Japan's foreign firefighters become fixtures in local communities

More tasked with disaster preparation and interpretation despite legal uncertainties

20241023N Yokohama Chinese firefighter

Part-time firefighter Zhao Chunliang works with Yokohama's Minami Fire Station to help foreign residents prepare for and navigate disasters. (Photo by Satoko Kawasaki)

HIROYUKI UEDA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Foreign firefighters are playing a growing role across Japanese communities amid an influx of foreign residents and a chronic labor shortage, though questions remain over exactly what they are allowed to do under the law.

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