Lahiru Madhushan, second from right, a second-year student at Nissan Automobile Technical College in Yokohama, says he has "always loved cars" and intends to work as a mechanic in Japan after graduation. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

Japan's auto industry opens door to foreign car mechanics

Labor shortage leads trade schools to welcome Asian students from Vietnam to Nepal

SAYUMI TAKE, Nikkei staff writer

April 5, 2024 06:00 JST

TOKYO -- Young people from developing countries in Asia are flocking to Japan to enroll in technical colleges for auto mechanics, hoping to fill a void in the nation's workforce created by its falling birthrate.

The schools, operated by automakers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan or independently, are welcoming the post-COVID surge as they seek to meet the domestic demand for computer-savvy mechanics who can repair high-tech cars -- including ones that run on batteries.