From Yahoo Finance: 2025-05-30 12:45:00

Watami, a Japanese restaurant group, plans to open a training centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The facility will train locals in various skills and send 3,000 individuals annually to Japan on skilled worker visas. The centre is set to launch in October 2025 at a Bangladeshi government agency’s facilities.

Initially, 1,500 people will undergo a two-month training programme in skills like customer service and factory work. Watami will utilize personnel from a Japanese language school to assist in the training. This move follows Japan’s expansion of entry visas to cover 11 industries, including food service.

Watami aims to address human resource challenges in the restaurant business by developing talent in-house. Established in 2020, Watami Agent has welcomed 900 foreign workers by March 2025. The company has introduced 400 workers to 107 companies, including technical intern trainees and specified skilled workers.

Japan seeks to recruit up to 100,000 workers from Bangladesh by 2030 to address labor shortages. Bangladesh’s chief adviser emphasizes the government’s commitment to creating employment opportunities for its citizens in Japan. Watami’s initiative is a step towards fulfilling this goal and strengthening bilateral ties.

Read more: Japan’s Watami to open training centre in Bangladesh