Author name: Mei Miyazaki

■Introdution

Singapore has seen remarkable economic development, but like Japan, it is facing the challenges of a declining birthrate and an aging population, leading to a labor shortage. In this context, we will focus on Singapore’s approach to securing human resources, particularly through the acceptance of foreign workers.

■Current Situation of Foreign Workers in Singapore

In Singapore, foreigners must obtain a work visa in order to be employed. There are several types of work visas, including the Employment Pass (EP) for managerial and professional positions, the S Pass for mid-level skilled workers, and the Work Permit for sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and domestic work. Each of these visas comes with specific requirements such as minimum salary thresholds, quotas on the number of foreign workers allowed, and in some cases, nationality restrictions.

According to the Singapore government’s “Population in Brief 2024” report, the total population of Singapore as of June 2024 stands at 6.04 million, representing a 2.0% increase from June of the previous year. One contributing factor to this growth is the increase in foreign workers, particularly in construction and other sectors, as the country catches up on projects delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In everyday life in Singapore, it is common to see Bangladeshi workers at construction sites and Filipino domestic helpers who live in and assist with household chores and caregiving.

■Recent Policies on the Acceptance of Foreign Workers

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of foreign talent being introduced into highly public sectors such as healthcare and law enforcement. For example, in emergency medical services, the shortage of personnel has become critical due to increasing demand driven by an aging population. In response, the Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF)—the national emergency service agency—has announced that starting in March 2025, it will begin recruiting emergency medical technicians and paramedics from ASEAN countries.

Additionally, Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs), who support the duties of regular police officers, were traditionally recruited from Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. However, as of January 2024, the Singapore government has expanded the list of eligible countries, and now recruits APOs from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Philippines, India, and China.

■Conclusion

Singapore faces challenges similar to those of Japan, such as labor shortages and a declining birthrate coupled with an aging population. However, by leveraging its high wage levels and its strategic location at the heart of Southeast Asia, Singapore has been actively and flexibly attracting labor from neighboring countries. We will continue to gather and share local information with the aim of introducing initiatives that could serve as useful references for addressing issues faced by Hokkaido.

▲　Construction site scene (Photo taken by author)

▲　Ambulance on standby for emergency dispatch (Photo taken by office staff)

■ Introduction

In Singapore, Japanese content, especially anime, enjoys high popularity, with many Japanese TV shows and movies being widely watched. While terrestrial TV broadcasts and cinemas are available in Singapore, various VOD streaming services have become widespread nationwide. Among them, Netflix has a large user base, and it is common to see Japanese productions ranking in the platform’s Top 10.

In this article, we will introduce some of the most popular Japanese content currently trending on Netflix in Singapore.

■ Netflix Trends in Singapore

With English and Chinese as official languages, Singapore has a broad audience for multilingual content, making Netflix a popular choice among viewers.

According to a report published by the data platform Statista in September 2024, approximately 89% of respondents in Singapore reported watching Netflix. Additionally, a survey released in January 2024 indicated that Netflix’s annual paid membership in the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, reached approximately 45.34 million by the end of 2023, a significant increase from about 6.5 million in 2017.

With the expansion of VOD streaming services, local cinemas, which had temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, have resumed operations. However, some theaters have struggled to regain audiences and were forced to shut down.

■ Anime

Japanese anime enjoys immense popularity in Singapore, with many titles attracting a dedicated fan base. For example, Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer are highly acclaimed and widely supported by anime enthusiasts.

As of March 20, 2025, the Singapore Netflix TV show rankings featured SAKAMOTO DAYS at 9th place, highlighting the strong interest in newly released Japanese anime.

Most anime titles are watched with Japanese audio and English or Chinese subtitles, with many young viewers developing an interest in learning Japanese through anime. Meanwhile, popular children’s shows, such as Pokémon, are often available with English-dubbed versions to cater to younger audiences.

■ Movies

Similar to anime series, Japanese films are widely watched in Singapore. Studio Ghibli films attract viewers across all age groups, and many titles are available with English and Chinese dubbed versions.

Due to the strong popularity of anime, live-action adaptations also perform well. Recently, titles such as Kingdom, Rurouni Kenshin, and City Hunter have gained significant attention, making it into the Singapore Netflix movie rankings TOP 10 after their release.

■ Dramas & TV Shows

In terms of dramas, “First Love: 初恋” and “Alice in Borderland”, starring actors such as Takeru Satoh and Kento Yamazaki, have attracted a large audience.
Notably, “First Love: 初恋” was filmed in Hokkaido, and during travel fairs and events where our office participated, many attendees brought it up in conversation.
Additionally, according to our local staff, past releases like “Terrace House” and “Midnight Diner” were highly popular and even ranked in the Top 10 on Singapore’s Netflix.

■ Conclusion

As of March 2025, my assignment has come to an end, and I will be returning to Japan.

Although my reports may have been humble, I sincerely appreciate everyone who has followed them over the past one and a half years. I hope they have helped you gain a better understanding of our office’s activities and life in Singapore.

This month, I introduced popular Japanese content on Netflix in Singapore, but our office will continue to publish resident reports on various topics. I would be grateful if you continue to read and support them in the future.

■Introduction

In this month’s report, we bring you a look at The Japan Rail Fair 2024 held in Singapore. Our office collaborated with Yotsuba Milk Products Asia (The Singapore branch of Yotsuba Milk) to showcase a Hokkaido booth, promoting Hokkaido’s food and tourism appeal.

○The Japan Rail Fair 2024 Organizer：JR East Southeast Asia Business Development (Singapore Branch of JR EAST) Dates：October 11 (Friday) – October 13, 2024 (Sunday)　11：00～20：00 (Closing at 18：00 on the final day) Venue：Urban Park at Guoco Tower(1 Wallich Street Singapore 078881) Overview：Japanese local governments, and companies exhibited booths to promote the appeal of Japan’s food, tourism and culture.

■Event Highlights

The event featured 22 organizations, including municipalities such as Hokkaido, Akita Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Azumino City, Akita City, as well as the Fukuoka Tourism Association, San’in Inbound Organization, Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, JR Kyushu, Air Japan, and KIRIN Holdings, each promoting their offerings. At the Hokkaido booth, our office distributed Hokkaido tourism brochures and held a lucky draw, while Yotsuba Milk provided free samples of four varieties of milk available at local retail stores (plain, strawberry milk, milk tea, and coffee milk), drawing many visitors. On the final day, we held a Hokkaido presentation, sharing information on Hokkaido tourism and the product lineup of Yotsuba Milk.

■ Visitor Comments

・”We’re planning a family trip to Hokkaido in December and we will be meeting family members who live in the U.S. over there.”

・”We’re planning a 10-day trip to Hokkaido in June next year and are looking forward to enjoying the natural scenery, hot springs, and gourmet foods.”

・”I love Yotsuba’s strawberry milk and buy it often. I’m thrilled to have had a chance to try the coffee milk this time.”

■Observations

This event served as an excellent opportunity to promote Hokkaido’s food and tourism through a joint effort between public and private sectors. We will continue to utilize similar events to actively promote the charms of Hokkaido.

 

■Introduction In this month’s report, we will highlight the popular travel destinations in Hokkaido from the feedback that our office has gotten from visitors and travel agencies that we have encountered at travel fairs our office have participated in, focusing on 3 ASEAN countries: Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia. Additionally, the number of foreign tourists from each country who visited Japan and Hokkaido is as follows. Inbound tourists to Japan (*1) Inbound tourists to Hokkaido (*2) Singapore 616,962 70,100 Philippines 712,925 22,200 Indonesia 463,770 21,000 ※１：Based on inbound tourism statistics from Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) ※２：Based on the Hokkaido Tourism Visitor Survey Report ■Singapore According to JNTO Singapore office, the percentage of FIT (Foreign Independent Travelers) is as high as 95%, with a trend of them gathering information online or via social media, and arranging their own trips. There are also many repeat visitors to Japan, especially to Hokkaido, as its vastness often requires multiple visits to explore. Notably, these travelers do not limit themselves to Central Hokkaido but explore the entire region. Many are seasoned travelers who take domestic flights from Haneda Airport to local airports in Hokkaido. At a travel expo in August, we have heard several interesting stories, such as “I photographed a wild deer at the Notsuke Peninsula in Winter”, “Can you recommend a hotel on Rishiri Island?”, and “I visit Kikonai because the expressway opened.” It was surprising to see how many travelers were seeking more niche travel destinations in Hokkaido. As for how they spend their time during their stay, their preferences varied from “I want to drive on wide roads since Singapore is so small”, “I want to visit different hot springs,” “I want to cycle around various areas of Hokkaido,” to “I just want to eat delicious food in Hokkaido all day, every day” ■Philippines Although there has been an increase in travelers to Honshu due to the addition of flights between Manila and Kansai, many expressed a strong desire to visit Hokkaido at the travel expo held in Manila this February. When we distributed tourism brochures, many people eagerly turned to the winter pages and asked questions such as ‘Where can we see snow?’ and ‘When is the Snow Festival?’ indicating a high level of interest in winter travel. According to local travel agencies, package tours focusing on Central Hokkaido, which require less travel, are popular. These tours often include a one-night stay at a hot spring resort and tend to offer a relaxed sightseeing experience within a relatively small area. ■Indonesia At the travel expo held in Jakarta last month, there were more visitors with experience or plans to travel to Hokkaido than expected, and we provided various tourist information to them. Many attendees seemed interested in Hokkaido due to the anime ‘Golden Kamuy,’ which features Ainu culture, and we had opportunities to introduce ‘Upopoy’ and ‘Akan Lake Ainu Village’ at the expo. Additionally, because many trains in Indonesia are former Japanese models, there was interest in ‘railfanning’ in Hokkaido, with some considering travel plans using the Hokkaido JR Pass. According to local travel agencies, while many people visit Hokkaido for its magnificent natural landscapes, food can be a barrier for Muslim travelers, which often complicates travel plans to Japan. ■Looking Ahead Although the level of awareness of Hokkaido varies by country, Hokkaido tourism is a compelling content that attracts many people. We will continue to work on promoting Hokkaido’s charm to expand inbound tourism.