KUALA LUMPUR - A shift is emerging in the nationalities of foreign workers in Japan, particularly in regional areas, as the weak yen and changing economic conditions alter the country’s labor migration patterns.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s report on foreign employment released at the end of January, Vietnamese nationals remain the largest group of foreign workers in Japan.

As of the end of October 2025, there were 605,906 Vietnamese workers, accounting for 23.6 % of the country’s total foreign workforce.

They were followed by China, with 431,949 workers (16.8%), and the Philippines, with 260,869 workers (10.1%).

Chinese nationals had been the largest group of foreign workers in Japan until 2019, but in 2020, Vietnam surpassed China and has remained the largest nationality since then.

Recruitment platforms for foreign workers say the trend has been supported by the expansion of Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa program.

As of October 2025, the number of foreign residents under the SSW status had reached about 280,000, with Vietnamese workers accounting for a large share.

Vietnamese nationals also account for around 40％ to 50% of technical intern trainees, many of whom transition to the SSW program and play a central role in Japan’s foreign labor market.

However, growth in the number of Vietnamese workers has recently begun to slow, partly due to rising wages in Vietnam.

In contrast, some other nationalities are increasing at a much faster pace.

Among foreign workers in Japan, Myanmar recorded the highest growth rate at 42.5%, followed by Indonesia at 34.6% and Sri Lanka at 28.9%.

Nepal, which ranked fourth the previous year, also saw a significant increase of 25.7 %.

The rapid rise in workers from these countries has been particularly noticeable.

In countries such as Myanmar and Indonesia, the signing of Memorandums of Cooperation (MOC) with Japan has expanded the implementation of SSW skill examinations.