Japan turns to illegal foreign workers as farmers ageAKIO KON rmers plant rice seedlings in a paddy rice field in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This has opened the door for more foreign workers -- including a growing number found to be working illegally. The number of Japanese farmers has dropped by about half since 2000, to below 2 million this year, according to the agriculture ministry. Abe's government has been looking to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal to expose Japanese farmers to more competition and improve productivity. Others hire unauthorised foreign workers.

Source: Stuff August 23, 2016 06:00 UTC