Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting reports that about 19,000 foreign students study at universities in Fukuoka. With calls for an inbound society and labor shortages, employers’ attitudes toward hiring foreign students are changing. On Oct. 14 in Fukuoka City, a job fair for foreign students attracted 33 Kyushu-based companies, mainly in manufacturing and real estate, with several firms launching foreign recruitment for the first time. Sakamoto Shuzo of Kagoshima aims to expand into China and seeks applicants who can handle Chinese-language registration processes. The Hizenya tourist hotel says daily conversation skills are essential for customer service. Some students want interpreter roles or jobs leveraging their native languages, while others worry about yen depreciation. A Nepali student notes remittances shrink as the yen weakens, but emphasizes skills and study. The prefecture says last year about 2,200 foreign students found jobs in the prefecture, up 11% from the previous year, continuing a post-pandemic rise.