世論 What Japan Thinks

The Cabinet Office Japan recently took a look at the international movement of workers, which for this survey was specifically Japanese wanting to work overseas and foreigners coming to Japan.

Demographics

Between the 15th and 25th of July 2010 3,000 people randomly selected from resident registration information were approached for face-to-face interviews. Of the 3,000, 1,913 people, or 63.8% were available and answered the questions. 54.0% of the sample were female, 8.6% in their twenties, 16.0% in their thirties, 17.8% in their forties, 18.6% in their fifties, 19.8% in their sixties, and 19.2% aged 70 or older. There were a few other demographic questions, but they were sufficiently interesting to be presented in distinct tables below.

I wonder if the last two questions about foreign workers are in any way related to this article from Ampontan, in particular this quote from Naoto Kan, who is Prime Minister at the time of writing, but may not be by the time you read this, in an interview responding to a question on job creation:

The first is to create hiring by such means as long-term care, for which there is long-term, latent demand, and relaxing the issuance of visas to foreigners.

Research results

Q1: Have you ever lived overseas on account of your job? If so, in total how long have you done so? (Sample size=1,913)

Yes, five years or more	0.7%
Yes, four years	0.3%
Yes, three years	0.1%
Yes, two years	0.3%
Yes, one year	0.5%
Yes, less than a year	3.6%
No, never	94.6%

Q2: Have you ever lived overseas on account of studying (homestay, etc)? If so, in total how long have you done so? (Sample size=1,913)

Yes, five years or more	0.2%
Yes, four years	0.1%
Yes, three years	0.1%
Yes, two years	0.3%
Yes, one year	0.5%
Yes, less than a year	2.1%
No, never	96.8%

Q3: Have you ever lived overseas on account of your parents, spouse, other family’s job? If so, in total how long have you done so? (Sample size=1,913)

Yes, five years or more	1.7%
Yes, four years	0.3%
Yes, three years	0.7%
Yes, two years	0.5%
Yes, one year	0.6%
Yes, less than a year	2.1%
No, never	94.1%

Q4: How well can you speak a foreign language? (Sample size=1,913)

Can use at work	2.9%
Can do everyday conversation	5.3%
Enough to get by on holiday without problems	14.1%
Can’t speak at all	77.7%

For this question, I presume that people chose their strongest foreign language.

Q5: How interested are you in working overseas? (Sample size=1,913)

Interested (to SQ1 to SQ4)	10.5%
Perhaps interested (to SQ1 to SQ4)	11.6%
Perhaps not interested (to SQ5)	16.3%
Not interested (to SQ5)	61.2%
Don’t know	0.6%

Q5SQ1: Why are you interested in working overseas? (Sample size=421, multiple answer)

Interested in foreign culture, lifestyles	70.3%
Want to improve, utilise my foreign language skills	42.3%
Want to improve, utilise my technical skills	31.4%
Feel it is more rewarding that working domestically	20.9%
Availability of jobs, fields to choose from, etc, is limited in Japan	12.4%
Can earn more than in Japan	8.8%
No particular reason	3.1%
Don’t know	0.0%

Q5SQ2: What kind of work are you interested in? (Sample size=421)

Not working in Japan but overseas	3.3%
Working in Japan, but focused on overseas	8.8%
Focused on Japan, but with several placements overseas	35.9%
Focused on Japan, but with one placement overseas	24.7%
No particular preferences on the form	25.7%
Other	0.2%
Don’t know	1.4%

Q5SQ3: Which countries or regions would you want to work in? (Sample size=421, multiple answer)

USA	48.0%
Western Europe (France, Germant, UK, etc)	43.9%
Canada	26.6%
Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, etc)	24.9%
China	22.8%
South-east Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, etc), Indian sub-continent (India, Pakistan, etc)	20.9%
South Korea	12.6%
Central, Eastern Europe, (Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc) Russia	10.0%
Central, South America (Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, etc)	8.6%
Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, etc)	5.5%
Middle-east (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc)	4.8%
Other	0.0%
No particular place I want to work	3.1%
Don’t know	0.7%

Q5SQ4: What issues do you have regarding working overseas? (Sample size=421, multiple answer)

Public order	70.5%
Language ability	63.2%
Hygene, sanitation matters	37.3%
Family life (education, care, etc)	34.7%
Salary prospects	27.3%
Getting on with the people at work	24.0%
Treatment on returning (promotion, job-seeking, etc problems)	22.3%
Relationships with family, relatives	11.2%
Relationships with friends	11.2%
Transport, communications costs	6.4%
No particular issues	2.9%
Other	0.0%
Don’t know	0.5%

Q5SQ5: Why are you not interested in working overseas? (Sample size=1,481, multiple answer)

No confidence in my language ability	52.3%
Feel unsure about living overseas	47.1%
Don’t want to leave family, friends, etc	34.6%
Don’t know necessary information regarding working overseas	30.9%
No confidence in my physical strength	25.8%
Can look forward to a stable income working in Japan	23.9%
Family issues such as child-rearing, caring for parents	22.2%
No particular reason	8.7%
Other	9.2%
Don’t know	0.3%

Q6: Regarding the next generation of workers, do you think they should get experience working overseas while they are still young? (Sample size=1,913)

Yes (to SQ)	33.7%
Perhaps (to SQ)	40.0%
Perhaps not	11.7%
Not at all	10.7%
Don’t know	3.9%

Q6: What do you think is needed in order for the next generation of workers to get experience working overseas? (Sample size=1,411, multiple answer)

Get language education	79.6%
Understand foreign cultures and customs with regard to business manners	51.7%
Experience overseas study	39.5%
Can use some arrangement for domestic companies to evaluate working overseas	34.4%
Get cooperation and understanding of family, others close to them	29.4%
Obtain working overseas information on working visa application procedures, social services, etc	27.4%
Nothing in particular	0.9%
Other	0.9%
Don’t know	0.2%

Next, everyone was shown a card with the following text:

“In order to increase the number of students coming from overseas to study in Japan, the government is promoting that they be employed by domestic companies. Furthermore, with the objective of entering the workforce, the government is also promoting the lengthening, regularising of periods of stay for foreigners in the country, thus the number of foreign workers living in Japan will trend upwards.”

Q7: Did you know that the number of foreign workers is trending upwards? (Sample size=1,913)

Yes	85.0%
No	15.0%

Q8: How important are each of the following for foreign workers in Japan? (Sample size=1,913)

Japanese ability

Important	69.0%
Somewhat important	25.2%
Not very important	3.4%
Not important at all	1.3%
Don’t know	1.0%

Understanding of Japanese culture

Important	43.2%
Somewhat important	42.3%
Not very important	10.5%
Not important at all	2.3%
Don’t know	1.7%

Understanding of Japanese customs

Important	45.9%
Somewhat important	42.9%
Not very important	7.8%
Not important at all	1.6%
Don’t know	1.7%

Specialist ability, skill

Important	35.7%
Somewhat important	38.6%
Not very important	17.9%
Not important at all	5.1%
Don’t know	2.7%

Resources such as money in the bank

Important	13.0%
Somewhat important	32.0%
Not very important	30.7%
Not important at all	18.3%
Don’t know	5.9%