Pasona Group launched the “Okaeri Job” app in Vietnam in 2024. Personnel with experience living in Japan become immediate assets to Japanese companies in Vietnam. Japanese companies are well aware that personnel familiar with Japanese etiquette and business practices are invaluable. Okaeri Job focuses exclusively on Vietnamese individuals who have lived in Japan for more than one year through technical training programs or study abroad. The development of their home country’s economy (Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.) takes time. Japanese companies can shorten this time. To shorten this time, personnel with experience living in Japan are indispensable. “Okaeri Job” serves as a bridge connecting Vietnamese job seekers and Japanese companies.
There is a good example of this bridge. Han Thanh Long (34 years old) works as a security guard at a Japanese company near Ho Chi Minh City. Long started working as a security guard at ALSOK Vietnam this spring. Long has approximately four years of experience living in Japan. Working as a security guard at ALSOK Vietnam, Long is utilizing his experience in Japan. This factory receives many visitors from Japan, and the security guards who can provide guidance in Japanese are highly regarded. Pasona provides intermediary services to help Vietnamese people with experience living in Japan find employment at Japanese companies after returning home. Pasona targets only Vietnamese personnel with more than one year of experience living in Japan. A distinctive feature of Pasona’s job application app is that it only sends applications to Japanese companies. It is also gaining prominence as an “exit” for career development that allows individuals to utilize their experience living in Japan after returning home. It seems that an environment is being created that services can be provided to both incoming and returning foreign workers.
Vietnam has become the second country with the largest number of workers after China. The number of Vietnamese people living in Japan reached 630,000 at the end of 2024, an increase of approximately 70,000 compared to the previous year. In addition to providing support after their return home, efforts are also underway to improve the “entry point” for Vietnamese people coming to Japan. There have been cases of Vietnamese people who traveled to Japan burdened with debt, resulting in illegal stays or even theft to repay their debts. In July, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched an app that allows users to view official job postings. This aims to eliminate unscrupulous brokers who charge exorbitant fees. The app was launched for Vietnamese people who wish to work safely in Japan, allowing them to view job information. It appears that a system is gradually being put in place to accept refugees, provide them with a safe place to work and earn an income after they are accepted, and provide for them to continue working safely.
