Japanese employers arrested for illegally hiring Vietnamese workers

Two of those detained by the Metropolitan Police Department were identified as Kazuhiko Ida, 54, head of a labor supply company in Iwata City, Shizuoka, and Yuya Usami, 45, who was responsible for recruitment at the same company. Both have admitted to the allegations, according to Nippon.

Also arrested was Tetsuya Nakamura, 58, director of a metal processing plant operated by Nippon Kenma.

Police referred the two companies involved to prosecutors on Wednesday.

The three men are suspected of facilitating the illegal employment of four Vietnamese nationals at the factory between Nov. 20, 2024, and Jan. 28, 2026.

The four Vietnamese workers were believed to be staying in Japan illegally after leaving the facilities where they had been working as technical interns, reportedly due to disputes related to wages and interpersonal relations.

They were later introduced to jobs at the Fukuroi factory by Ida’s recruitment company through brokers on social media, according to The Japan Times.

Since November 2020, a total of 65 Vietnamese workers had been sent to work at the factory through Ida’s company. The factory paid the labor brokerage firm about 90 million yen (US$571,490) in service fees.

The case came to light during an investigation into a 26-year-old Vietnamese man who was arrested in May 2025 on suspicion of illegal residency, the report said.

According to statistics released in 2025 by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, about 2.57 million foreign workers are employed in Japan, including nearly 606,000 Vietnamese nationals.

Under Japan’s immigration control laws, people residing illegally may be detained and barred from re-entering the country for one to five years if they leave voluntarily, or five to ten years if they are deported. Repeat offenders or those convicted of criminal offenses may face a permanent ban.

Companies that employ foreigners without legal residency status may face up to three years in prison, a fine of up to three million yen, or both. Businesses may also have their operating licenses revoked.