Companies face trouble recruiting students from China, Taiwan and South Korea

Takeshi Fukumoto, from Nara prefecture, obtained a working holiday visa in November and moved to Toronto, where he works at a restaurant kitchen.

He makes 22 Canadian dollars ($16) an hour and averages 40 hours a week. “Despite my short hours, I earn a lot,” he said. “Including tips, my monthly income is over 400,000 yen.”

He said he keeps living costs down by cooking for himself and has saved more than 1 million yen.