The Truth Behind JITCO

Karen Zheung

Ms. Parham

AP Language and Composition

The Truth behind JITCO

            Japan is a country very different from America in size, culture, and even business strategies. For years they remained closed off to outsiders and prohibited any entry until they were forced to trade. Even now Japan remains a very insular nation. However, if Japan wishes to be able to compete in the market they must adopt the western ideas of off shoring and outsourcing. In my pervious blog I focused on how Japan outsourced their own workers to foreign countries. As for off shoring Japan imports foreign workers rather than sending the jobs overseas. In Japan’s effort to stay on the competitive edge they off shore in not so obvious ways further deteriorating it’s relation with its surrounding neighborhoods.

            Since Japan has a policy of giving college graduates life-time employment there’s a shortage of unskilled workers to take on basic manufacturing jobs. As a result of this shortage a Japanese training program called the Japan International Technical Corporation Organization (JITCO) was created. JITCO attracts many Filipinos, Vietnamese, and Chinese by supposedly supporting “the transfer of Japanese technique and skills to developing countries through the schemes of training” either through a training or internship program. (Satoshi). As alluring as this sounds many of the trainees soon find out otherwise.  In order for the workers to secure a spot as a trainee many paid “fees and deposits to local brokers, sometimes putting up their homes as collateral.” (Tabuchi). Upon arriving in Japan the workers found themselves working long hours under minimum wage. Zhang Yuwei, had paid $8,860 – several years income—to a broker for the spot in the program. Ms. Zhang worked about eight hours a day for about $3.77 an hour for the first year assembling cell phone keyboards sold by Sharp. As her wages increased (still under min. wage) so did her hours. In addition the “employer demanded her passport and housed her in a cramped apartment with no heat, alongside five other trainees.”  (Tabuchi). Working conditions were so bad that “managers would tell Japanese employees to avoid her work area.” (Tabuchi).

            Although JITCO claims to be sharing its technical skills while sharing cultural knowledge, those employed under the system strongly attest to that. Rather than gaining any new knowledge the workers are only seen as a source of cheap labor with their well-being completely over looked. Jiang Xiao Dong, aged 31 died after heart attack in June 2008 from being overworked. Japanese Labor Standards Office officially certified his death as “karoshi” meaning death from overwork. The Office found that on average Jiang worked “over 80 hours a week for the 12 months preceding his death”. (Human Rights). Nor is the cultural exchange taking place when managers verbally abuse the trainees with follow orders or “swim back to the Philippines.” (Tabuchi).

            While this program is definitely advantageous for the Japanese it undoubtedly creates more racial tension especially between China and Japan. While it’s unclear what the future holds for JITCO and the trainees it’s evident that Japan will use immoral methods to get advance its economy as any other country would.  

Works Cited

"2010 Human Rights Report: Japan." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State,

            08 Apr. 2011. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

Hiroko Tabuchi. "Japan Training Program Is Said to Exploit Workers." The New York

            Times. The New York Times, 21 July 2010. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

Ozawa, Harumi. "AFP: Japan's Trainee Programme 'human Trafficking':Lawyer." Google

News. Google, 22 July 2010. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

Satoshi, Kamata. "Japan's Internship Training Program for Foreign Workers: Education

or Exploitation? :: JapanFocus." Japan's Internship Training Program for Foreign Workers: Education or Exploitation? :: JapanFocus. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.