Japan Immigration News

From violence to cost, Japanese egg farmer cites problems with foreign trainee program

Release Date: 2024-01-15
Media: The Mainichi
Summary: Yoshihiro Iwata, the president of an egg farm in Shinto, Gunma Prefecture, reflected on the challenges of Japan's foreign technical intern training program after hiring a Vietnamese intern during the COVID-19 pandemic. The intern, who had been stranded after his contract ended with a construction company, was helped by an NPO and accepted by Iwata’s farm. Despite Iwata’s efforts to provide proper conditions—netting the intern 160,000 yen a month and offering decent working hours—the intern eventually faced personal issues like a drinking problem, leading to an incident that resulted in his return to Vietnam.

Iwata noted that while the farm had taken in multiple Vietnamese interns, many faced similar issues, including gambling and behavioral problems, which led to a decision to stop accepting new trainees. He emphasized the high costs associated with hosting interns—nearly 300,000 yen per person per month—making it difficult for small farms to afford. Iwata concluded that the technical intern training program, often criticized as exploitative, does not offer cheap labor as many assume, and handling the program properly is far from simple.
Tags: Technical Intern Training

Released on

Article Title