The Appeal of "Dekasegi" Fades in Japan: A Sharp Decline in Chinese Workers, What's Next After Vietnam?

Table of Contents

1. Is "Dekasegi" Still Continuing?

2. Japan's "Dekasegi Model" That Started from China

3. Why Did the Chinese Stop Coming?

4. Why Vietnam Became the Main Player

5. Vietnamese Also Starting to Leave Due to Yen Depreciation

6. Next Main Candidates: Indonesia and Myanmar

7. From Technical Intern Training to "Development Employment": The System Changes

8. Reasons for Wanting to Come to Japan / Reasons for Not Wanting to Come

9. Risks on the Ground: Wages, Freedom of Movement, and Discrimination

10. The Question Ahead is Not "Filling Labor Shortages" but "Assuming Living Together"

11. Summary

1. Is "Dekasegi" Still Continuing?

Yes, it continues in a different form.
Currently, there are about 2.3 million foreign workers in Japan, the highest number since statistics began. The Japanese economy, suffering from a labor shortage, has reached a stage where it cannot function without foreigners.Nippon+1
In other words, "coming to work in Japan" has become a standard social infrastructure rather than an exception.

2. Japan's "Dekasegi Model" That Started from China

In the 1990s to 2000s, it was mainly Chinese workers who supported Japan's factories, construction, and manufacturing lines.
The reason was simple: wages in Japan were much higher than in China, offering a clear advantage of "sending a large amount of money to family after a few years of hard work."The Washington Post+1
Japan explained this as "skill transfer," but it has been pointed out that the reality was more about securing cheap labor.Business & Human Rights Resource Centre+1

3. Why Did the Chinese Stop Coming?

The new influx of Chinese workers has clearly slowed. There are three main reasons for this.

1. Wages in China have risen, narrowing the gap with Japan.

2. Wages in Japan have hardly increased, and the value of remittances has decreased due to the yen's depreciation.Nippon+1

3. Negative reputations of long working hours and unpaid wages in the technical intern training system have spread internationally.Business & Human Rights Resource Centre+2WORK JAPAN+2
   In other words, the myth that "going to Japan will drastically improve your life" has collapsed.

4. Why Vietnam Became the Main Player

From the late 2010s to the early 2020s, it was the Vietnamese who significantly supported the domestic scene in Japan.
A "Japan Employment Package" was established as a business, including sending companies, language education, and dormitory arrangements. Vietnamese people were always present behind the scenes in factories, caregiving, night shifts at convenience stores, and agriculture.Nippon+1
Even now, Vietnamese are the largest group of foreign workers in Japan, accounting for about 570,000, or about a quarter of the total.Nippon+1

5. Vietnamese Also Starting to Leave Due to Yen Depreciation

The turning point is the yen's depreciation and rising prices.
Voices saying "I can't save money even if I go to Japan" and "The amount of remittances has decreased" are growing stronger among young Vietnamese. In fact, evaluations from the local area state, "Japan is no longer that attractive."Nippon+1
It was once said that saving enough money to open a store was possible after three years of hard work, but that calculation has collapsed, and the enthusiasm for going to Japan is definitely waning.Nippon+1

6. Next Main Candidates: Indonesia and Myanmar

Japanese workplaces are now turning their attention to other countries.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the growth rates of workers from Myanmar and Indonesia are very high, with Myanmar at +61% and Indonesia at +39% compared to the previous year.Nippon+2Anadolu Ajansı+2
In particular, there is a strong movement to accept young people from Indonesia and Myanmar as the "main players of the future" in caregiving, retail, and services.The Japan Times+3Nippon+3Anadolu Ajansı+3
The trend is shifting from "China→Vietnam→Indonesia/Myanmar."

7. From Technical Intern Training to "Development Employment": The System Changes

The Japanese government has also started to move from the system side.
The technical intern training system, which has long been criticized as "enclosing cheap labor" and pointed out for issues such as unpaid wages, violence, and restrictions on changing jobs, is set for a major review in 2024, with plans to switch to a new system from April 2027.International Legal Guide Business Report+2WORK JAPAN+2

The new system (referred to as "development employment," etc.) includes

• Making it easier to change jobs within the same occupation

• If Japanese language and skills are proven, it can lead to long-term employment for up to 5 years

• Clarifying the route to the residence status of "Specified Skilled Worker," with a view to settlement and permanent residency
  These are the contents.WORK JAPAN+2The Japan Times+2
  This is also an attempt to change the role from "short-term disposable" to "long-term working and living personnel."

8. Reasons for Wanting to Come to Japan / Reasons for Not Wanting to Come

Reasons for wanting to come include: (1) the relatively good security and the image of being able to work night shifts safely, (2) industries where it is easy to obtain work visas (caregiving, food service, etc.), (3) if you learn Japanese, the path to long-term residence and permanent residency becomes visible.Nippon+2WORK JAPAN+2
On the other hand, reasons for not wanting to come include: (1) the value of remittances has decreased due to yen depreciation, (2) rumors of long working hours and harassment, (3) the hurdle of learning Japanese is getting higher every year, (4) support for living and multicultural assistance is still weak.WORK JAPAN+3Nippon+3Nippon+3
In other words, it's no longer the era of "Japan is absolutely advantageous," but rather a time to calmly compare whether "it's worth going" by country and industry.

9. Risks on the Ground: Wages, Freedom of Movement, and Discrimination

The challenges remain significant.
First, wages. While the minimum wage level in Japan is slow to rise, prices and dormitory fees are increasing, and the value of remittances decreases due to the yen's depreciation. This structure creates dissatisfaction that "you can't save money even if you go to Japan."Nippon+1
Next, freedom of movement. In the traditional technical intern training system, it was generally difficult to change workplaces, and there was ongoing criticism that there were almost no routes to escape harassment or unpaid wages.WORK JAPAN+2Business & Human Rights Resource Centre+2##HTML_TAG_484