# Japan restarts foreign workers for meal services

> Japan moves meal services to food production category for foreign workers starting April.
- Title: Japan restarts foreign workers for meal services | Shortify
- Summary: Japan moves meal services to food production category for foreign workers starting April. Japan will accept foreign workers for meal services at medical…
- Keywords: japan, foreign workers, meal services, food and beverage production, type 1 residency, medical facilities, welfare facilities, schools, food and beverage manufacturing, elderly care, news, politics
- Source: The Japan Times — https://japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10/19/japan/foreign-workers-meal-services
- Author: No Author
- Published: 2026-10-19T10:22:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: japan, foreign workers, meal services, food and beverage production, type 1 residency, medical facilities, welfare facilities, schools, food and beverage manufacturing, elderly care, news, politics
## Japan restarts foreign workers for meal services
Japan will accept foreign workers for meal services at medical and welfare facilities starting next April as an emergency measure.
## Government moves meal services category
The government plans to move meal services from the restaurant industry category to the food and beverage production category for Type 1 residency status.
## Suspended restaurant workers
The government suspended accepting foreign workers in the restaurant industry category in April as Type 1 holders approached 50,000.
## Meal service shortages worsen
Shortages of meal service workers at hospitals and other facilities have worsened since the suspension.
## Food production category limit
The food and beverage manufacturing category has a limit of 133,500 workers, with 76% of the limit filled as of July.
## Elderly care sector expansion
The government will raise the elderly care sector's Type 1 limit by 20,000 to 146,900 while keeping the overall sector limit at 160,700.
## Total foreign worker limit
Japan will keep the total foreign worker limit at 1,231,900 until the end of fiscal 2028, including 825,400 Type 1 holders.
## Key takeaway

Japan will accept foreign workers for meal services at medical facilities starting April 2027 to address shortages.