Japan looks to India to ease caregiver shortage as labor crunch deepens
Japan is increasingly turning to India as a potential source of caregivers in an effort to address severe labor shortages in the country’s elderly care sector, driven by a rapidly aging population and a declining birthrate, Qazinform News Agency cites Kyodo.
Major care service provider Sompo Care Inc. is expanding its recruitment and training of Indian healthcare workers, aiming to help them obtain national caregiving qualifications and build long-term careers in Japan. The company has been recruiting candidates with nursing backgrounds since 2024 and providing them with about nine months of training in the Japanese language and caregiving skills before bringing them to Japan.
Earlier this year, the first group of six Indian trainees arrived in Japan under the Specified Skilled Worker visa program. Sompo Care already employs around 300 foreign workers, primarily from the Philippines and Myanmar.
"We don't treat Japanese and foreign employees differently, so those who perform well can even aim for management positions," said Mitsuru Sakoda, head of the firm's overseas business office.
Among the new recruits is 25-year-old Rincy George, who works at a nursing home in Tokyo’s Taito Ward. A former nurse in India, she said limited job opportunities and low wages led her to seek employment abroad.
"Japan is safe and there are many job opportunities. I'd like to become a certified care worker in the future," she said.
Government estimates indicate that Japan could face a shortfall of 570,000 care workers by fiscal 2040. To address this, the Specified Skilled Worker program was introduced in 2019 to allow foreigners with relevant skills to work immediately in key sectors.
As of the end of June 2025, about 54,000 foreign caregivers were working in Japan under this program, with Indonesians, Vietnamese, and Myanmar nationals making up roughly 70 percent of the total. While Indians accounted for only around 300 workers, their numbers rose by 73 percent compared with the previous year.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported Japan eyes a record defense budget of 9 trillion yen for 2026.
