SSW 19 Industries List in Japan (2026)

Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker policy covers 19 fields after the January 23, 2026 Cabinet decision. The official SSW overview lists the existing 16 plus linen supply, logistics warehousing and resource recycling. Being listed in the policy does not by itself mean that applications are currently accepted: the operating-policy notice says that newly added fields and work categories require implementing measures before acceptance can begin.

Automobile transportation, railway, forestry and timber were added in March 2024. The table below gives examples of work across the 19 policy fields; it is not an exhaustive list of permitted duties or a declaration that every field is open for applications.

Complete SSW 19 industries list and covered work

The current framework comes from the January 23, 2026 integrated field policies, replacing the older separate policies. Check the latest field policy for its acceptance ceiling and implementation conditions. Work examples below help identify a field; confirm the current work category and principal duties for the actual job in the official operating materials.

Where to verify field-specific details

The Cabinet-decision page directs readers to the field-specific operating policies and operating guidelines for details about each covered field. The ISA job-description page separately presents each field’s overview, principal duties, anticipated related duties, and, where applicable, special notes.

If further clarification is needed, the job-description page directs readers to the competent administrative authority’s contact information published in the field-specific information.

Differences between similar SSW sectors

Manufacturing versus food manufacturing

Industrial product manufacturing concerns non-food products and production processes. Its covered work includes metal processing, machinery and electrical assembly, surface treatment, paper containers and corrugated boxes, concrete products, ceramics, textiles, sewing, printing, bookbinding, and RPF production.

Food manufacturing concerns food and beverage production, excluding alcohol. It covers steps such as raw-material processing, heating, sterilization, forming, and drying, together with workplace safety and food-hygiene controls.

Food manufacturing versus food service

Food manufacturing covers the production and processing of food and beverages other than alcohol. Its principal work includes a series of production steps such as handling raw materials, heating, sterilizing, forming, and drying.

Food service covers food preparation, customer service, and establishment management. Examples include preparing and plating food, taking orders, serving customers, receiving payment, managing reservations and stock, maintaining equipment, and preparing menus or promotional materials.

Building cleaning versus accommodation

Building cleaning focuses on maintaining sanitary, attractive, and safe interiors in non-residential buildings. Guest-room cleaning—including cleaning floors, bathrooms, toilets, and washbasins, replenishing amenities, and making beds—can fall within this field when performed as the integrated work needed to deliver a clean guest room.

Accommodation covers the broader provision of hotel or ryokan services. Examples include check-in and check-out, guest enquiries, tourism information, promotional planning, and restaurant service inside the establishment.

Automobile maintenance versus automobile transportation

Automobile maintenance covers routine inspections, periodic maintenance, specified maintenance, and work incidental to specified maintenance. Its basic duties can include electronic-control-system maintenance and body repair or painting.

Automobile transportation covers bus, taxi, and truck operations. Depending on the category, duties include pre- and post-operation vehicle checks, safe passenger or cargo transport, preparation of driving records, passenger service, or loading cargo to prevent shifting.

For people who wish to undertake preparatory activities before becoming SSW1 workers in automobile transportation, the ISA permits entry and residence under the Designated Activities status for obtaining a Japanese driving licence or completing new-driver training. The maximum period is six months for truck drivers and one year for taxi and bus drivers. Applications for this preparatory status have been accepted since February 17, 2025.

Forestry versus timber

Forestry takes place in forests and covers planting seedlings, tending trees, and producing logs. Its anticipated related work includes processing using produced logs, manufacturing using by-products such as bark or vines, maintaining equipment and tools, transporting materials, and cleaning workplaces.

Timber industry work covers the manufacture and processing of wood and wood products, excluding furnishings such as furniture and fittings. Principal duties include sawmilling, veneer production, wood-chip production, plywood production, laminated-timber production, pre-cut processing, decorative-wood production, and flooring production.

Fishery versus food manufacturing

Fishery covers catching aquatic animals and plants or raising them through aquaculture. It includes making and repairing fishing equipment, locating aquatic resources, operating fishing machinery, catching or harvesting stock, handling and preserving catches, and maintaining safety and hygiene.

Food manufacturing covers the production and processing of food and beverages other than alcohol. It includes production steps such as raw-material processing, heating, sterilization, forming, and drying, as well as operational safety and food-hygiene duties.

How to review the correct field description

Use the official ISA materials in this sequence:

1. Find the relevant field overview. Review the general description of the work covered by each of the 19 fields.
2. Check the current work category. Use the latest official field guidance, including effective dates for added work categories. Do not rely on an older count of categories.
3. Read the principal-duty list. Confirm that the proposed work appears within the main duties described for the field and category.
4. Review anticipated related duties separately. The ISA lists related work independently from principal work. Where the page expressly prohibits exclusive assignment to related duties, that restriction applies to the relevant field.
5. Read any special notes and linked guidance. Some field descriptions include additional decisions, external guidance, or links from the competent ministry.
6. Consult the competent authority when necessary. The ISA directs readers who need further information to the field-specific information and the contact details of the administrative authority responsible for that field.

Common questions