This article uses “technical intern” or “technical intern trainee” to refer to 技能実習生 (gino jisshusei). Abuse of this “training” system (in fact, the system has been used to circumvent prohibitions against bringing people to Japan to do low-skill jobs) has quite a history in Kumamoto. Here’s a link to an article called “Chinese trainees in Japan win court battle for back pay”:
http://www.zenroren.gr.jp/jp/english/2010/02/english100302_01.html
“Four people, including Chinese trainees aged 22-25, won a court battle demanding that two companies pay them unpaid wages in back pay as well as consolation money. They joined the Local Union in Kumamoto Prefecture affiliated with the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and brought the case to court in 2007. The two companies in Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, were subcontractors of Wacoal, Japan’s major women’s underwear maker, but both went out of business.”
In the following post, I point out that much of the increase in Kumamoto’s foreign population in recent years (Kumamoto’s non-Japanese population has been growing faster proportioinally than most other prefectures) can be attributed to trainees. I also provide links to news articles that relate to the abuse of the trainee system, including a 2010 article about the four Chinese interns (trainees):
https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1869268536479903
Kirk
