NOEN HOSHINOWA Ltd.

Improve your Skills with an Eye on Success after Returning Home!​

Corporate information

Business Category：Agriculture
Location：Showa Village
Number of Employees：30, out of which 10 are non-Japanese personnel
Status of Residence：5 specified skilled workers, 5 technical interns
Nationalities：Indonesia
URL：https://www.hoshinowa.com/

Description of work, Experience in taking in non-Japanese human resources

　In addition to growing and selling agricultural products (including lettuce, strawberries, spinach, corn, cauliflower), we operate restaurants (”Muranonaka Shokudo” and “Muranonaka Coffee”) within the “Agream Showa” rest stop.
　We have been accepting foreign staff since 1996 and have experience in hiring Chinese and Indonesian nationals. We currently have 10 foreign staff.

Various skill improvement support systems to strength your abilities

　We focus on skill enhancement support to improve Japanese language abilities and career development.
　In terms of support for Japanese language study, the company subsidizes the cost of taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) for the first time, provides study support outside of work hours to prepare for JLPT, and holds an award ceremony and provides financial rewards for those who pass JLPT N4 or above levels. In addition, we provide many opportunities to use Japanese in daily tasks, such as recording and reporting work details in Japanese and taking turns leading the end-of-day assembly to express appreciation for the day’s events in Japanese.
　As part of career development support, we are working on goal setting and management for technical intern trainees and Specified Skilled Workers in their second year of training. Aiming to enable trainees to think and work on their own, rather than just following instructions, all trainees set the monthly goals by themselves and learn how to do their jobs by checking progress and reviewing their work. Furthermore, we offer the Entrepreneurship Seminars to help foreign staff contemplate how they can make use of their experience in Japan to work after returning to their home countries. In the Entrepreneurship Seminars, foreign staff are asked to think about the work they would like to do after returning each home country and are provided guidance and advice to help them formulate business plans.

　A scene from Japanese language learning

Skills sought from non-Japanese human resources

　We seek ambitious individuals who are willing to learn various things through their work and develop their skills. As we provide support for starting a business after returning to your home country, so we would like people who have a goal or something they want to do after returning home to come to work with us as well.

State of activity of non-Japanese human resources

　Our staff are divided into those responsible for open field cultivation and greenhouse cultivation and are in charge of managing the production and harvesting of agricultural products. We have received positive suggestions for improvements and the like to make our operations more efficient, and as a company we have been able to address newly work methods.
　Furthermore, some of the Specified Skilled Workers have leadership roles and they are very helpful in communicating with business partners, instructing new Japanese part-time employees, and performing tractor work that was previously handled only by the owner and the farm general manager.
　Clear instructions and quantification of work have been achieved, by no longer using ambiguous Japanese expressions when working with foreign staff. As a consequence, all our employees, including those Japanese, are now comfortable in the work environment.​

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　A scene from harvest work

VOICE

Comments by Non-Japanese Staff【Miko Alasta​（From Indonesia​）】

　I am in charge of open-field cultivation, mainly planting, harvesting, laying mulching sheet for lettuce. I find it rewarding to be entrusted with tasks requiring responsibility, such as seedling cultivation and pest control using chemicals. I also enjoy working with a variety of people, and I often interact with business partners during shipping.
　There is no discrimination based on nationality in our company, and all employees are kind and gentle. If you have any questions or problems, you can consult with them immediately and receive detailed and careful instruction. This creates a comfortable working environment.
　The company also has an extensive support system for acquiring a Japanese driver’s license, which includes seminar to understand Japanese traffic rules and subsidies for the cost of license acquisition,
　Showa Village, where I live, is rich in nature and agriculture. I find the beautiful mountains, autumn colors, large fields, and big tractors and the like very appealing. Also, it snows a lot in northern Gunma Prefecture, so I enjoy skiing on my days off during the winter months.
　In the future, when I return to my home country, I would like to open a store related to agriculture that will be useful to the local people.
　Working in Japan does indeed have many challenges, but more than that, you can learn a lot through wonderful experiences not possible in your home country. I would definitely encourage anyone who is considering working in Japan to come.To have a smooth start to living in Japan, I recommend you do your best to study Japanese before coming here.

Comments by Non-Japanese Staff【Mestriyana​（From Indonesia​）】

　I am in charge of greenhouse cultivation, mainly growing strawberries. I find it motivating to work out how to proceed with my tasks while consulting daily with the Japanese employees in charge of strawberry cultivation.
　Employees at our company are very close to each other, and there is a good environment for communication. We have social gatherings, participate in community events, and a custom of expressing gratitude for the day’s events at the end-of-day assembly. It is easy to consult with coworkers and managers if you have any concerns in your daily life, so you can work with peace of mind.
　Gunma Prefecture has a lot of delicious food. I enjoy visiting local restaurants on my days off because I like udon noodles, and pasta, which are Gunma specialties.Another attraction of Gunma Prefecture is its many wonderful hot springs.
　In the future, I would like to gain knowledge about disinfection and work on disinfecting seedlings. I am thinking to open a restaurant when I return to my home country because I love cooking.
　If you are considering to work in Japan, I believe your life in Japan will be more fulfilling if you come here with a clear purpose for working, rather than thinking only about having fun.

Comments by Representative【Representative Director​　Hoshino Takayuki​】

　There is much for Japanese employees to learn from foreign staff and working together with them has improved the workplace environment of the entire company. That has helped us a lot.
　We understand that living and working overseas is often challenging for foreign staff, but we strive to create a comfortable workplace where they can consult with us about any problems they may encounter. Also, our company has been employing foreign staff for many years, and we have an environment where both Japanese and foreigner staff can work together without distinctions. So I invite you to come work together in the agricultural business.

What do you say to beginning your career in Japan in the highly attractive prefecture of Gunma?