Huge opportunities in Japan’s labour market: Reluctance to learn language major obstacle

Japan, one of Asia’s most developed nations, offers vast opportunities for labour export across 16 categories—including general labourers, construction workers, agricultural workers, and caregivers. Despite this, Bangladesh has failed to take full advantage of these opportunities.

While neighbouring countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Vietnam send thousands of workers to Japan annually—contributing significantly to their national economies—Bangladesh remains far behind in tapping into this market.

Critics argue that weak diplomatic engagement and lack of strategic initiatives by previous governments have hindered Bangladesh’s ability to meet Japan’s labour demand, despite growing interest from Japanese employers.

During his official visit to Japan from May 28-30, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus secured a commitment from Japan to accept 1,00,000 Bangladeshi workers over the next five years. However, many remain sceptical about whether this ambitious target can be achieved.

Mir Mohammad Naeem, an experienced recruitment agent with nearly four decades of experience, shared his insights with Jago News on the challenges facing Bangladeshi labour migration to Japan during his recent visit to the country.

Lack of confidence and language barriers

Naeem highlighted that the biggest obstacle for Bangladeshi workers seeking employment in Japan is the reluctance to learn the Japanese language. “There is a complete lack of confidence among Bangladeshi workers,” he said. 

“They hesitate to invest time in learning Japanese because they fear it won’t guarantee them a visa or job.”

This mind-set sets Bangladesh apart from other countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal, where workers actively pursue language training before applying for jobs in Japan. 

Currently, around 2,50,000 to 3,00,000 Nepalese workers are employed in Japan, while Vietnam sends approximately 4,00,000 general workers annually. 

In contrast, only a few hundred Bangladeshi workers make it each year.

Naeem also not only in labour sector, there are job opportunities here in various fields, including IT engineers. He said that those who are coming in these fields are now in a very good position.

A history of failed initiatives

In July 2005, during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh signed a Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement with Japan to facilitate the movement of general workers. The agreement was active for about four to five years but yielded minimal results – with only five Bangladeshi workers sent under the program over seven years.

The private sector was later allowed to participate after the Awami League came into power in 2009. From 2010 onward, more people began migrating through technical training visas. However, Naeem admitted that about 90 per cent of those who arrived through his agency eventually absconded. 

He attributed this to the disparity between promised and actual wages. “They were told what their salary would be, but once here, they found better-paying informal jobs elsewhere,” he explained.

Key challenges facing worker deployment

According to Naeem, two main issues prevent Bangladeshi workers from successfully migrating to Japan: Reluctance to learn the Japanese language and delays and rejections in visa processing despite COE approval.

He emphasised that even when a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is issued by Tokyo Immigration, the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka often rejects visa applications without clear justification.

Allegations of corruption and harassment

Naeem alleged that some Bangladeshi employees at the Japanese Embassy engage in corrupt practices, creating hurdles for applicants unless bribes are paid. “If this issue is addressed, many more workers will be able to come to Japan legally,” he said.

He also noted that many prospective workers prefer to pay higher fees if it means avoiding language training. 

“If you tell someone it costs four to five lakh taka to go to Japan – but requires basic Japanese language proficiency (N5/N4)—they’ll refuse. They’d rather pay even more to skip the language requirement.”

He urged the government and relevant agencies to motivate workers to learn Japanese, assuring them that mastering just 200–240 hours of training (equivalent to N4 level) opens up numerous job opportunities in Japan.

Massive job demand across sectors

“There are currently 10 million job vacancies in Japan,” Naeem stressed. “From Okinawa to Hokkaido, entire industries and farms are shutting down due to labour shortages. Every sector—from agriculture and construction to caregiving and IT—is crying out for workers.”

He called on the Bangladesh government to strengthen communication with Japanese authorities to ensure smoother visa processing for workers who have already received COEs.

Concerns over VFS and embassy coordination

Tokyo Immigration grants the Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which cannot be influenced by bribes or external pressure. However, once the COE is issued, the application goes to the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka for final review. There, embassy-appointed agents assess the applicant’s documents.

Naeem expressed concern that these agents – often linked to third-party service provider VFS –are allegedly colluding with Bangladeshi embassy staff. 

“I’ve heard reports of applicants being contacted directly via phone and asked to pay extra for faster visa processing,” he said. “This needs urgent attention from our government.”

A golden opportunity waiting to be tapped

Despite the challenges, Japan continues to offer immense opportunities for Bangladeshi workers willing to overcome language barriers and bureaucratic hurdles. With proper government support, awareness campaigns, and anti-corruption measures, Bangladesh could significantly increase its labour exports to Japan and reap substantial economic benefits.

As Naeem concluded: “Those who do come to Japan—in any field, from laboor to IT—are doing very well. We just need to build the right systems and instil confidence in our people.”