Unravelling the Global Care Chain and Human Capital Dynamics: Thai Caregivers in Japan

Abstract

Since 2019, Japan has implemented a strategic policy to address its labour shortage within the service sector, particularly in areas such as elderly long-term care. This policy also incentivises workers from Southeast Asia to work in Japan. The Japanese government released a new visa type, “Specified Skilled Worker” (SSW). A fundamental prerequisite for individuals seeking employment as care workers in Japan under this policy is the attainment of a minimum N4 level proficiency in Japanese. The study aims to determine how Thai females became caregivers in Japan through human capital training in the global care chain. Data was collected by conducting in-depth interviews with representatives of Thailand and Japan, two in public and four in the private sector, and ten caregivers, totalling sixteen people from 2021 to 2022. The result showed that most workers were female, had high graduation backgrounds, and did not relate to elderly care. However, they reskilled and upskilled in a highly demanding and stable caregiving career. They believed that work experience in Japan was their dream job with higher income and experience abroad, which will link to their future work investment and career. The skill training channel is a nursing care or Japanese language school connected with an elderly facilities agency from Japan. The schools are not only training elderly care programs for workers but also schooling them in the Japanese language, and finally, sending workers to Japan; care workers have to pay for facilities by themselves. Consequently, Thai care workers will become caregivers in Japan as a part of the global care chain. The private sector is the primary source of upskilling or reskilling to become human capital. However, there is no channel for care workers to go to Japan through a public program; the private sector provides it.