‘Japayukis’ skeptical over new Japan hiring policy

Overseas performing artists (OPAs) believe the government is merely trying to appease the growing restiveness among them despite the recent pronouncement of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that the Japanese government will not yet fully implement its new immigration policy by Jan. 4.

But according to the Philippine Overseas Entertainment Industry Foundation and the Federation of Entertainment Talents and Managers of the Philippines, Tokyo’s sincerity will be proven once working visas are issued to OPAs.

Since November, the groups claimed Japan has denied a great number of visa applications of Filipino OPAs using Artist Record Books (ARBs) to accredit them as legitimate entertainers.

This has raised doubts that the Japanese government will only temporarily relax its more rigid rules in hiring foreign artists.

Tokyo’s plan to impose tighter rules on the issuance of visas is to prevent or reduce the entry of non-entertainers into Japan. Its government points out that the ARB has failed to prevent the entry of human trafficking victims into their country.

Industry sources said Tokyo’s new policy will result in the outright massive displacement of some 80,000 Filipino OPAs deployed yearly to Japan.

In recent published reports, DFA undersecretary for migrant affairs Jose Brillantes said the Japanese government remains open to negotiations initiated by the Philippines to delay the implementation of new immigration laws.

Brillantes added that Tokyo has committed to study Manila’s proposal for continued recognition of the Philippines’ accreditation system and the adoption of a five-year transition period before the full implementation of the new rules.

"There is no deadline set for the implementation of the law that is set to take effect on Jan. 4," Brillantes said.

However, Willie Espiritu, the president of the two protesting groups, said there is no clear signal yet on these issues they want addressed.

The coalition said it would take around five years for Filipino entertainers to be ready to adapt to the new immigration system of Japan.

The groups fear "a horsetrading is in the works with the reported deployment of a hundred of Filipina nurses and caregivers to Japan in lieu of hundreds of thousands of OPAs."

Japan has recently agreed to ease regulations on the entry of Filipino nurses and caregivers after they had completed language training and passed the nursing board exams. But an agreement with the Philippine government has yet to be finalized.

Espiritu warned that his members would not hesitate to take their concerns to the streets once again.

Last month, hundreds of OPAs staged a series of rally at the DFA, the Department of Labor and Employment head offices and the Japanese embassy, all in Manila, to protest Tokyo’s new immigration rules.

Filipino OPAs comprise about 60 percent of foreign artists in Japan. They work as dancers, singers and musicians.

Espiritu pointed out the Philippine government also stands to lose $3 billion in annual remittances.

Under Japan’s new immigration rules, only those who studied for two years in an educational institution specializing in the performing arts would be granted an artist’s visa.

OPAs lamented this was "very impossible to comply with at the moment."

Tokyo has said the new policy only aims to curb human trafficking, citing that many OPAs, Filipinas included, end up in sex brothels.

The OPAs also asked Japanese officials to continue recognizing the artist record book as proof of an entertainer’s competence.