As Foreign Hiring Grows, Japanese Paperwork Remains a Major Hurdle

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Amid a severe labor shortage, demand for foreign workers in Japan is rising. At the same time, language barriers, especially limited Japanese proficiency, are making it increasingly difficult for many foreign workers to complete social security–related paperwork and other administrative procedures.

Processes such as year-end tax adjustments (nenmatsu chosei), final income tax returns (kakutei shinkoku), and medical expense deductions are particularly challenging. Explanations written in complex Japanese are often hard to understand, leaving some workers anxious that they may be missing important information or being taken advantage of.

In response, some companies have begun offering in-house support services to help foreign employees navigate these procedures with greater confidence.

Technical Terms

"When I started working in Japan, I was given various documents, but I couldn't understand what they said," recalls a 25-year-old Brazilian man. "I was worried about signing something without knowing its contents, and I didn't know what to do." He has worked as a temporary employee at a manufacturing-related company in Osaka for the past three years.

At the time, he spoke no Japanese at all, and the documents were filled with technical terms. Reading and completing them felt overwhelming. "If I signed documents without fully understanding them, I might end up agreeing to unfavorable terms. Even using AI translation tools wasn't enough. They weren't accurate all the time, and I still felt uneasy," he said.

Later, he received a postcard reminding him to submit the documents, but it too was written entirely in Japanese, leaving him unable to understand what was required.

He came to Japan with the long-term goal of starting an IT company. Compared with other countries, Japan seemed more technologically advanced and offered higher wages. Yet despite these advantages, he repeatedly encountered difficulties because he could not understand the paperwork he was required to complete.

"I know that studying Japanese is necessary to work in Japan," he said. "But if materials were available in English, things would be much easier."

*The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Central Government Building No 5 in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.*

Language Proficiency

According to a 2024 survey by the labor ministry, the most common level of Japanese proficiency among foreign workers, at 24.6 percent, was "able to participate in short conversations about everyday matters."

This was followed by "able to converse freely on a wide range of topics" at 17.6% and "able to converse about familiar topics" at 13.9%. Only 1.8% reported that they could "hardly converse at all."

However, documents submitted to public institutions often contain specialized vocabulary that is rarely used in everyday conversation, leaving many foreign workers confused.

The survey also found that common challenges included "not knowing where to seek advice when problems arise" and "being required to have a higher level of Japanese proficiency than was explained beforehand."

In response, initiatives to support foreign workers are gradually expanding.

Support Services

Techno Service, a Tokyo-based staffing company primarily serving the manufacturing sector, established a dedicated consultation department in August 2019 to support foreign employees. The department employs about 15 foreign staff members who are fluent in Japanese and well versed in Japan's social security systems. Using English and their native languages, they provide assistance from the pre-employment stage through the post-hiring period.

To date, the department has handled more than 30,000 cases and responds to approximately 200 to 300 phone inquiries per day. Most consultations involve help with administrative paperwork, such as procedures for enrolling in social insurance.

During peak periods, such as year-end tax adjustments and final income tax returns, which many Japanese workers also find challenging, the number of consultations rises sharply, prompting the company to extend its service hours.

A company representative said, "Some employers hesitate to hire foreign workers because they are unsure how to handle issues when they arise. Having a dedicated support department helps lower the barriers for companies considering foreign hires."

Author: Akari Horiguchi, The Sankei Shimbun

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