APIC president backs Caribbean role as Japan weighs immigration balance

DAREECE POLO

Senior Reporter

[email protected]

TOKYO — As Japan looks overseas to fill labour shortages in sectors such as agriculture while also seeking highly skilled professionals, the Caribbean has an important role to play in strengthening ties with the country, says the president of the Association for Promotion of International Cooperation (APIC).

Toshinori Shigeie made the remarks on Monday during a meeting with participants of the 2026 APIC Japan Journalism Fellowship at APIC’s offices in Tokyo.

The fellowship brings together journalists from the Pacific and Caribbean regions for an intensive programme designed to deepen understanding of Japan while strengthening professional ties between the regions.

Shigeie said Japan needs workers from overseas to address shortages in sectors such as agriculture, while also attracting highly skilled professionals. But he acknowledged that immigration has become a sensitive political issue, with some people concerned about competition for jobs and pressure on social services.

“Some people don’t like globalisation, but I think globalisation is a good thing and we have to control it,” he said. “We have to make it as profitable as possible.”

“You can’t do everything on your own,” he added.

The comments come as Japan grapples with a growing debate over immigration and a stronger nationalist current in its politics.

Shigeie said the Caribbean was important to Japan despite its geographical distance, pointing to shared interests in international forums and Japan’s longstanding engagement with the region.

“We have to work together in various international forums… And your group (the Caribbean) is also a very powerful, forceful group,” he said.

He said APIC took pride in bringing the Pacific and Caribbean together in Japan, where journalists from island states with different histories and experiences quickly find common ground.

Asked whether a more nationalist approach to immigration could affect APIC’s work, Shigeie said he was not concerned that it would undermine the organisation’s mission.

“I’m not worried that it will be affecting us,” he said. “But given the national sentiment of the sensitivity about this issue, government is under pressure to do something… I’m sure we will find an equilibrium out of some experiences.”

The fellowship began in 2015 and has since brought journalists from both regions to Japan to report on issues including disaster resilience, the environment, energy and wider social developments.

It was suspended in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic before resuming in 2022.

This year’s programme runs from October 5 to October 13, when the itinerary ends.

The programme is taking place as Japan confronts questions about immigration amid an ageing population and labour shortages.

For APIC, the fellowship continues to provide a platform for journalists from the Caribbean and Pacific to engage with Japan, while giving Japanese institutions and communities an opportunity to hear directly from the regions.