The government is aiming to bring in more foreign workers from Central Asian countries, partly through the “specified skilled worker program” that allows foreign nationals to do jobs that involve manual work. This move is believed to be aimed at encouraging the self-reliance of the countries — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — and at reining in Russia and China, both of which have strong influence over the region.

Source: https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/