Japanese language school suspected of forcing Indonesian students into work

MIYAZAKI – Labor authorities referred to prosecutors on Thursday the operator of a Japanese language school in Miyazaki Prefecture, suspecting it forced its Indonesian students to work at care facilities owned by the same corporation. Additionally, documents related to Yutaka Shimizu, 70, the head of the group that runs Houei International Japanese Language Academy, and four others were sent to prosecutors for their roles in allegedly forcing six Indonesians into effectively unpaid work between December 2015 and June 2016. The students were allegedly forced to use their wages to pay for tuition fees, according to a local labor standards inspection office. Authorities deemed the Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture-based school's educational program and labor requirements as inseparable. The school teaches Japanese to students from across Asia who are interested in the medical and welfare fields.