759 foreign trainees in Japan disappeared after unjust treatment: survey

The 22-year-old said she was told by the broker she could easily save money in Japan. But she said her monthly after-tax income is less than 100,000 yen.

Les than ¥100,000 is way too little. I can't imagine living here with just that.

The ministry also said 171 interns died in Japan in six years from 2012, 28 of them due to accidents during their training and 17 by suicide.

These statistics are shocking, but not unbelievable. Most people have stated all along that this program was just a cover up for slavery and it would seem they are correct. The number of trainees killed during their training period is extremely alarming. These people are put into dangerous situations, paid scab wages and abused. That equals modern-day slavery.

Go after the brokers; let's start there. Then go after these 'black' companies who only squeeze these young workers. Only last go after the workers. I don't see omotenashi. Foreign workers should first go to companies ready, willing & able to take proper and reasonable care of workers..including nationals.

759 foreign trainees in Japan disappeared after unjust treatment: survey

The training program introduced in 1993 is aimed at transferring skills to developing countries, but the scheme has been criticized at home and abroad as a cover for importing low-cost labor. 

They already started that program from 1993, it has been for 26 years. They should have more specific data than that. Not until recently when labor shortage becoming an issue so media start to cover news about those trainee.

Local authorities, bureaucrats and the government just turn a blind eye to this. They still have the pre-1939 view of Asians as somewhat lesser people (as spoken aloud by Ishihara the ex-mayor of Tokyo); and that they are just paid labour for J-Inc, doing jobs no-one else wants to do or can't do. As others have said, go after the brokers, who are their own countrymen or women, and the companies who employ them.

only 14%

14 percent is a reasonable chunk, not "only".

I wonder how many more will abscond and run away and form communes in the abandoned villages/forests? If they are not careful they may start eating radioactive boars in Fukushima.

It’s interrsting to note how the article hints at it being the fault of the trainees and not if the employers or the corrupt agencies supplying them.

the government of Japan is the broker

Who employs these missing employees and for how much? How do they pay tax, health insurance etc? Do they have to resort to illegal things? This is an indication of what the new visa system will lead to...only on a mass scale.

Nobody just ‘disappears’ do they?

Unfortunately, Japan is just showing indifferent and cold it is to foreigners.

The word slavery springs to mind....

Brace yourself for all the social problems and crime coming with the new labor laws that loosen the restrictions on foreign (unskilled) workers. Cultures that are quite different towards women will lead to some bad results. Importing workers is a short-term solution to a long-term problem...

Yet, they still come to Japan.

and

759/5,218

is only 14%