Shinichiro Tsukada says his small plastering company in Tokyo wouldn¡¯t survive without the 22 Chinese and Vietnamese workers who make up half his payroll.
¡°They¡¯re treasures, real treasures,¡± he said. ¡°Workers are disappearing as our population ages. Buildings cannot be built because there aren¡¯t enough workers. ... We have no choice but to allow them into the country.¡±
Across Japan, hotels, farms and construction sites are feeling an intensifying labor crunch as the worker pool shrinks and demand rises ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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