In late May 2025, Japan announced that it would welcome one lakh (100,000) skilled workers from Bangladesh over the next five years. This initiative will be formalized through memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between the Bangladesh Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) and Japanese partners. By 2040, Japan's labour shortage is expected to reach around 11 million, while Bangladesh's youth are eager for jobs. However, a big question arose: will this initiative deliver mutual benefits, or will missteps strain the hard-earned trust between Dhaka and Tokyo? 

Directly speaking, this potential has a high chance of bringing better benefits to Bangladesh if carefully managed. First of all, it will create a massive employment opportunity for Bangladeshi unemployed youths. Second, this activity will leverage the country's economy, injecting millions of dollars in remittances. Bangladesh Bank (BB) data show that Bangladesh received $112.99 million in remittance inflows from Japan in FY 2022-23. 

Now, think about what would happen if 100,000 workers could successfully land there for dedicated jobs? It might be a billion-dollar opportunity. It also helps to maintain financial stability, supporting our development and growth significantly without external debt.

Third, working in Japan offers more benefits beyond monetary compensation. It provides valuable skills development and management philosophy. Japan’s workplaces are famous for practices like Kaizen (continuous improvement) and the 5S methodology (a disciplined 5-step approach to organizing the workplace). Bangladeshi workers can fulfil their thirst for knowledge by learning total quality management (TQM), time management, lean production, job rotation, and other relevant skills. Over time, this knowledge could elevate Bangladesh’s industries. Additionally, Japanese-returning Bangladeshi employees will have preferences for working in Japanese institutions in Bangladesh.

Fourth, Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus enthused, 'This initiative will open the door for Bangladeshis not only to work but also to know Japan.' The flow of workers fosters deeper cultural connections, working as an informal ambassador of Bangladesh in Japan. Prior logics may depict Japan as the only opportunity, but this is not the only scenario. To transform the benefit into reality, we need to address the significant challenges and cultural gaps.

Understanding Japanese work culture

Japanese workplaces are highly disciplined and group-oriented. They frequently emphasize long-term commitment, the senpai-kohai system (senior-junior relations), consensus and collective harmony, the ringi system (bottom-up decision-making system), and believe in an immaculately organized workspace. But these tendencies are comparatively unfamiliar in Bangladesh. Instead, we concentrate on the more centralized decision-making.

Training and language constraints are another hurdle. The Daily Star quotes a foreign ministry official warning, “We haven’t been able to train enough people” to meet these standards. Bangladesh has lacked sufficient Japanese language teachers. Besides, Bangladesh should scale up vocational programs quickly. These two nations have significant variations in work productivity. They (Japanese) are used to working long hours and giving meticulous attention to details. Their tendency to maintain a strict schedule is also a significant challenge for Bangladeshi people.

Different social norms are critical issues in this perspective. Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country; in contrast, Shintoism and Buddhism dominate a large portion of Japanese society. A friction may appear between bowing and a handshake. Furthermore, Japanese heavy omotenashi (hospitality) is comparatively fresh and unique to Bangladeshi workers.  These cultural variations and sensitivities can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications. The Japanese are very sensitive to crime rates and law violations, but we are often accustomed to breaking laws frequently. These types of activities may lead to reputational damage and undermine public support for the program.

Opportunities and challenges

So, what should Bangladesh do now? Bangladesh should make skills tests mandatory for visa processing. Besides, curriculum development is immediately urgent to offer in-depth knowledge about eldercare practices, Japanese language, and management philosophy, like understanding of 5S (Sort (Seiri), Set in Order (Seiton), Shine (Seiso), Standardize (Seiketsu), and Sustain (Shitsuke)), Kaizen. Ultimately, we have to align Japanese needs with our technical and training institute.

Bangladesh must ensure that selected candidates are not only qualified but also mentally and culturally prepared, and that they are well-informed about Japanese workplace norms, social customs, punctuality, and legal affairs. They must understand that they are the informal brand ambassadors of Bangladesh. We must take strict measures against unscrupulous manpower agencies. To maintain transparency, both nations should establish a bilateral monitoring committee, which can share regular data on performance, placements, and workers' welfare, thereby helping to foster bilateral trust quickly. People-to-people support should be enforced to teach adaptability, where pre-migrants help newcomers.

Ultimately, the recruitment of 100,000 workers presents both opportunities and challenges for Bangladesh. If Bangladeshis can understand Japanese work culture, then it's truly a blessing; however, misunderstanding or violating it poses a risk to the hard-earned trust that has been established between the two Asian countries. 

(The author, a researcher-writer and strategic and economic affairs analyst, is a former student of Japanese Studies, Social Science Faculty, University of Dhaka. Views expressed are personal.  He can be contacted at mhmehedi505@gmail.com