0 ：Unknown Japuzz Watcher May 29, 2026 10:10 ID：UnknownJapuzzWatcher
After allegedly changing residence statuses without permission and leaving more than 100,000 yen in wages unpaid… Myanmar technical intern trainees, who were supposed to receive training in clothing manufacturing but were made to manufacture towels, have filed a complaint against a sewing company in Imabari.
A sewing company in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, allegedly changed the residence status of foreign technical intern trainees without permission and left part of their wages unpaid. Rengo Ehime and others held a press conference in Matsuyama City calling for improvements.
According to Rengo Ehime and others, the issue occurred last autumn at a sewing company in Imabari City that had accepted six technical intern trainees from Myanmar.
Although the six trainees were supposed to receive training in clothing manufacturing, they were actually made to work in towel production, and their residence statuses were allegedly changed without permission.
On top of that, each trainee is reportedly owed more than 100,000 yen in unpaid wages.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/itv/1269363?display=1
After allegedly changing residence statuses without permission and leaving more than 100,000 yen in wages unpaid… Myanmar technical intern trainees, who were supposed to receive training in clothing manufacturing but were made to manufacture towels, have filed a complaint against a sewing company in Imabari.
A sewing company in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, allegedly changed the residence status of foreign technical intern trainees without permission and left part of their wages unpaid. Rengo Ehime and others held a press conference in Matsuyama City calling for improvements.
According to Rengo Ehime and others, the issue occurred last autumn at a sewing company in Imabari City that had accepted six technical intern trainees from Myanmar.
Although the six trainees were supposed to receive training in clothing manufacturing, they were actually made to work in towel production, and their residence statuses were allegedly changed without permission.
On top of that, each trainee is reportedly owed more than 100,000 yen in unpaid wages.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/itv/1269363?display=1
Image damage.
Imabari towel company sues the government over acceptance of technical intern trainees, claiming the cancellation of its certification was illegal | Ehime Shimbun ONLINE
Personally, I’ve never found Imabari towels as appealing as people make them out to be, so I use other domestically made towels.
Imabari Shipbuilding has also gotten a red card over accepting technical intern trainees.
They were involved with Mozambique as an “Africa hometown” too.
What is going on with Imabari?
When I see foreign workers being treated as disposable under the technical intern system,
and then trainees can no longer be accepted, it makes me suspect they tried to reach for the Africa hometown project instead.
I’ve already completely lost any desire to support them, so I honestly don’t care anymore.
I’m not buying them anymore. Thank you for everything up to now, Imabari Towel.
1:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:55 ID:9tuf6QmC0
It’s just cloth, right??
3:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:56 ID:zGLmykTl0
If foreigners are making them, then they’re basically no different from foreign-made goods. Imabari is trash 😏
4:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:57 ID:oTG.AqNE0
The technical intern trainee system is garbage, and the people using it are even worse.
5:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:58 ID:zSWUSX3s0
I want this whole system, where companies just bring in people from developing countries instead of raising wages, to be suspended for all new applications. I also want the law changed so visa sponsors bear full responsibility if those workers go missing or anything like that.
In Vietnam alone, 40,000 people hired under this system have fled their employers and are staying illegally inside Japan…
In Vietnam alone, 40,000 people hired under this system have fled their employers and are staying illegally inside Japan…
41:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:09 ID:BurUb.CC0
>>5
No, that’s not it. Minimum wage has gone up, businesses can’t keep up, but processing fees haven’t risen, so unpaid wages happen.
The issue of bringing in trainees because there are no workers and the issue of wages are separate.
No, that’s not it. Minimum wage has gone up, businesses can’t keep up, but processing fees haven’t risen, so unpaid wages happen.
The issue of bringing in trainees because there are no workers and the issue of wages are separate.
66:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:19 ID:q44dI1HW0
>>5
Foreign workers really do need a guardianship and joint-guarantor system.
Maybe each adult Japanese citizen can sponsor up to two people, excluding first-generation naturalized citizens, and if the foreign worker commits a crime, the Japanese guarantor also becomes liable for compensation and punishment.
If someone is backed by a person willing to shoulder that much responsibility and risk, then at that point we’d basically have no choice but to welcome them lol
Foreign workers really do need a guardianship and joint-guarantor system.
Maybe each adult Japanese citizen can sponsor up to two people, excluding first-generation naturalized citizens, and if the foreign worker commits a crime, the Japanese guarantor also becomes liable for compensation and punishment.
If someone is backed by a person willing to shoulder that much responsibility and risk, then at that point we’d basically have no choice but to welcome them lol
6:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:58 ID:mvxUMJtB0
Slave towels?
7:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:59 ID:NBEoNo.P0
I’m not buying Imabari towels.
8:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:59 ID:BNWUvETh0
I get wanting to keep workers, but unpaid wages are insane.
Slave business.
Slave business.
9:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:59 ID:l5YYzdw50
What’s with the red person on the left? lol
10:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 10:59 ID:uDhlvDJH0
Things Ham-chan hates:
Imabari towels
Nico Nico Rent-a-Car
Aeon
Imabari towels
Nico Nico Rent-a-Car
Aeon
11:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:00 ID:2l9sojFk0
The products used to be good…
A long time ago.
(´･ω･`)
A long time ago.
(´･ω･`)
12:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:00 ID:ogIpESpM0
I’ve used them a few times, and I always thought they were famous in name only. Are they really that good as towels?
13:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:00 ID:b6lKe70C0
It’s not just Imabari, right?
Agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, services, and over 90 job categories, more than 160 types of work, use technical intern trainees in slave-like conditions.
Whether those jobs actually connect to work they can use back in their home countries is the real question behind the technical intern trainee system.
And with subsidies involved, companies just see them as cheap labor.
Agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, services, and over 90 job categories, more than 160 types of work, use technical intern trainees in slave-like conditions.
Whether those jobs actually connect to work they can use back in their home countries is the real question behind the technical intern trainee system.
And with subsidies involved, companies just see them as cheap labor.
14:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:01 ID:NJppArdf0
This system is abnormal. Companies offer wages and conditions Japanese people wouldn’t even look at, bring in large numbers of low-level foreigners whose education may be questionable, and when those foreigners quit or run away, the companies that brought them in take no responsibility.
15:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:01 ID:4y0tRjzo0
I’m disappointed… I’ll buy Senshu towels instead.
16:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:01 ID:Mv8tdwKx0
If the products are made by gathering foreigners and making them do slave labor for low wages, then even if the production site is technically domestic, can we really call that “Made in Japan” anymore?
32:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:05 ID:BurUb.CC0
>>16
At least they’re actually making the product.
There are also cases where they only inspect or package goods and still claim they’re made in Japan.
At least they’re actually making the product.
There are also cases where they only inspect or package goods and still claim they’re made in Japan.
17:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:01 ID:.b.pi0HY0
My parents said they were going on a trip, so I thought, “Then towels would be nice,” and asked them to get me some.
So that’s what was going on, huh 😮💨
So that’s what was going on, huh 😮💨
18:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:01 ID:r7WIxJYg0
Imabari used to be a name associated with luxury goods, but it sure has fallen now.
19:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:01 ID:zRQkjDMR0
A human-rights-violating country.
More like, it’s over when people trample on others’ human rights for profit, regardless of race or nationality.
More like, it’s over when people trample on others’ human rights for profit, regardless of race or nationality.
21:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:02 ID:dTIpSwg50
Still, there are way too many cases where both the technical intern trainees themselves and the employers have tons of problems.
31:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:04 ID:BurUb.CC0
>>21
Factories that can secure enough workers and aren’t struggling can operate without using trainees in the first place.
It’s a business built on exploiting the vulnerable.
Factories that can secure enough workers and aren’t struggling can operate without using trainees in the first place.
It’s a business built on exploiting the vulnerable.
22:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:02 ID:a16LRCH.0
The company president probably drives an expensive car.
23:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:02 ID:FkJ0X2nJ0
When you really think about it, maybe luxury towels aren’t necessary after all.
24:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:02 ID:BurUb.CC0
I thought I’d seen this before. So it’s an article from two years ago?
I thought unpaid wages for trainees at sewing factories had already been weeded out about 15 years ago, but the western side of Japan is still doing this kind of thing.
Because companies like this are still around, the standards for specified activities in the sewing industry became ridiculously strict. They should hurry up and go under.
I thought unpaid wages for trainees at sewing factories had already been weeded out about 15 years ago, but the western side of Japan is still doing this kind of thing.
Because companies like this are still around, the standards for specified activities in the sewing industry became ridiculously strict. They should hurry up and go under.
*Hamunity Note
The first news item was included because it seemed useful for understanding the timeline.
The latest news in this article is that “that Imabari towel company filed a lawsuit after being suspended from accepting technical intern trainees.”
26:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:02 ID:QAEJiU2V0
The fact that this has been coming up regularly for years and still hasn’t improved…
28:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:03 ID:QOMWWlbr0
Since last autumn, that’s about nine months?
If unpaid wages are 100,000 yen, that’s about 10,000 yen per month?
That’s unpaid overtime.
Japanese workers are probably being made to work the same way at that company.
If unpaid wages are 100,000 yen, that’s about 10,000 yen per month?
That’s unpaid overtime.
Japanese workers are probably being made to work the same way at that company.
29:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:03 ID:V1aGTYjg0
They’re not even that good as towels,
yet they’re selling at rip-off prices.
yet they’re selling at rip-off prices.
46:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:10 ID:BurUb.CC0
>>29
If those rip-off prices were actually reflected in processing fees, I don’t think this would be happening.
I wonder who’s skimming the money.
If those rip-off prices were actually reflected in processing fees, I don’t think this would be happening.
I wonder who’s skimming the money.
33:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:05 ID:k6ENf.v.0
I never bought them in the first place.
I see towels as consumables, so I don’t use luxury towels.
I see towels as consumables, so I don’t use luxury towels.
35:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:06 ID:Jm10n9ED0
I used to buy Imabari towels because I had a connection to the area, but after learning more than 10 years ago that they were burning through technical intern trainees, I stopped buying them.
The products aren’t much different from 100-yen shop towels anymore.
The products aren’t much different from 100-yen shop towels anymore.
37:Unknown Japuzz WatcherMay 29, 2026 11:06 ID:XEO8HVYw0
Companies that can only survive by doing this should be allowed to collapse.
Forcing in immigrants doesn’t solve anything.
Forcing in immigrants doesn’t solve anything.
Introducing a store where you can buy Japanese clothing.
