On this day, he stressed, “There has been severe criticism from the international community, and there has been a string of fraudulent acts and human rights violations.” He continued that even though their status is trainees, “in reality, they are the labor force that supports Japanese society,” and that “various human rights violations are occurring because the reality and public facade are far apart. The technical internship system should be abolished.”
The primary issues and challenges facing Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) can be summarized into three key points.
Discrepancy Between Purpose and Reality
The TITP was established in 1993 with the official goal of contributing to international society by transferring skillsto developing countries. In practice, however, it has primarily been used as a way to secure low-wage labor to fill Japan’s labor shortages. This fundamental gap between the program’s stated purpose and its actual use is the root cause of many of its problems.
Labor and Human Rights Issues
The failure of the program to adhere to its stated purpose has led to widespread human rights violations and poor working conditions for trainees.
- Low Wages and Long Hours: Many reports have documented cases of trainees being paid below minimum wage, having their overtime wages withheld, and being subjected to excessively long working hours. Since many trainees arrive in Japan with significant debts from fees to brokers, this economic pressure often leads them to flee their jobs and work illegally.
- Restrictions on Changing Jobs: Trainees are generally not allowed to change employers. This restriction traps them in exploitative situations, forcing them to endure harassment, violence, or other human rights abuses without being able to leave their workplace.
- Inadequate Oversight: The organizations that supervise the trainees (supervising organizations) often fail to provide adequate support, with some engaging in illegal fee collection, which makes it difficult for trainees to seek help or resolve issues.
International Criticism
Japan’s TITP has faced severe criticism from the international community, with some organizations labeling it as a source of forced labor. The U.S. State Department’s “Trafficking in Persons Report” has specifically pointed to the Japanese system as a hotbed for forced labor. This international pressure has been a major driver behind the push for a fundamental review of the system.
To address these issues, the Japanese government has decided to replace the TITP with a new system called the “Nurturing Employment Program” (Ikusei Shuro Seido). This new program, which passed into law in 2024, aims to balance both human resource development and labor supply, allowing trainees to change jobs under certain conditions to better protect them and support their career growth.
