As foreign companies have increased their presence in Japan in recent years, many have found it difficult to hire quality local staff.
While the language barrier is often blamed, the relatively inflexible labor market is also seen as responsible. But the situation seems to be gradually improving.
More Japanese workers are changing jobs and many are beginning to understand Western methods of business management. And foreign employers are increasingly eager to meet the expectations of potential recruits. Foreign firms want local staff for cultural, political and economic reasons. As the economy is becoming more globalized, they also prefer to employ Japanese executives who understand both domestic and foreign business practices.