President of Japanese soba chain Yudetaro defends hiring foreigners despite backlash.

TOKYO — The president of buckwheat noodle chain operator Yudetaro System began posting on the company’s official Facebook page in late February, pushing back against criticism of its employment of foreign workers. An investigation looked into why the head of the largest soba chain in Japan, employing over 500 foreigners, started sharing what he calls “statements,” which could potentially land him in trouble.

Tomoaki Ikeda, the 68-year-old president of the company operating the Yudetaro soba buckwheat noodles chain, posts almost every day on a wide range of topics, from promoting new menu items to current issues such as spring wage negotiations and artificial intelligence (AI). While his typical posts draw 10,000 to 20,000 views, those about hiring foreign workers have recently surged to around 300,000.

The shift became noticeable after the phrase “Japanese first” started circulating during last year’s House of Councillors election. He says he received complaints such as, “You’re a traitor to the nation,” and, “You’re going to let foreigners make soba?” Ikeda revealed he “deliberately wrote about it to see how much they (the posts) would blow up.”

Yudetaro System operates 130 directly managed stores nationwide. It has about 160 Japanese employees and more than 500 foreign nationals, including workers from Myanmar, Vietnam and Nepal. In addition, it has roughly 1,200 part-time employees. The company is now in a state where it cannot operate without foreign workers.

Among foreign nationals working in the food service and other industries, the most common residence statuses are types (i) and (ii) of the Specified Skilled Worker visa. Introduced in 2019, the system allows foreigners with specialized knowledge or skills to work in industries facing labor shortages. While type (i) does not permit family accompaniment and is limited to five years, type (ii) allows workers to bring family members to Japan and can lead to eligibility for permanent residency.

After the coronavirus pandemic subsided, hiring conditions in the food service industry became extremely tight. Yudetaro System is among businesses that expanded its recruitment of foreign workers. It directly hires young people who obtained type (i) status in their home countries as full-time employees, and has them work while acquiring the type (ii) status and “N2,” the second-highest level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. Transitioning from type (i) to type (ii) allows them to continue working long term.

The company hires at a pace of 60 to 70 people a year, and the number of foreign nationals serving as store managers rose to 12 this spring. It has also introduced a scholarship program and is building a system to help as many people as possible continue working for the long term.

However, criticism of foreign workers is constantly seen on Facebook. Comparing them with Japanese workers, Ikeda carefully explains that foreign employees face stricter labor conditions and workplace environments. Still users respond with a series of rebuttals such as, “You’re not hiring Japanese people and are using foreigners cheaply just for profit,” “If you’re going to spend extra money on foreigners, you should raise wages until Japanese applicants flood in,” and, “With advances in AI, more women entering the workforce and later retirement, there can’t be an absolute labor shortage.”

Ikeda explained, “It’s unavoidable that some people dislike foreigners. But there is a significant number of people who cannot distinguish between overstayers, Specified Skilled Workers and highly skilled professionals, who seriously believe what amounts to false rumors.”

When asked why he continues making posts that are effectively like stepping into a minefield, Ikeda said, “Given the state society is in, I want both our foreign workers and our Japanese employees to understand the company’s stance.” He is deliberately taking on topics that are difficult to address and hard to speak about.

“Foreign workers are part of the working population who pay taxes