TOKYO — Japan is set to resume accepting foreign workers for meal services at medical, welfare, and educational facilities starting next April. The government unveiled the emergency measure on October 19, 2026, aiming to address severe labor shortages by reclassifying these roles and expanding care worker quotas.
Reclassifying Meal Services
The plan shifts meal service operations from the restaurant industry category to the food and beverage production category for Type 1 residency status. The government suspended restaurant industry acceptances this April after the number of Type 1 holders nearly hit the 50,000 cap, exacerbating staffing gaps in hospitals and schools.
Officials clarified that meal services primarily involve cooking and ingredient preparation rather than customer interaction, justifying the reclassification. The food and beverage manufacturing category maintains a higher cap of 133,500 workers. As of July, this sector stood at 76 percent of its limit, providing ample room for incoming meal service personnel.
Expanding Care Worker Quotas
Alongside the meal service resumption, the government will raise the Type 1 holder cap in the elderly care sector by 20,000 to 146,900. The overall cap for the care category remains at 160,700, ensuring a balanced distribution of available slots across different support roles.
The additional 20,000 slots will be transferred from the care quota of 33,800 under the Employment for Skill Development program, launching in April 2027. This redistribution reflects demand for specified skilled workers running significantly higher than initial projections, forcing a strategic reallocation to prevent facility shutdowns.
Expert Panel Concerns
At the related expert panel meeting, industry leaders raised questions about the stopgap nature of these adjustments. Masayuki Saito, chairman of the Japan Federation of Kaigo Business Providers, criticized the shifting figures, arguing that the original estimates were flawed and calling for a more precise plan reflecting ground conditions.
Experts also warned that continuously shifting numbers between categories risks undermining the credibility of the entire system. The government aims to adopt the plan at a cabinet meeting in December while maintaining the overall foreign worker cap at 1,231,900 until the end of fiscal 2028.
Structural Reliance on Foreign Labor
Japan's declining birth rate and aging population continue to make it difficult for industries to secure domestic personnel, driving a structural reliance on foreign workers. The administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which emphasizes tighter policies on foreigners, faces the challenge of balancing workforce needs with political pressures.
The government also proposed adding snow removal duties to the construction sector for specified skilled workers. As labor shortages intensify, the reliance on foreign talent across various sectors is expected to expand, reshaping Japan's immigration and employment landscape.
