Written and shared by Mia Horiguchi “Japan needs workers.” I used to hear this and think it meant opportunity. A friend of mine came to Japan with a strong background. Good education, solid experience, and decent Japanese. He wasn’t looking for shortcuts, just a fair chance to build a stable life. At first, things seemed promising. Jobs were available. Companies were hiring. Everywhere you looked, there was talk about labor shortage. But after some time, the feeling changed.