COMMENT | In recent news reports, it was affirmed that by April 2019, Japan would be in need of 500,000 workers to plug the various labour shortages in the country.

With the impending Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2020, Japan has to go full steam ahead to complete all the stadiums and dormitories.

It is also likely to be the last Olympics in Japan for many generations to come as the country begins to age. But more on that later.

As things are, the first draft of the labour policy reform has been passed in the Japanese parliament session last week, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

In the next two weeks, the Japanese parliament is about to approve these laws. The aim is to permit more foreign workers to operate and work in Japan - side by side with Japanese workers. More of these foreign workers' family members would be allowed into Japan to join their spouses too, potentially after five years.

According to Japanese employment laws, their wages would have to be the same with Japanese workers. Thus, there would not be any discrimination.

An international student in Japan, as of now, can work up to a maximum of 28 hours a week. In a month, the 72 hours can translate into a part-time salary of US$1600-1800 a month...