Origins and Evolution of Japan's Technical Intern Training Program

This study aims to describe the history of the Technical Intern Training Program. Since its establishment in the early 1990s, this program has expanded and become indispensable for small and medium-sized enterprises, despite being criticized for the gap between its intended purpose and operation, human rights violations, and other issues. As the program has been frequently revised over its thirty-year history, it becomes increasingly difficult to take account of and review its history. We provide a comprehensive overview, covering not only the Technical Intern Training Program but also related policies such as the Foreign Trainee Program and the unrealized Employment Permit System, which played some roles in the prehistory of the Program. This study is expected to be used as a reference for policymakers and researchers.