Japanese taxi companies are eager for talents, and Chinese ＂brothers＂ are sought after
China News Service, February 14, Japan’s Oriental New Daily published an article saying that "brother" – a profession that is usually difficult for foreigners to enter in the eyes of ordinary people, has opened the door to foreigners in Tokyo. Recently, Japan’s Yamate Group, which has a taxi business, has extended an olive branch to foreigners who want to be "brother" in Japan. Aiming at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Yamate Group is on full fire in recruiting taxi drivers. Among them, Chinese drivers have high hopes.
The article is excerpted as follows:
In 2018, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan hit a record high of 8.38 million, and with the call of "buying" and "breaking snow (snow) ", a large number of Chinese tourists flocked to the streets of Japan. Not only that, but the number of Chinese living in Tokyo and the surrounding "bed town" (bed town) is also increasing.
It is in order to provide more comfortable and convenient taxi services to the growing number of Chinese customers that Yamate Group, which has about 600 taxis, has developed a plan to recruit Chinese taxi drivers.
In order to become a taxi driver in Japan, in addition to a regular driver’s license, you must also obtain a second type of driver’s license with operating qualifications. Before you can start your job, you must also pass a test on service specifications and geographical knowledge. It is precisely because of this high threshold that Japanese taxi companies rarely recruit drivers to foreigners. In response to these difficulties, Yamate Group provides a comprehensive training system and training program for Chinese drivers.
The company assists applicants to obtain a second type of driver’s license and bears the relevant expenses. During the training period, it not only helps new drivers to familiarize themselves with the geographical location, but also cultivates drivers’ professional skills in sightseeing, tourism, elderly rehabilitation and other aspects. And establish an incubation program to help prospective drivers obtain professional qualifications in related industries.
In addition to professional qualification exams, differences in language and culture are also tests that foreigners have to endure in their daily contact with a variety of passengers. Yamate Group also uses its language schools to provide Japanese language and Japanese culture assistance and guidance to Chinese drivers.
Because taxi drivers are often on a step-by-step (commission) system, in a Japanese society that believes in "merit sequence", they often give the impression of unstable income. To dispel the public’s stereotype of taxi drivers, the taxi industry has been working hard by raising wages, making pay transparent, and providing employees with opportunities to rise.
In order to reduce the pressure of new drivers and eliminate the sense of resistance in the industry, Yamate Group provides new drivers with a minimum wage guarantee system of 10 months, 270,000 yen (about 16,000 yuan) per month and three months of free accommodation to help newcomers get through the initial entry stage.
And for those "veteran drivers" who have already obtained the qualification of operation, Yamate Group even offers a reward of 500,000 yen to attract talents to join.
The "thirst for talent" of Japanese companies is inseparable from the general environment of Japanese society.
On September 7, 2013, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the International Olympic Committee announced that Tokyo, Japan, would host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The news made the whole country boil, and the Japanese government took this opportunity to establish the "Tourism Nation" strategy as an important pillar of its economic policy. As an important pillar of its economic policy, it proposed to attract foreign tourists 40 million in 2020 and achieve the goal of 8 trillion yen in tourism consumption.
According to the data released by the Japanese Government Tourism Bureau, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan has increased every year. Compared with the 6.22 million of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan has reached 31 million in 2018, which has increased by about 5 times. According to the data released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, the surplus of Japan’s tourism revenue and expenditure in the first half of 2018 was as high as 1.2642 trillion yen (about 70 billion yuan). It is foreseeable that tourism revenue will greatly affect the direction of Japan’s economy.
This is accompanied by a huge tourism market. In 2018, the consumption of foreign tourists visiting Japan is estimated to reach 4.5064 trillion yen (about 280 billion yuan), setting a record high. Whether it is the number of tourists or the amount of consumption, the contribution of Chinese mainland is firmly ranked first. Last year, the number of Chinese mainland tourists visiting Japan 8.38 million increased by 13.9% year-on-year, breaking the 8 million mark for the first time; Chinese mainland tourists spent as much as 1.537 trillion yen (about 95.167 billion yuan) in Japan, accounting for more than one-third of the total consumption of foreigners in Japan.
In the face of the strong spending power of Chinese tourists, Japanese companies are also racking their brains to get a piece of the cake. As an indispensable part of the bridge of communication, those who understand the needs of Chinese customers and are familiar with Japanese society are forced to cut the needs of the job market.
In addition, the huge gap created by the severe shortage of labor force has also made Japanese society look more towards foreign workers.
According to the latest forecast by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan’s labor force will decline by as much as 22% from 65.30 million in 2017 to 52.50 million in 2040. If urgent measures are not taken, Japanese society will face the dilemma of reducing the labor force by nearly 13 million in the next 20 years.
The shortage of labor is not just a fantasy of the future. According to Japanese media reports, 45 Japanese companies declared bankruptcy in August 2018 due to a shortage of manpower, a record high. Statistics released by the Imperial Japan Database Room also show that 45.4% of Japanese companies surveyed have a shortage of manpower.
The grim labor force projections have also prompted Japanese companies to step up their calls for society to accept more foreign workers and immigrants.
Despite some reluctance, the Japanese government has also had to take a more open attitude towards immigration. On December 8, 2018, the Japanese Diet Senate voted in opposition to the "Exit Management and Refugee Recognition Law", which was dubbed by the Japanese media as the "Expansion of Foreign Talents Act". The bill aims to introduce more foreign workers and solve the labor shortage problem caused by Japan’s declining birthrate and aging population.
The entry into force of the new law allows the Japanese government to establish two new "residence permits" (residence permits) to accept more foreign workers. According to the plan, the new system will be implemented on April 1, 2019, and it is planned to introduce more than 340,000 foreign workers to 14 industries, including agriculture and elderly care, within five years.
Perhaps in the near future, it will be commonplace to see foreign laborers busy in every scene of Japanese life.