Introduction of Acceptance ExamplesWe would like to introduce companies that accept foreigners with special skills and the voices of foreigners with special skills who are working there.
CASE15Manufacture of Food and Beverages FieldMEAT LAND CORPORATION
Kazuno City in Akita Prefecture, where our company is located, has an aging population like many other parts of Japan, with an aging rate that exceeds 40 percent. In the midst of a similarly aging workforce, we decided to increase the number of young workers to ensure stable operations of the factory, as well as hiring foreign specified skilled workers in May, 2022.
Since foreign specified skilled workers are expected to understand basic Japanese, we thought it would be a good opportunity for them to communicate actively with employees and local residents. This is one of the main reasons we decided to accept foreign specified skilled workers. Only a few foreigners live in the Kazuno area as of yet, and there are not many opportunities for locals, including employees, to interact with people with different languages and cultures. We also had high expectations that hiring foreigners would be an impetus for expanding cross-cultural communication in the company and the region.
We are also considering accepting technical intern trainees in the future and plan to nurture our foreign specified skilled workers not only as employees of our company, but also role models for incoming interns.
Currently they are in charge of deboning pork parts (loin and belly). Ribs and other bones are removed from cuts of meat weighing about 20 kilograms. In order to debone efficiently without unnecessary strain, thorough understanding of bone structures and techniques are essential. It typically takes two or three months for a new staff member to enter the processing line, but the two specified skilled workers were able to enter after only a month through their hard work and aspirations.
Their impressive teamwork and rivalry was commendable as they assisted one another and gave each other pointers during their month of practice. While too much rivalry could cause trouble, we felt relieved to see a striking balance between camaraderie and rivalry as they quickly learned the work. Their inclusion consequently inspired Japanese employees to improve themselves as well so that their own skills will not be outdone. From now we plan to instruct them on deboning more difficult parts, such as shoulders.
The two foreign specified skilled workers live in rental homes about two kilometers away from the workplace. They are both positive and serious about their work, and always make an effort to get along with their Japanese employees. Some employees have become close like members of their own families, traveling together on holidays and taking them to local festivals.
The two foreign specified skilled workers are Muslims*, and as you know, Muslims are forbidden to eat pork. Pork processing is our primary business, so at the beginning of the interviews we confirmed that there is no problem with touching or processing pork, and then decided to hire them. In addition, prior to their hiring, managers and those in charge of the general affairs department learned the basics of Islam to broaden our understanding, and taught it to the general employees. In terms of facilities, we have set up a prayer room where the shower room is, which is useful for purification.
The local people give warm support in their daily lives. The landlord of the rental homes and their neighbors are very kind, and frequently bring things such as vegetables and clothes to make them feel welcomed. The bicycles they use to commute to work were also given to them by their neighbors. We are grateful that their neighbors enjoy the opportunity for cross-cultural exchange with the whole community, inviting them to local events and barbecues. Kazuno is also a region rich in nature with four distinct seasons, so we hope that they enjoy the rural beauty that cannot be experienced in urban areas.
While the labor shortage was the original cause of the hiring decision, we feel that the opportunity for foreigners and locals to experience and learn together is significant. We think that equal treatment of foreign specified skilled workers allows for motivation and communication on equal footing. In the future, we would like to recruit as many foreign specified skilled workers as possible who share our motivation.
(* Muslims: People who believe in Islam. The commandments of Muslims are faith, confession, prayer five times a day, charity, fasting once a year, and a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Pork and alcohol are also prohibited.)
DIRGA RAHMAT SAPUTRA
We (the foreign specified skilled workers) learned to work by teaching each other. Our coworkers and neighbors are kind, so there isn't much to worry about. On holidays, I travel and enjoy uploading photos on SNS.
AFRIZAL
It was a little difficult to work in a factory with such a different environment, but my boss was encouraging to adjust at my own pace, and I could work comfortably. I am also working hard to pass the N2 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). I'd also like to try skiing in the winter.
Here, there are introductions of companies that accept foreign human resources with specified skills as well as the voices of these human resources who work in the companies.
Counseling Counter for Everyone Accepting Foreign Human Resources*Please send inquiries by email.