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GREEN LEAF GROUP
Fine-tuned support for your day-to-day life from the specialized foreign HR support department lets you work with peace of mind!
Corporate information
Business Category：Agriculture, food processing industry, etc.
Location：Showa Village (five group companies)
Number of Employees：220, out of which 65 are non-Japanese personnel
Status of Residence: 7 with “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” status,2 permanent residents, 1 spouse of Japanese national, 11 specified skilled workers, 44 technical interns
Nationalities: Thailand,Vietnam, the Philippines
Occupational Categories:>Agriculture, food processing, quality control, etc.
URL：https://www.akn.jp/index.php
Tell us about the nature of the duties involved and your experience in taking in non-Japanese personnel.
In addition to the production and wholesale of organic agricultural products (konnyaku potato, spinach, komatsuna, broccoli, etc.), we mainly handle food processing of items such as konnyaku products, pickles, and frozen vegetables.
We have been accepting foreign staff for 27 years and have experience hiring people of various nationalities, including people from China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and the United States. Currently, we have 65 foreign workers.
Tell us about the occupational categories in which your non-Japanese personnel are active and the state of their activities.
In the production of agricultural products, these workers handle a wide range of operations from seeding on farms to cultivation management and harvesting.
In the area of food processing, foreign workers handle processing work at factories, quality control, production control, and maintenance of manufacturing machinery. In production control, some of these workers are in charge of preparing shipping plans.
Foreign workers also play a key role in other ways; for example, new products developed with the input of foreign workers at the prototyping stage have been well received by our customers.
Tell us about the state of education and assistance that you offer to your non-Japanese personnel.
We have set up a specialized department in charge of supporting the day-to-day lives of foreign workers—the Foreign Human Resources Support Division—and have Thai and Vietnamese interpreters on staff to provide day-to-day support. Private dormitories are also provided for foreign workers, and recreation facilities are provided in common spaces to enable interaction with both Japanese and fellow foreign workers.
In addition to providing lifestyle support for things that are difficult for people to deal with on their own due to the Japanese language barrier, such as visits to hospitals, administrative procedures, and participation in local events, we also have a daycare center where children aged six months or older can be taken care of free of charge, creating a structure that allows foreign female workers to work with peace of mind after childbirth.
Furthermore, to encourage workers to improve their skills, the company will pay for costs associated with taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (educational materials, examination fees, and transport to and from the test venue), obtaining driving licenses for medium-sized and special large-sized vehicles, as well as other work-related costs, such as costs associated with receiving specialist certification for Japanese side dishes.
Scene at the daycare center
Tell us what kind of skills you look for in your non-Japanese personnel.
We are looking for people who are positive and motivated about working. We also put an emphasis on ability to process simple calculations quickly and accurately, as it is important to have a firm grasp on figures in work such as harvesting and shipping agricultural products, manufacturing processed products, and monitoring of business progress.
VOICE
Comments by Non-Japanese Staff【Nguyen Thi Quyen（From Vietnam）】
I am in charge of quality control of konnyaku products. Japan's quality standards are strict, but delivering safe and secure products earns our customers’ trust and gives me a sense of fulfillment.
The company has over 20 years of experience in accepting foreign staff, so the Japanese employees are used to supporting foreign workers and will provide help in a kind and friendly manner.
In addition, we have an environment where both Japanese and foreign staff can work with peace of mind. For example, there is an in-house daycare center where children can be taken care of from the age of six months. Returning to work after having children was a smooth process for me.
Showa Village has a close relationship with local people, so you can enjoy living here with peace of mind.
In the future, I would like to obtain qualifications related to quality control, and eventually, I would like to be involved in the quality control of not only konnyaku products, but also the entire range of the company’s products, such as pickles and side dishes.
If you are considering working in Japan, I recommend that you study Japanese as much as possible before you come. Japanese people are very kind and will help you in times of trouble, so you shouldn’t let that worry stop you from coming.
Comments by Non-Japanese Staff【Nudas Phuvadin（From Thailand）】
I am in charge of sowing and harvesting spinach, komatsuna and bok choy. My work is done outdoors in a natural environment, so I enjoy doing it.
The company has introduced commissions and merit pay introduced, and hard work can increase your salary, which helps keep my motivation high.
It also has a lot of foreign workers, and the Japanese employees are very kind. The fact that there are many people from my country here makes me more confident about living abroad. In addition, Japanese staff who can speak Thai are stationed on-site, and there is a system in place to consult with the company immediately in times of difficulty, for example to get support for hospital visits if you get sick (a situation that can often cause language problems for foreign workers), which helps me to work with peace of mind.
I live in Showa Village, which appeals to me because it is rich in nature and has beautiful scenery to see.
In the future, I would like to study Japanese more, learn more about agricultural machinery, and use the knowledge I learned in Japan to work in agriculture in my home country.
Comments by Representative【Representative Director Sawaura Syoji】
From encouraging non-Japanese employees to attend Japanese language school so that they do not run into issues with internal communication to offering a “mentor system” to help quell their anxieties about living in a foreign country, this company places focus on establishing an environment that we can work in with peace of mind.
Here, we hope that you will hone your skills and eventually go on to become a professional that leverages those skills to play an active role in your home country.
