The government is aiming to bring in more foreign workers from Central Asian countries, partly through the "specified skilled worker program" that allows foreign nationals to do jobs that involve manual work.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is expected to announce the policy during a meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan and five Central Asian nations of the former Soviet bloc, in Tokyo on Dec. 24.
This move is believed to be aimed at encouraging the self-reliance of the countries -- Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan -- and at reining in Russia and China, both of which have strong influence over the region.
