KUALA LUMPUR - South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal have significant potential as new sources of foreign workers for Japan, according to a study by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting.

As of the end of June 2025, the number of foreign residents in Japan working in professional and technical fields, as well as technical intern trainees, totaled 1.441 million.

Of these, 1.375 million people, or 95.4% of the total, came from Asian countries.

In addition, the combined number of workers under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) and Technical Intern Training (TIT) programs reached 786,000.

The study compared foreign residents in Japan by country of origin and classified growth trends into three categories: ‘mature stage’, ‘expansion growth stage’, and ‘emerging stage’.

Countries in the mature stage have long been major sources of technical intern trainees and have established migration routes to Japan, although their current growth rates have slowed. Vietnam, the Philippines, China, and Thailand fall into this category.

Countries in the expansion growth stage are sending tens of thousands of workers and showing high growth rates. Indonesia and Myanmar are classified in this group.

The emerging stage includes Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Laos. 

Although the current scale of migration from these countries remains relatively small, their growth rates are extremely high, and migration pathways to Japan are being formed.

The report suggests that, to ensure a stable supply of workers under programs such as the SSW and TIT in the future, Japan will need to accept workers from countries at this emerging stage.

Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal share several common characteristics. All three countries have high youth unemployment rates, creating strong pressure for overseas employment.

Many migrants from these countries traditionally move to the Gulf countries in the Middle East, where migration routes are well established.

In Sri Lanka, people who have previously worked in Japan are increasingly establishing recruitment agencies locally and sending workers to Japan through IT vocational schools and recruitment companies under the SSW program.

In India, there are two main recruitment routes: one through private sending organizations responding to requests from Japanese employers, and another involving active participation by the Indian government. 

However, among more than 2,400 recruitment agencies registered with the Indian government, less than 1% handle placements to Japan.

In Nepal, many migrants enter Japan through study-abroad programs and later obtain work visas in professional and technical fields. 

Nepalese students in Japan number about 106,000, making them the second-largest group after China. 

In addition, the number of Nepalese entering Japan directly for work without going through study programs has increased sharply, up about 2.8 times from 2019.

One challenge is that although many sending organizations exist, only a small number handle placements to Japan.

The report notes that in order for Japan to secure a stable supply of foreign workers, it will be important to build networks with these emerging sending countries and strengthen education and training systems.