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Group Appeals for Overhaul of Japanese Immigration
A powerful group of politicians, academics and business leaders is set to launch an unusual campaign to urge Japan to pry open its doors to foreigners, saying the country’s survival hinges on revamping its immigration policy. Japan has one of the most restrictive immigration policies in the world, and the debate over whether to allow…
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Cram school buys out Shane English School
Cram school operator Eikoh Inc. said Friday it has acquired Shane English School to strengthen its English-language education for elementary school children ahead of the planned compulsory teaching of the language for fifth- and sixth-graders. Eikoh, based in the Kanto region, didn’t disclose how much it paid for the acquisition of shares in the four…
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Companies going all-out in English
Enhancing employee English-language skills has become a high-priority management challenge for Japanese corporations, regardless of their size and industry. This is especially true for companies whose survival hinges on developing new customers or clients in foreign markets. They are focusing in particular on fast-growing Asian economies, where English is becoming the common means of communication.…
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Ginza hostesses sue upscale club over unpaid wages
The former hostesses, aged in their 20s and 30s, are seeking a labor ruling in the Tokyo District Court, demanding a total of 4.38 million yen in compensation. According to case documents, one of the former hostesses aged in her 30s joined the club in December 2009, agreeing to a daily wage of 46,000 yen.…
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Building a ‘Little Yangon’ in Tokyo
For Tokyo’s community of Burmese, however, Takadanobaba is something much more important: a home away from home. In fact, so many of them have gathered there that it has come to be known as Little Yangon. Although they number only a few thousand, the mutual support and sense of community have been vital for their…
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Winter bonuses to inch higher: survey
Private firms with five or more employees are likely to pay their workers an average bonus of 388,000 yen this winter, a 2 percent increase from last year, a survey by Mizuho Securities Co. has found. According to the study results released on Nov. 2, the estimated average bonus payment at such companies marks the…
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Kanpai! Summer Bonuses Up
The size of traditional summer bonuses rose for the first time in four years, according to preliminary data released by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry on Monday. Granted the average rise was 1.1% from the previous year to 367,178 yen, but heck, a bigger bonus is a bigger deal. Workers in the mining and…
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Bonuses post 1st rise in 4 years
The average bonus for salaried workers this summer rose 1.1 percent from a year ago to 367,178 yen ($4,570), the first increase in four years, a labor ministry report said Monday. Even though it may reflect improved performance among businesses, the slight upturn followed a sharp decline of 9.7 percent in summer 2009, meaning the…
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Woes of foreign nurses, caregivers in Japan
Jusuf Anwar, Indonesian ambassador to Japan, has bewailed the overly stringent Japanese national examinations for foreign caregivers and nurses. Out of the 500 Indonesians who took the examinations in 2008 and 2009, only two have passed and have become certified nurses. Anwar revealed this concern at the “First Public Forum on Indonesia” held on July…
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Japanese premier vows to help RP nurses, road users
Communications Strategy Secretary Ricky Carandang said that during the [17th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] talks Friday night, [Japanese Prime Minister Naoto] Kan promised to help make it easier for Filipino nurses to pass Japanese exams so that they could work in Japan under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement. Carandang told reporters…