Japan’s Mie Pref. to Shelve Nationality Rule in Hiring

Tsu, Mie Pref., May 9 (Jiji Press)–The Mie prefectural government in central Japan is considering not restoring the nationality requirement for its fiscal 2026 employment examinations, officials have said. The prefecture considers the reinstatement unfeasible at least for now, as it is still waiting for the results of a resident questionnaire on the matter to come out. Mie abolished the rule restricting its staff employment to Japanese nationals in fiscal 1999 for most job categories to encourage foreign nationals to participate in society. Last December, Governor Katsuyuki Ichimi said he intended to revive the requirement to prevent confidential information from leaking. He signaled the possibility of restoring the rule as early as the fiscal 2026 hiring cycle. The fiscal 2026 employment exam guide disclosed Friday contained no nationality restrictions, leaving foreign nationals eligible to apply. The prefecture, expected to release the questionnaire results this month, will continue considering how to deal with the issue. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]