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University of Economics, and part-time lecturer at Kyoto Prefectural University, took the stage. The event was moderated by Mr. Yuichiro Ichitani, Representative Director of Life Care Co., Ltd. and a member of the House of Representatives.
Latest Policy Trends for Securing Care Workers: Administrative Report by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Makoto Okamoto of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare presented Japan's declining population and advancing aging. He explained the forecast that the shortage of care workers will become even more severe toward 2040 and the national policy trends for securing care workers.
Adding up prefectural estimates, the required number of care workers will reach 2.72 million in 2040, creating a gap of about 570,000 from the current number. Also, while the number of care workers had been on an upward trend until now, it was shared that it has decreased and leveled off since 2023, indicating a highly critical phase for securing human resources.
Against this, Mr. Okamoto presented five pillars for the national care worker securing measures: improvement of treatment for care workers, securing and developing diverse human resources, preventing turnover/promoting retention/improving productivity, enhancing the appeal of caregiving work, and improving the environment for accepting foreign talent. Regarding treatment improvements in particular, which are normally implemented within the once-in-three-years revision of care fees, he explained that a temporary revision will be made in FY2026 considering the balance with other professions. This will expand the target not only to care workers but also to care staff, and additional points will be established for providers tackling productivity improvement.
Mr. Okamoto explained the characteristics of each system for accepting foreign care workers. The EPA is an exceptional mechanism based on bilateral economic partnerships, targeting three countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The "Nursing Care" residence status is given to those who acquire the certified care worker qualification; since there is no limit on renewals, it is considered a system that leads to long-term employment. Technical intern training aims for skill transfer, while Specified Skilled Worker (i) is a system to accept ready-to-work personnel in sectors with labor shortages, with numbers increasing in the caregiving field.
Furthermore, for Specified Skilled Worker (i), in addition to passing a basic Japanese test or JLPT N4 equivalent, passing the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test is required, characterizing the need for Japanese proficiency used in care settings. This test is conducted not only in Japan but also in 13 overseas countries, indicating that creating an accessible testing environment locally is crucial as an entry point for securing talent. In addition, the government is advancing overseas test implementation, PR for Japanese caregiving, support for municipalities/providers, study support toward national qualifications, and support for creating comfortable workplaces. The preparation of free study content in 14 languages, and teaching materials for the Specified Skilled Worker evaluation test, caregiving terminology, and the national certified care worker exam are also underway. It was also introduced that through the prefectures, initiatives to support retention after acceptance, such as subsidies for communication support, lifestyle support, qualification acquisition support, and the introduction of translation devices, are progressing.
It was also reported that foreign care workers were permitted to engage in home-visit care services from April last year, and a "partial pass" system was introduced for the national certified care worker examination. This is a mechanism that divides the national exam into several parts, allowing the passing of parts that have reached a certain standard to be carried over to the next academic year onwards. This was introduced from the perspective of revising the system to make it easier to take for examinees who find it difficult to balance work and study, providing a realistic path to acquiring qualifications even for foreign talent working under Specified Skilled Worker (i).
Regarding the "Training and Employment System" scheduled to be operated from April 2027, detailed explanations were given as a new system to replace the technical intern training system, focusing on human resource development and securing.
The theme this time was "Acceptance and Challenges of Foreign Care Workers." Based on the latest policy trends, including the "Training and Employment System" scheduled to be implemented from April 2027, they shared the current situation and challenges from their respective standpoints.
On the day, Mr. Makoto Okamoto, Deputy Director of the Welfare Human Resources Securing Measures Office, Social Welfare and War Victims' Relief Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, gave an administrative report. In the subsequent panel discussion, Mr. Shogo Kinoshita, Chief of the Longevity Society Division, Mutual Support Welfare Bureau, Tottori Prefectural Welfare and Health Department; Mr. Kaku Ogura, Vice Chairman of the Shojin Fukushikai Social Welfare Corporation; and Mr. Wenbo Ma, a 3rd-year doctoral student in Economic Policy at the Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University of Economics, and part-time lecturer at Kyoto Prefectural University, took the stage. The event was moderated by Mr. Yuichiro Ichitani, Representative Director of Life Care Co., Ltd. and a member of the House of Representatives.
Latest Policy Trends for Securing Care Workers: Administrative Report by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Makoto Okamoto of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare presented Japan's declining population and advancing aging. He explained the forecast that the shortage of care workers will become even more severe toward 2040 and the national policy trends for securing care workers.
Adding up prefectural estimates, the required number of care workers will reach 2.72 million in 2040, creating a gap of about 570,000 from the current number. Also, while the number of care workers had been on an upward trend until now, it was shared that it has decreased and leveled off since 2023, indicating a highly critical phase for securing human resources.
Against this, Mr. Okamoto presented five pillars for the national care worker securing measures: improvement of treatment for care workers, securing and developing diverse human resources, preventing turnover/promoting retention/improving productivity, enhancing the appeal of caregiving work, and improving the environment for accepting foreign talent. Regarding treatment improvements in particular, which are normally implemented within the once-in-three-years revision of care fees, he explained that a temporary revision will be made in FY2026 considering the balance with other professions. This will expand the target not only to care workers but also to care staff, and additional points will be established for providers tackling productivity improvement.
Mr. Okamoto explained the characteristics of each system for accepting foreign care workers. The EPA is an exceptional mechanism based on bilateral economic partnerships, targeting three countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The "Nursing Care" residence status is given to those who acquire the certified care worker qualification; since there is no limit on renewals, it is considered a system that leads to long-term employment. Technical intern training aims for skill transfer, while Specified Skilled Worker (i) is a system to accept ready-to-work personnel in sectors with labor shortages, with numbers increasing in the caregiving field.
Furthermore, for Specified Skilled Worker (i), in addition to passing a basic Japanese test or JLPT N4 equivalent, passing the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test is required, characterizing the need for Japanese proficiency used in care settings. This test is conducted not only in Japan but also in 13 overseas countries, indicating that creating an accessible testing environment locally is crucial as an entry point for securing talent. In addition, the government is advancing overseas test implementation, PR for Japanese caregiving, support for municipalities/providers, study support toward national qualifications, and support for creating comfortable workplaces. The preparation of free study content in 14 languages, and teaching materials for the Specified Skilled Worker evaluation test, caregiving terminology, and the national certified care worker exam are also underway. It was also introduced that through the prefectures, initiatives to support retention after acceptance, such as subsidies for communication support, lifestyle support, qualification acquisition support, and the introduction of translation devices, are progressing.
It was also reported that foreign care workers were permitted to engage in home-visit care services from April last year, and a "partial pass" system was introduced for the national certified care worker examination. This is a mechanism that divides the national exam into several parts, allowing the passing of parts that have reached a certain standard to be carried over to the next academic year onwards. This was introduced from the perspective of revising the system to make it easier to take for examinees who find it difficult to balance work and study, providing a realistic path to acquiring qualifications even for foreign talent working under Specified Skilled Worker (i).
Regarding the "Training and Employment System" scheduled to be operated from April 2027, detailed explanations were given as a new system to replace the technical intern training system, focusing on human resource development and securing.