The Japanese cabinet approved a bill that would allow more foreign workers to be brought in, while the country faces a labor deficit as aging population accelerates.
The bill, adopted by the Japanese government on Friday, is a major change in Japan's policy on foreign employment.
Japan has long opposed foreign workers.
The bill would create two new categories of visas for foreigners employed in more than a dozen sectors.
The government hopes the bill will go into effect by April.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has denied that easing the policy on foreign workers meant opening the country to immigrants.
Japanese media surveys have shown a general feeling of dissatisfaction with the issue. Opponents are concerned about crimes and the Japanese have been robbed of their jobs, while supporters see foreign workers as indispensable in sectors facing labor shortages.
