Abstract
This study examines the features of the four introduction schemes of foreign care workers in Japan. Previously, only foreign care workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam could enter Japan under the Economic Partnership Agreements with these countries. With increasing demand for care workers, three new schemes with three different residential statuses have been established (nursing care, specified skilled worker, and technical intern training) in recent years. This study provides an overview of these four schemes, with a focus on the requirements of Japanese language skills. We also present two cases in Akita and Iwate Prefectures to illustrate the support environments of two facilities including foreign care workers.
