Narita airport hiring more foreigners as inbound visitors grow

"Japanese people are choosing jobs with better working conditions," said Mamoru Uematsu, an executive of Biseisha Co., which cleans Narita airport around the clock.

That's nice to hear. I hope more Japanese take better care of their lives

Though it still doesn't mean foreigners want to work in Japan for a pittance and no visa. Probably over the day after the Olympics as well

This country is making a lot of changes for the Olympics. A two week event that will be forgotten the day after it is over.

Language skills and a high educational background were what Narita International Airport was looking for when it decided to recruit staff from Fiji.

Also let it sink in that the English from Fiji is better than Japan, all without robots, robotic teachers, or silly written textbooks

The transport ministry is now considering creating a new visa status to expand foreign employment at airports nationwide to counter expected shortages of Japanese workers there.

When in the world did the transportation ministry get involved with considering or even having the authority to create a new visa status?

When in the world did the transportation ministry get involved with considering or even having the authority to create a new visa status?

Actually that's not unusual in general. While it may be new for airports, many industries require foreign staff to keep them in business

sf2kToday  07:15 am JST

Language skills and a high educational background were what Narita International Airport was looking for when it decided to recruit staff from Fiji.

Also let it sink in that the English from Fiji is better than Japan, all without robots, robotic teachers, or silly written textbooks

Lol, err English is the main language in Fiji. Way removed from the situation in Japan..

Why Japanese Government needs Casino to boost Tourism industry in Japan?

Japan doesn't need Casino to boost tourism. The tourists come to Japan will not interest in the gambling and they come to visit city like Kyoto and Nara, and shopping. The gambling will destroy the unique Japanese culture and society. The Casino will destroy the moral of Japanese peoples and create the problem etc; the prostitution, petty theft crimes and more homeless on the streets and in the parks.

All residents of Japan should be ready for a huge economic slump and a major increase in unemployment as soon as the Olympics are over.

I shouldn't be surprised I suppose, but until now, the airport operator itself has not employed any non-Japanese? A major international airport passed through by millions of people from all over with different cultures and different needs. Wow.

I shouldn't be surprised I suppose, but until now, the airport operator itself has not employed any non-Japanese?

They have. I was late for a flight one time, and when I got through security a nice Filipina girl ran me to my gate.

Japanese staff should speak English

They have. I was late for a flight one time, and when I got through security a nice Filipina girl ran me to my gate

She must have been working for one of the airlines, who are only responsible for their own passengers.

The article says "In late July, Roneta Ratumaitavuki, a 24-year-old Fijian, began working at the airport near Tokyo as one of the first three foreigners directly employed by the airport operator."

Speaking in fluent English, Ratumaitavuki was attending to a group of men from Singapore at a reception counter of a pay lounge,

If they wanted an English speaker, surely there are Japanese who can do that? The only advantage a Fijian would have is his/her experience in Fijian and/or Hindi. There's more to this story, I'm sure. I'd think the airport would hire more Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Spanish and Portuguese speakers too.

There are so many opportunities on offer for people here now due to the large numbers of foreign tourists but most of the locals aren't up to the task as their English ability is worse than your average beggar any SE Asian developing country. Japan sure did miss the boat.

Even if the govt. decided to act, introducing an education system that delivers decent English conversational ability to students by the end of high school it'll take a decade before the results are seen. They should do it, but for now it's too little too late.

I called Peach Aviation's customer service line this week. I called the English call centre as the wait-times are shorter than Japanese language ones. The girl's English was amazing, I was really surprised. But then I noticed she had a slight Chinese accent. At the end I asked her name and sure enough she wasn't Japanese.

Actually that's not unusual in general. While it may be new for airports, many industries require foreign staff to keep them in business

Individual ministries typically do not have authority to change or alter visa requirements, that is the job of the Justice Ministry or Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which also control immigration.

What is inferred here is something totally different.

I work at the airport narita for a mobile company that rent wifi, few of my colleagues have decent english.

How to apply for this

Hmm...

“Language skills and a high educational background were what Narita International Airport was looking for”

“Japanese are turned off by the hard work and long hours that airport jobs often entail.”

“"While airports appear glamourous, the work carried out there is often tough, dirty and dangerous,"

“Japanese people are choosing jobs with better working conditions”

I am forming a mental picture now...

Maybe when the Olympics are over they can hire these highly educated non-Japanese people to do more dirty dangerous jobs like cleaning up around Fukushima? How wonderful!

Long overdue. So long as they have the skills to function in Japan (mainly, communication) then Narita should definitely be hiring more. And not only Narita, but every business in major cities. I'm seeing a LOT of foreign staff at convenience stores in downtown Osaka these days and I think it's great.