Immigration: Poverty in Japan 3 of 4

*This "Poverty in Japan" series of articles is based on a presentation given by the Seisen High School Social Justice Committee to their peers at an assembly in November 2021.

The Japanese education system and policies toward immigrant children

The national government does not enforce nine-year compulsory education for immigrant students who do not have Japanese nationality.
Though Japanese children have the “right” to receive education and their parents are mandated to send their children to schools, education for immigrant children is excluded from this requirement and is only acknowledged as a “favor.”

• The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) has offered remedial education such as adaptation instruction (tekiou shidou) and Japanese language instruction (nihongo shidou) to immigrant students since 1989
• MEXT responded with a series of outlined measures in an approach encompassed in the ‘Education in Japan beyond the crisis of COVID-19 – Leave No One Behind’ leaflet in 2021. Study has found that the numbers of children able to access online content such as computers during school closures are very limited, creating a crucial gap between the fortunate and less fortunate

Poverty in Japan: "IMMIGRATION" Quiz

Q: Which of the following races are most likely to be unfairly treated with low-paying jobs in Japan?

1. Asians
2. Africans
3. Hispanics
4. All above are equally treated unfairly

Answer: Asians

• As an example to this question, last year June, a legal case was brought by a ­30-year-old Filipina woman which drew attention to a disquieting practice in Japan that many employers confiscate the passports of foreign workers, especially Asians in low-status jobs, and refuse to return them even if the employee wants to leave the company.
• Companies keeping the employees’ passports in their custody and making them work corresponds to forced labor, which is not allowed in Japanese law.
• The case comes about a year after Japan implemented a new immigration law that aims to attract more foreign workers and fill the gaps created by an aging domestic workforce, and it throws a harsh spotlight on the reality of employment here for many Asians.

Q. Which of the industries did COVID heavily impact on immigrant employment?

1. Manufacturing and Service
2. Finance
3. Agriculture
4. Education

Answer: Manufacturing and Service

• According to a report made by the Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in 2021, the COVID pandemic has caused over 100,000 job losses in Japan. Besides these job losses, a decrease in income and layoffs have significantly impacted foreign workers to struggle with financial support. 
• Majority of  foreign workers work in hard-hit industries such as manufacturing, retail, wholesale, and service. According to a survey conducted by the ministry, approximately 59% of immigrants are involved in manufacturing and service industries, taking up about half of the portion. However, the COVID pandemic has bankrupted over 1000 companies, severely impacting restaurants, hotels, and factories causing over 100,000 job losses besides layoffs and decreased income.
• As a consequence, immigrants who lost jobs are financially struggling as they have not received sufficient support neither from the government nor from organizations or local communities.

Migrant workers in Japan make an average of 223,100 yen ($2,068) per month, which is roughly 73 % of the national median. The gap in working years appears to become the most major contributor to the wage disparity. Salary frequently grows with tenure in the Japanese labour supply. The average worker has been at the same employment for 12.4 years and makes 307,000 yen per month, including both Locals and foreigners. The average career tenure for foreigners is only 3.1 years. Foreigners in the professional training program are paid only 156,900 yen per month or roughly half the national average. Foreigners receive 977 yen, or approximately $9, an hour for part-time work, which is 15% less than the average of 1,148 yen. Although seniority can explain many variations, there are occasions when foreign workers are illegally paid less than the minimum wage, indicating that working conditions need to be addressed.
Source: Foreign workers in Japan earn only 70% of average pay - Nikkei Asia  

Q. The average income of Japanese people is around 307.7 thousand Japanese yen per month. Then what would be the average income of immigrants in Japan?

1. 223,100 yen
2. 210,100 yen
3. 250,000 yen
4. 231,100 yen

Answer: 223,100 yen

• Foreign nationals working in Japan earn an average 223,100 yen ($2,068) per month, or around 73% of the national average. 
• The biggest contributing factor in the wage gap appears to be the gap in working years. 
• In the Japanese labour market, salary often rises with seniority. The average worker, including both Japanese and foreigners, has been at the same job for 12.4 years, making 307,000 yen a month. For foreigners, the average career length is only 3.1 years.
• Under the technical trainee program, foreigners are paid just 156,900 yen a month, or roughly half the overall average. For part-time work, foreigners receive 977 yen, or about $9, an hour 15% less than the average 1,148 yen. 
• Though levels of seniority can explain much of the differences, there are cases where foreign workers are illegally paid below the minimum wage, indicating a need to improve working conditions. 

Source: 
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-immigration/Foreign-workers-in-Japan-earn-only-70-of-average-pay

Q. Which country is the best for single parents to immigrate to?

1. Finland
2. Iceland
3. Singapore
4. Japan

Answer: Finland

In general, Finland has an instilled sense of independence and a content population. Maternal and paternal leaves can be taken for months or even years to ensure that parents are present during their children's formative years.

Sources: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/heikkivaananen/2020/05/26/what-makes-finland-the-happiest-country-in-the-world/?sh=32bec2ea75cc

https://singlemomprosperity.com/countries-where-being-a-mom-is-financially-rewarding/

Q2 What is the disadvantage of being a single mother/father in Japan?

1. Discrimination or inequality at work
2. Financial problems
3. Juggling work and family
4. Mental and physical health being neglected

Answer: Trick question. All are correct.

In contrast to Finland, it is more challenging to be a single parent in Japan. Many single parents must balance work and childcare, which may necessitate taking on a part-time job that pays less. Single parents have a worse chance of creating a successful job since they are overlooked for advancements. In terms of social and cultural issues, cultural ideas in which the woman stays at home are considered as ideal, and communities may judge those who do not adhere to them. Of course, this financial and cultural discrimination is worsened in the case of immigrants, who face some type of discrimination as soon as they arrive in Japan.

Sources:

https://zenbird.media/problems-single-mothers-face-in-japan/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/12/national/social-issues/japan-women-workforce-poverty-aging-birthrate/#.XliJ2Gj7RPY

Q: Which of the following troubles may lead into a negative snowball effect for further education and future employment of foreign students enrolled in Japanese public schools? 

1. Food shortages
2. Language barriers 
3. Lack of technological devices
4. Xenophobic attitudes

Answer: Trick Question. All are correct.

• Even though all of these choices may have negative effects, the answer for this question is language barriers. 
• According to the data collected by MEXT, there were over 50,759 students in public Japanese schools who were identified as needing Japanese language instruction. Due to the language barriers, there are high percentages of dropouts amongst the foreign students, contributing to lack of access to education they get. 
• This leads to high unemployment rates, with foreign students struggling to find a job with enough pay to support themselves and their family. This vicious cycle encourages poverty amongst the foreigners living in Japan. 

We can help by starting in our own community. Thinking about questions such as...

• Are there students who can translate our English communication to cover all families in Seisen who utilize different languages? (such as Seisen school newsletters or information regarding school policies with COVID that are accessible to families who don’t use English?)
• Are there ways in which students can practice with internal school translations to later help at local offices? For example, in the Setagaya ward office, are there any information pamphlets that can be translated to different languages? 

Seisen Social Justice Committee "Poverty in Japan" Article Series

1. Introduction
2. Food Sustainability
3. Fashion Sustainability
4. Immigration
5. Education