[Customer Testimonial] A famous Japanese restaurant that has been awarded a Michelin star for 12 consecutive years! The impetus for hiring foreigners was a strong desire to "support young people" (Ajikitcho Co., Ltd.)

[Customer Profile]

Ajikicho Co., Ltd. Bunbuan

Located in the heart of Osaka Honmachi, this restaurant creates a beautiful space by fusing sukiya architecture with a natural garden, allowing you to appreciate the unique beauty of Japan. It has been awarded a Michelin star for 12 consecutive years and is a renowned Japanese restaurant visited by customers from both within Japan and overseas.

This time, we spoke with Chef Nakatani of Ajikitcho Bunbuan , which has been awarded a Michelin star for 12 consecutive years !

────Please tell us the background behind your decision to start hiring specific skilled workers.

The original reason we started accepting foreigners was because we received many requests from students overseas who said, "I want to learn Japanese cuisine." Some of them even sent us enthusiastic letters and emails from overseas. We had a strong desire to support young people who wanted to learn Japanese cuisine , but at the time there was no system for specific skills, so we consulted with the Immigration Bureau and lawyers and provided as much support as possible to teach Japanese cuisine. After that, they each returned to their home countries or achieved independence, but our desire to help young people remained unchanged.

After that, in 2019, the Specified Skilled Worker System came into effect, allowing us to hire foreigners as full-time employees, and we began employing foreigners as full-time employees.We now have a staff member from Korea who joined us as a graduate of Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka working hard for us.

--Were you worried about hiring new graduates from overseas?

When the Specified Skilled Worker System was launched, there was a labor shortage, so we were actively considering hiring young people. We had no particular concerns about hiring foreigners. It's natural that not everyone can do the job at first, and this is the same for both Japanese and foreigners, so we intended to teach them from scratch .

In fact, I had acquired basic knowledge at a vocational school in Japan, and I didn't encounter any unexpected difficulties after joining the company. Also, in many cases, employees come to us as part-timers while still in school, so I think that's why we were able to join the company without any major gaps between us.

──Please tell us about the good and bad things about employing specific skilled workers.

The "good thing" is that they are not much different from hiring Japanese people and can work as respectable members of staff . The employment conditions are the same, and as for Japanese language proficiency, those who have acquired "Specified Skill No. 1" are required to have N4 or above, and the employees who join our company have graduated from Japanese vocational schools, so there are no problems with conversation. In a good sense, there is no need to be careful or take special care because they are "foreigners ." We really treat them just like Japanese people, as employees.

As for "problems," there really aren't any in particular. As I said earlier, they are fluent in Japanese and have no problems communicating with us, so they work really well. In the past, when we employed foreigners with our own support, it was really difficult to go through the immigration bureau procedures and prepare the necessary documents, but now we are supported by the Restaurant Association, so we don't have to deal with that administrative burden, which is a great help.

──Please tell us about the actual work that foreign employees do.

Ms. Lee, a staff member from Korea, has just entered her third year with the company. She has been working diligently and diligently, and is currently mainly in the fried and grilled food sections, as well as preparing fruit. Recently, we have been gradually teaching her fish dishes as well. In the world of Japanese cuisine, it is said that a long period of time is required to be able to work with fish, but the upper limit for Specified Skills No. 1 is five years. Of course, if she wishes, she can switch to No. 2 and continue working longer, but we want her to gain the most experience possible in these five years, so we have begun teaching her fish dishes little by little.

Ms. Lee has a naturally cheerful personality, so it's helpful that she doesn't keep things she doesn't understand or is having trouble with bottled up, but instead asks questions herself. In recent years, the number of inbound tourists has increased, and there are many customers from Asia in particular, so she also acts as an interpreter for customers from her home country and explains the menu to them.

When a Korean customer came to the restaurant on vacation, Mr. Lee went out to see them off as they were leaving, and they were surprised to see a Korean working there, but at the same time, they were very happy. When they come from overseas to enjoy Japanese cuisine, they are very happy to learn that young people from their country are working hard at the restaurant, aiming to become top chefs. Just two days ago, this very same case happened, and a customer even took a commemorative photo with the staff before leaving. It makes us happy to know that this will remain as one of the customer's memories.

Mr. Lee (left), originally from Korea, is in his third year at the company, and head chef Mr. Nakatani (right)

──What do you think about the restaurant industry becoming a target of Specified Skills Category 2?

I believe that expanding the scope of eligibility is necessary to resolve labor shortages and secure a workforce, so I see the revision as a positive one. A lack of labor force will result in a decline in economic strength, and there are many enthusiastic young foreigners, like those who actually work for our company, so I think this is a good thing for their career advancement. Mr. Lee, mentioned earlier, is also aiming to obtain Level 2 certification and pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N1. I've also looked at the Level 2 exam textbook, and it's quite difficult. In addition to cooking knowledge, there are also management issues, so I would like to support him in acquiring this knowledge in his everyday work.

──Please tell us about your future prospects for utilizing specific skilled workers.

Japan has been talking about a declining birthrate for decades now, and as the number of people seeking to become chefs will continue to decrease in the future, I believe it is necessary to employ foreigners. However, our goal is not just to secure human resources; we also want to support young people who love Japan and have aspirations for the world of Japanese cuisine. This applies to both Japanese and foreigners. Therefore, we would like to take advantage of the Specified Skills System to accept foreigners who dream of becoming Japanese chefs, and support as many young people as possible so that they can acquire this life's work.

Thank you to Mr. Nakatani of Ajikitcho Co., Ltd. for your valuable insights!

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The Japan Food and Beverage Association for Foreign Employment

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