Pachinko jobs for foreigners: only Dependent status, not students
On October 1, Japan's Immigration Services Agency (ISA) changed how it handles foreigners' permission to engage in activity other than that permitted by their status of residence, allowing only people with "Dependent" residence status to work part-time at pachinko parlors (halls with pinball-like gaming machines) and game arcades with individual permission. On social media, claims are also spreading that "international students can work freely," that "Technical Intern Training participants are covered too," and that "the Diet decided it." Based on the ISA's guidance and news reports, we set out what we could confirm, and the views of those who see the change as a reasonable response to labor shortages and those worried about gambling addiction and immigration control.
Verdict: are the viral claims true?
- True“Foreigners can now work part-time at pachinko parlors”From October 1, the ISA allows only people with Dependent residence status to work at pachinko parlors and other gaming halls if they receive individual permission. There is a cap of 28 hours a week.
- False“Foreign students may now freely work at pachinko parlors”The ISA's guidance explicitly states that people with "Student" residence status are "not covered." Even people with Dependent status, who are covered, cannot work until they have decided on an employer and received individual permission.
- False“Technical intern trainees are also covered”Only people with Dependent status are covered. Neither the ISA's guidance nor Kyodo News's report says anything about covering Technical Intern Training or Specified Skilled Worker status holders.
- False“The Diet decided it (the law was changed)”There was no Diet debate or change in the law. According to Kyodo News, the ISA "changed the application" of the permission on October 1.
- False“Hostess clubs and sex businesses are now allowed too”Only businesses under Article 2(1)(iv) and (v) of the Entertainment Business Act (pachinko parlors, mahjong parlors, game arcades and the like) are allowed. Hospitality businesses that entertain customers, such as snack bars and bars, remain banned in principle, and work in sex-related businesses is not allowed either.
- True“The change came at the pachinko industry's request”Kyodo News reported, citing the ISA's explanation, that the gaming industry had asked to hire foreigners because of labor shortages.
Translated and adapted from our Japanese original. Facts are as of the original publication date unless noted.
What has changed about foreigners working part-time at pachinko parlors?
- Residence status covered
- Dependent only
- Cap on working hours
- 28 hours a week
- Permission needed
- Individual permission for each employer
A reasonable response to labor shortages
It helps with labor shortages and serving inbound tourists. It was unfair that people could work at horse racing and keirin venues but not at pachinko parlors.
Concerns over addiction and immigration control
Gambling addiction and the impact on public safety are concerns. Deciding this at the industry's request without going through the Diet is also questionable.
- Both sides agree
- Only Dependent status holders are covered, and international students and technical intern trainees are not included.
- What to watch next
- How many individual permissions are actually granted, and whether coverage is extended to international students.
Key points
- On October 1, the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) changed how it applies permission to engage in activity other than that permitted by the status of residence, allowing only people with "Dependent" residence status to work part-time at pachinko parlors, mahjong parlors and game arcades with individual permission. It became widely known after Kyodo News reported it on October 24.
- The Dependent status is held by the spouses and children of foreigners who work or study in Japan. In principle they cannot work, and it is common for them to obtain a work permit for part-time work and work up to 28 hours a week.
- Until now, the work permit for part-time work did not allow people to work at businesses classed as "adult entertainment businesses" under the Act on Control and Improvement of Amusement and Entertainment Business. Under the change, international students and others are still not covered, and hospitality businesses that entertain customers, such as snack bars and bars, and sex-related businesses are still not allowed.
- According to the ISA, the gaming industry had asked for the change because of labor shortages, and there was also a sense of unfairness because part-time work is allowed at horse racing and keirin (bicycle racing) venues, which are not regulated by the Entertainment Business Act. The ISA made its decision after also consulting the National Police Agency.
1. What is happening
Sorting out the viral claims
| Viral claim | What we confirmed |
|---|---|
| Foreigners can now work part-time at pachinko parlors | True. From October 1, only people with Dependent status can work up to 28 hours a week if they receive individual permission. |
| International students can work freely at pachinko parlors | False. The ISA says people with “Student” status are not covered. Even people with Dependent status need individual permission for each employer. |
| Technical intern trainees are covered too | False. Only people with Dependent status are covered. |
| The Diet decided it | False. It is a change in how the ISA applies the rules, not a change in the law. |
| They can work at hostess clubs and sex businesses too | False. Coverage is limited to businesses under Article 2(1)(iv) and (v) of the Entertainment Business Act (pachinko parlors, mahjong parlors, game arcades and the like). |
| It came at the industry’s request | True. According to the ISA, the gaming industry made the request because of labor shortages. |
What has changed
Foreigners need “permission to engage in activity other than that permitted by the status of residence” to work outside the scope set by their residence status. When people with Dependent or Student status work part-time, they usually receive “blanket permission,” which means they do not need new permission when changing employers as long as they work no more than 28 hours a week. However, under the general rules of this permission, work at adult entertainment businesses or sex-related businesses is not allowed.
As an exception to this, the ISA has decided to grant “individual permission” to work at pachinko parlors and similar businesses, only for people with Dependent status.
- Who: People with “Dependent” residence status (people with “Student” status and others are not covered)
- Where: Businesses licensed under the Entertainment Business Act in categories 2(1)(iv) (pachinko parlors, mahjong parlors, etc.) and (v) (game arcades, etc.)
- Hours: No more than 28 hours a week, combined with other part-time jobs
- Procedure: After signing an employment contract, apply to the regional immigration bureau with a copy of the employer’s business license and pledge forms from both the business and the worker. The person cannot work until permission is granted
- Business pledges: Complying with laws on employing foreigners, regularly checking that total working hours are within 28 hours a week, and so on
Background
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| February 2026 | Yoshio Kimura, backed by the pachinko industry, wins an upper house seat and states his resolve at an industry report meeting |
| July 29 | At a board meeting of the Tokyo association, Kimura explains that for work by people with Dependent status, “rules will be decided and it will start by October” |
| Late September | Industry media report individual permission starting October 1. The Tokyo association’s chairman calls on halls to recruit actively |
| October 1 | The ISA changes how it applies the rules |
| October 24 | Kyodo News reports it, and it becomes a widely discussed topic on social media |
Sources (mostly in Japanese)
2. What each side says
We summarize each side's main arguments in our own words, based on the original statements and reporting.
A reasonable response to labor shortages
According to the ISA, the gaming industry had asked to hire foreigners because of labor shortages. Part-time work is allowed at horse racing and keirin venues, which are not regulated by the Entertainment Business Act, so there was also a sense of unfairness. The ISA consulted the National Police Agency, which oversees the Entertainment Business Act, and concluded that there were no problems with the working environment at pachinko parlors and similar businesses.
According to Money Post Web, pachinko halls struggle to attract staff because the work is hard and dealing with customers is demanding, and halls had long wanted to hire foreigners. It also said the number of foreign tourists interested in pachinko has grown, creating demand for staff who can speak English or Chinese.
Abe, chairman of the Tokyo Metropolitan Amusement Business Cooperative Association (the Tokyo pachinko hall operators' association), told a board meeting in September, "To solve the labor shortage at our stores, I want each hall to actively set aside hiring slots."
This is not an unrestricted opening, and safeguards are in place. Workplaces are limited to businesses licensed under the Entertainment Business Act, and the business must pledge to comply with laws on employing foreigners and to regularly check that the worker's hours, combined with other part-time jobs, stay within 28 hours a week.
Concerns over addiction and immigration control
The change was decided by the ISA as a change in how it applies the rules, at the industry's request, without Diet debate or a change in the law. Yoshio Kimura, a Liberal Democratic Party upper house member backed by the industry, explained at a board meeting of the Tokyo association in July that "rules will be decided and it will start by October," and some question how close the industry and politicians are.
Kyodo News (Tokyo Shimbun; foreigners' part-time work now includes pachinko parlors, Japanese)(Oct 24)Green Belt (Kimura explains the outlook for international students' part-time work, Japanese)(Jul 30)P-town (report meeting of the All Japan Amusement Industry Political Federation, Japanese)(Feb 16)The industry is also seeking to extend this to international students themselves. Chairman Abe said that if more people join the industry, "in the future it will take a form in which international students' work outside their status is allowed," which has fed concerns that coverage will gradually expand without a clear decision.
The 28-hour weekly cap must be observed across all employers combined. The ISA requires businesses to check regularly, but it remains an open question whether a business can accurately track hours worked at other employers.
Cautious views within the industry
Money Post Web pointed out that, unlike the "blanket permission" for ordinary part-time work, workers must apply for "individual permission" for each employer, with a copy of the business license and pledge forms, and that halls and foreigners may shy away because the procedure is cumbersome.
Posts on X
Sohei Kamiya, Sanseito leader: Quoting the Kyodo News article, he posted that "the pretext of Technical Intern Training is gone, and it just becomes a way of filling labor gaps." The change covers only people with Dependent status, and technical intern trainees are not included.
View the post by Sohei Kamiya, Sanseito leader on X ↗
Reading between the lines
This section is our editors' interpretation (speculation). It is not confirmed, but the facts it is based on are sourced.
The Immigration Services Agency
Why allow it only for people with Dependent status, and through individual permission?
SpeculationThe agency appears to have responded to the industry's request and the sense of unfairness relative to horse racing and keirin venues, while avoiding extending it to international students, which draws strong criticism, and keeping it within limits it can manage through checks on each employer and pledges from businesses. Handling it through a change in application rather than a change in the law also seems aimed at starting with a small exception and seeing how it goes.
Facts this is based on
- • The gaming industry made the request because of labor shortages, and there was a sense of unfairness relative to horse racing and keirin venues. The National Police Agency was also consulted.Kyodo News (Tokyo Shimbun; foreigners' part-time work now includes pachinko parlors, Japanese)(Oct 24)
- • Coverage is limited to Dependent status, and Student status is not covered. Pledges from the employer and checks on the 28-hour weekly limit are requirements.Immigration Services Agency (permission for activities other than those permitted at gaming halls, Japanese)
The pachinko industry
Why does it call the opening for Dependent status holders a "first step"?
SpeculationThe industry's real goal appears to be part-time work by international students, who are more numerous and more familiar with Japanese. It seems to want to increase the number of Dependent status holders working now, show a track record, and use that to extend coverage to international students. The industry sent a lawmaker it backs to the Diet in 2026, and its lobbying to get its requests met is likely to continue.
Facts this is based on
- • Chairman Abe said that if more people join, international students' work outside their status will eventually be allowed.Yugi Nippon (foreigners with Dependent status can work from October 1, Japanese)(Oct 1)
- • Yoshio Kimura, a lawmaker backed by the industry, won a seat, and hiring international students has been raised as an issue.P-town (report meeting of the All Japan Amusement Industry Political Federation, Japanese)(Feb 16)Money Post Web (what will change with the birth of the pachinko industry's first "zoku" lawmaker, Japanese)(Mar 16)
What people are saying
We searched X (formerly Twitter) for terms such as "Dependent pachinko," "work permit pachinko" and "pachinko foreigner part-time" and checked Japanese posts from late September to October 26, 2026. We searched again on October 26 and added critical voices. Most posts were opposed or critical; even after searching again for terms such as "labor shortage" and "pachinko foreigner part-time job," we found no posts actively supporting the change. Posts correcting misunderstandings of the reports and practical posts by people in the industry are grouped under "Others"
Concerns over addiction and immigration control
- “I think drugs and the like could spread from pachinko parlors and game arcades, and public safety could get worse.”
- “I think it's wrong for the state to fill labor shortages with foreigners in an industry that has a gambling addiction problem.”
- “It looks like this was decided because of the industry's requests and lobbying by industry-friendly lawmakers, and I think consulting the police agency was a formality with the conclusion already set.”
- “Pachinko parlors can't find staff because demand for the industry is shrinking, so I think it's wrong to fill the gap with foreigners in the name of a "labor shortage."”
- “If there's a labor shortage, I think they should first offer wages and conditions that make Japanese people want to work there, before bringing in foreigners.”
- “Dependent status originally doesn't allow work in principle, so I think it's wrong that the range of work allowed just by getting permission keeps expanding bit by bit.”
- “I think if more foreigners work short hours at workplaces that handle cash, checks on income declarations and tax payments won't keep up.”
Posts are paraphrased, not quoted, and individual accounts are not named.
3. Where things stand
Where they agree
- Only people with Dependent status are covered, and international students and technical intern trainees are not included.
- It is a change in how the ISA applies the rules, not a change in the law.
- Work is limited to 28 hours a week, and sex-related businesses and similar remain off-limits.
Where they disagree
- Whether it is appropriate to fill labor shortages at pachinko parlors with foreign workers.
- Whether a review made at the industry's request should go ahead without Diet debate.
- Whether coverage should be extended to international students in the future.
What to watch
- How many individual permissions are actually granted to people with Dependent status.
- How the ISA handles the industry's request to extend coverage to international students.
- Whether the 28-hour weekly cap is observed across multiple employers.
It is true that from October 1 the ISA allows only people with Dependent status to work part-time at pachinko parlors and similar businesses with individual permission. However, claims that "international students can work freely," that "technical intern trainees are covered too," that "the Diet decided it" or that "they can work at sex businesses" are false. Those who see it as a reasonable response to labor shortages point to the industry's staff shortage and fairness relative to horse racing and keirin venues, and believe there are safeguards such as pledges from businesses. Those who are concerned point to gambling addiction and the impact on public safety, the process of deciding it at the industry's request without going through the Diet, and the risk that it will lead to extending coverage to international students.