Labor-starved Japan welcomes return of foreign workers

Tokyo will open borders to non-tourists next week

20200925N Farm hand

A Thai worker harvests crops at a Japanese farm, which are dependent on foreign labor. © Reuters

SHOGO KODAMA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japanese businesses desperate for labor have welcomed the decision by the government Friday to relax entry controls for non-tourist visa holders.

"The plan is to do everything possible to reopen traffic for non-tourists as long as [COVID-19] testing is fully conducted, regardless of whether someone is Japanese or a foreigner," Prime Minster Yoshihide Suga said during a meeting with the coronavirus task force.

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