Friday, May 02, 2008
Learn the language, stay a while longer
I just noticed a Bloomberg report on a statement from Foreign Minister Koumura* Masahiko that might be of interest if you’re in Japan on a work visa of some kind. From the article:
The government may expand the period of stay for foreigners who know Japanese to five years from three, Komura told reporters at a briefing in Tokyo today. Non-Japanese who use the language in their work, such as flight attendants, may face easier entry requirements, he said.
“This is to relax regulations, not to tighten them,” said Komura. “We will never deny those who were previously accepted to Japan simply because of their lack of Japanese ability.”
The original text of his statement at the May 1 press conference is on the MOFA website. No word yet on how exactly the Japanese government intends to gauge foreigners’ linguistic skills, but Koumura mentions an “objective test” (客観的な試験を行うのが公明正大ではないかと思います) of some kind as a likely way to do so.
* The FM prefers this romanization for his name, and it’s what I write when I’m doing work for his ministry; Bloomberg’s people have gone with a simpler scheme, though. Romanization wars: a topic for a future post?