Vietnamese Labor Day in Japan 2024

On December 8, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs co-organized the Vietnamese Labor Day in Japan 2024. This was the first major event dedicated to Vietnamese workers in Japan, attracting around 500 participants, including representative Vietnamese workers, trade union representatives, and Japanese businesses that employ Vietnamese workers.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan, Pham Quang Hieu, delivered the opening speech. Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/PV TTXVN in Japan

According to a reporter from TTXVN in Tokyo, in his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu stated that the organization of the first Vietnamese Labor Day in Japan reflects the concern of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Embassy for the Vietnamese workers living and working in Japan, as well as for sending Vietnamese workers to Japan in general.

According to Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu, there are currently more than 430,000 Vietnamese workers living and working in Japan under various visa statuses such as trainees, designated skilled workers, engineers, technicians, interpreters, etc. The majority of Vietnamese trainees and workers are hardworking, diligently studying to improve their Japanese language skills and technical expertise. Thanks to their efforts and the careful guidance of their receiving companies and managing trade unions, many Vietnamese workers have matured and become the core workforce of their companies, contributing to the growth of Japanese businesses and the Japanese economy, as well as strengthening the cooperative and friendly relations between the two countries.

The Ambassador expressed confidence that with the development of human resource cooperation between the two countries, the Vietnamese labor community in Japan will be formed and increasingly developed. The Ambassador hopes to build a community of skilled, creative, united, loving, and supportive Vietnamese workers in Japan.

Referring to changes in Japan’s foreign labor reception policy, the Ambassador assessed these as beneficial changes for foreign workers and Vietnamese workers, ensuring better protection of workers' rights and interests and providing foreign laborers with opportunities to develop themselves and their careers in Japan.

The Ambassador emphasized that Vietnam is on the threshold of a new development phase, with many opportunities for economic, social, and human development, and will need skilled workers with a strong sense of discipline, who have been trained and matured in developed countries like Japan. Workers who have undergone work and training processes in Japan will become a valuable human resource for Vietnam during this new development phase, becoming key factors in promoting sustainable development of the Vietnam-Japan relations.

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Nguyen Ba Hoan, spoke at the event. Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/PV TTXVN in Japan

Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan stated that in recent years, Vietnamese trainees and workers in Japan have accounted for more than 50% of the total number of Vietnamese workers going abroad. Many trainees and workers have grown and succeeded after their time working in Japan, becoming a bridge for Vietnam-Japan friendship and contributing to the development of the friendly relations between the two countries.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan commented that ensuring and enhancing the legal rights and interests of Vietnamese trainees and workers in Japan would facilitate the formation and development of a Japanese society of coexistence, contributing to ensuring a high-quality labor force for both the receiving companies and Japan.

With this spirit, Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan urged companies that have, are, or will receive Vietnamese trainees and workers to pay more attention to the workers’ lives and work, enhance their welfare, especially during difficult times due to the weak yen and rising costs in Japan.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan expressed confidence that with the support of companies receiving Vietnamese trainees and workers, along with the efforts of each Vietnamese worker, Vietnam-Japan human resource cooperation will enter a new and more solid development stage. Young Vietnamese workers will choose Japan as a destination to work and grow.

In a welcoming message to the Vietnamese Labor Day in Japan 2024, Japan's Deputy Minister of Justice Komura Masahiro mentioned that the number of Vietnamese residents in Japan has been increasing annually, reaching around 600,000 people by the end of June 2024, with about 130,000 in the designated skilled worker category, 200,000 in the technical internship category, and about 100,000 in the status of residence related to technical, international business, and human resources fields. These numbers prove that Vietnam is a very important country for Japan. The representative of the Ministry of Justice emphasized that under the new "Training - Working" system, Japan would make efforts to address existing issues in the technical internship program, such as high brokerage fees and the intervention of illegal brokers. Japan will cooperate with sending countries, including Vietnam, to ensure a healthy working environment and promote the development of foreign labor resources. The representative expressed the hope that the two countries would continue to work closely together to solve remaining challenges so that Japan would remain an attractive destination for Vietnamese workers.

Japan’s Deputy Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare, Wanibuchi, also sent a message of welcome to the Vietnamese Labor Day in Japan 2024, praising it as a wonderful event to encourage Vietnamese workers in Japan and develop the friendly relations between the two countries. According to the representative of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, the relationship between Vietnam and Japan is one with “limitless potential,” particularly in human resource development. Vietnam is currently the country with the largest number of workers in Japan. The representative mentioned that the Ministry is cooperating with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to develop a recruitment platform for those wishing to work in Japan. The Ministry is also discussing a bilateral social security agreement. The Ministry will continue to support the development of the government’s human resources in social welfare through technical cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO). Wanibuchi believes that Vietnam and Japan have collaborated on many levels regarding human resources and hopes the two countries will continue to prosper together in the future.

The President of the T.I.C. Trade Union, Kesagayama Mikio, stated that the union has received over 4,000 Vietnamese workers. According to Kesagayama Mikio, many of the trainees who were received by the union have grown and achieved significant accomplishments thanks to their extraordinary efforts, which have been highly appreciated by the receiving companies and Japanese authorities. He mentioned that the Japanese government and localities have prepared support policies to help foreign workers integrate and develop in society. The President of T.I.C. Trade Union also mentioned that in the future, Japan would welcome many talented Vietnamese workers who would continue to strive for success and become important contributors to Japan’s development.

Mr. Kesagaya Mikio, President of the T.I.C. Trade Union, speaks at the event. Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/PV TTXVN in Japan

Representing outstanding Vietnamese workers in Japan, Ho Thanh Phu, an employee of Takara Company, committed to continuing his efforts, sharing the experience he has gained, and passing it on to younger generations to help build a stronger Vietnamese community. Ho Thanh Phu believes that with a hardworking and diligent spirit, along with an increasingly higher level of expertise and skills, Vietnamese workers have and are meeting the recruitment demands of major companies and corporations in Japan. He hopes that young Vietnamese workers will continue to strive, build a beautiful image of the Vietnamese people, contribute to promoting the culture and values of their country in Japan, and maintain solidarity while enhancing the high moral traditions of the Vietnamese people.

Outstanding Vietnamese workers in Japan with Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu and Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan. Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/PV TTXVN in Japan

At the 2024 Vietnamese Labor Day event in Japan, Deputy Minister Tran Ba Hoan and Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu awarded certificates of appreciation to 30 Vietnamese workers, 12 trade unions, and 17 Japanese companies.