By Daniel de Bomford and Arthur Menkes
With labor shortages expected to become more acute due to Japan’s demographic challenges, businesses are seeking new solutions, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, where the average worker age exceeds 65. Dispatch agency Entry is providing solutions to staffing challenges by delivering rapid, short-term labor solutions with extremely short lead times. President Jun Teramoto states that the company enables its clients to scale their workforce as needed, whether for a few days or several months. “With Entry, companies can request a precise number of workers according to demand and modify that request down to the smallest detail,” he says.
This is especially impactful in agriculture, where seasonal factors such as harvests dramatically fluctuate the demand for labor. Teramoto says that Entry’s ability to respond to these demands quickly sets them apart. Many of the company’s key clients operate logistics and distribution, including major apparel and e-commerce businesses. With the shrinking workforce, Entry is targeting international students to fill vacant positions. To ensure that employees are ready for work in Japan, Entry employs field directors who can help bridge cultural gaps. “Expanding our collaborations into these regions will allow us to further strengthen our pipeline of well-prepared international students,” he says.
While Entry’s domestic business is primarily B2C, its vision for international expansion centers on a C2C system. Teramoto aims to establish a more equitable economic cycle, ensuring that around 80 percent of earnings go directly to the worker, rather than to a middleman.
With Japanese manufacturers establishing facilities across Southeast Asia, Teramoto wants Entry to be the first company they think of when seeking labor solutions. At home in Japan, he says that Entry aims to create an efficient system that connects workers from Southeast Asia to Japan to fill labor shortages. “I want workers in Southeast Asia to develop a positive perception of Japan—one that encourages them to come here, work and contribute to our industries.”
Commemorative photo of welcoming Vietnamese interns
AloJapan.com