Japan to Increase Foreign Workers: Official

Washington, April 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is considering increasing the number of foreign engineers and researchers accepted into the country by units of 100,000, Yasutoshi Nishimura, senior vice minister at the Cabinet Office, said Monday. Nishimura signaled Japan's intention to significantly ease the applicability criteria for preferential treatment of the visa status of highly skilled foreign workers. He made the remarks at a question-and-answer session after a Washington lecture on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth strategies. In addition, Nishimura said the government will promote deregulation in the capital of Tokyo to allow for 24-hour financial transactions in an effort to strengthen its status as an international financial center and encourage investment. The proposals are part of the government's move to set up special strategic zones in and around the major cities of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya under Abenomics, or Abe's economic policies. On the special zone planned in the Kansai western Japan region, Nishimura said measures such as the strengthening of distribution networks through the integrated operation of Kansai International Airport, Itami airport and Kobe airport, and the Osaka and Kobe ports are under consideration. Also, the establishment of a center for regenerative and other advanced medicine, as well as the approval of casino operations are among proposals being discussed as ways to attract Asia's wealthy class, according to Nishimura. END