Japan to accept 1,000 Indonesian nurses, caregivers over next 2 years

Saturday 17th May, 06:17 AM JST

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pathat at 03:05 PM JST - 17th May

It does not matter what the government says publicly about the reasons for bringing these "health professionals" here, or their stated guidelines for how long these people will be able to stay under various conditions. Obviously, there is a great need for more properly trained and motivated people in all kinds of jobs in Japan`s health care system. Some of the women who come here will fit the bill, so to speak. But I have long thought that one of the additional reasons the government wants women from other Asian countries to come here is that they will get married to Japanese and have children. Most of the people who will come here will not want to return to their home countries if they see greater opportunities in Japan for employment, family, and overall quality of life.

This is a medical health care employment assistance program to be sure, but it is also an international marriage program.
KitsuneYoukai at 03:27 PM JST - 17th May

gifu, "European and American nurses will not have the patience and charm to solve problems in the way these Indonesians will." What a load of crap! Nurses from Euurope and the US by no means come from wealthy families. Nursing is not a glamorous job, take it from someone who has seen it first hand while working at a hospital before going to college. I don't know where your assumption comes from. And to say basically that Indonesions are patient. Oh! My God! That's another misconception. If they had any patience it soon disappears or wavers from time to time after dealing with sick people especially those returning in crisis mode patients. Nursing is a hard job period and doctors have it even worse with no life. There is no more time to do true patient care liek the past. There are shortages all over the world. One population increase and two, there are no longer students getting into medicine. Why the question was posed? Because it's too hard. So it seems only those that truly find it to be their calling are getting into these professions now a days.

It is a good gesture on Japans part I agree with that but do not post assumptions as fact.
KitsuneYoukai at 03:29 PM JST - 17th May

...and by the way, I'm not a nurse or doctor and am not in the medical field as well.
tparadise at 06:12 PM JST - 17th May

A quick search shows that Australia, New Zealand, and other developed countries face similar shortages and are trying to "import" nurses from countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. But those countries have their own major healthcare system woes.

1000 Indonesian nurses in Japan means 1000 less nurses to take care of ailing Indonesians.

Thinking globally, the final solution must be to change the whole system so that more people are attracted into nursing in all countries.
antizombie at 06:19 PM JST - 17th May

I do not understand this move of "taking" nurses from the Third World that may need such assistance and use them as cheap workers in Japan. I think that they may have no possibility to stay and establish forever in this country unless they marry a Japanese national. I believe that they will be used for few years and obliged to return to their homelands. What they should do in this country is encouraging the women who want to work to become nurses and prepare them efficiently instead of being all day boring to death watching TV or with crazy shopping.
0solrac at 07:55 PM JST - 17th May

Yeah... as good as opportunity sounds for the Indonesians and Japan, the best solutioun would be Japan actually changing their system and improving the working and labor conditions as well as pay.

And Gifu... thats just wrong saying that people in the U.S. or Europe have it easier than Indonesia. Especially for the nurses. They have just as much of a problem establishing and making a living for themselves as much as any other nurse. Everyone has bad apples in any workplace. So try not giving a biased assumption like that. It's really like tparadise bluntly said, "1000 Indonesian nurses in Japan means 1000 less nurses to take care of ailing Indonesians". Maybe there should be a bit of a worldwide improvment on the nursing profession, employment. Either ways, it's just a small quickfix to the current situation. Hopefully the government has a long term plan to fix their problem in the works. >_>
0solrac at 08:00 PM JST - 17th May

Oh just an after thought... but doesn't this sound like importing mexican's on temporary visas. I wonder if there will be something like an outcry to get all of them darn foreigners from Indonesia working as temps and taking away of the nursing jobs for less pay. And can 6 months really be enough to teach the Japanese language? I would like to know how much that actually amounts to?
WMD at 11:10 PM JST - 17th May

cheap labor to be exploited, abused and spat out.
presto345 at 11:16 PM JST - 17th May

1000 Indonesian nurses in Japan means 1000 less nurses to take care of ailing Indonesians.

This statement is meaningless without the support of figures that illustrate the shortage or surplus of nurses in both countries, so let's ignore it. The purpose of hiring these people from overseas is not to acquire cheap labor, but to fill a vacuum. Indonesia and the Philippines, unlike Japan still have more young people available for the jobs offered. This will remain so until the former countries develop like Japan has, families become smaller and people can afford to look for easier jobs.

Most of the people who will come here will not want to return to their home countries if they see greater opportunities in Japan for employment, family, and overall quality of life.

This is a medical health care employment assistance program to be sure, but it is also an international marriage program.

So what? Allow these people to integrate. If they can find a partner here, all the better. What's the problem with that? Whose values will be diluted? They primarily come to help and that ought to be appreciated. Don't start whining if some of them change jobs, overstay their visas, intermarry and blend in. That is perfectly normal and the way the world's populations have evolved since time immemorial.
888naff at 05:41 AM JST - 18th May

actually contrasted to the uk and how it has treated nurses in the last two years from outside the EU (including Japanese - just read some of their blogs), i originally thought this sounded like much better treatment... however after reading some of skeptics comments i'm not too sure what will happen in the execution of what on the face of it seems like a chance you will not get elsewhere or those chances(whether from 3rd or 1st world whatever your view) have been removed in other g8 countries recently.
gifu at 03:46 PM JST - 18th May

Regarding my comments about European and American nurses--I did not mean to say that they do not work hard at their professions. But I doubt many of them have grown up without electricity, have gone to bed hungry, or have had to deal with the kind of official corruption and incompetence that many (most? all?) of these Indonesians know as part of their everyday lives. Living like that teaches you the kind of patience with small problems and difficult work in a way you just don't get in rich countries.
GrouchyGaijin at 07:16 PM JST - 18th May

Importing rights-denied laborers, and discard them when convenient. Welcome to Japan, and follow the rules!
illsayit at 08:21 PM JST - 18th May

I dont like how the offer is specific to region, except that probably cant be avoided. It is generous, though local nurses could be afforded better training, or rather, education.

I also dont like the appeal of "these poor countries". 1000 nurses to dispose of, doesnt sound very hungry to me. I think gifu, you be the one watching too much TV.

Perhaps the issue lies at what level one is prepared to sell themself at? To what degree do you sacrifice, time or money? Time with or away from family, time in Japan, or, money on books, or money on electricity?

Personally, I wouldnt count on the marriage...though that could happen.
Hughgarse at 10:46 AM JST - 19th May

it:s a start
thepossum at 11:02 AM JST - 19th May

These people will need more than just "language" training. How about whole seminars in "ijime", "seku hara", and the reasons why they will be denied opportunities of employment advancement... which was one of the main reasons nurses stopped coming to Japan in the first place ! This has trouble written all over it !