Fiji, Oct. 6 -- Japan's ageing population and shortage of workers could open up more opportunities for skilled workers from the Pacific.

At a briefing with journalists from the Pacific and the Caribbean in Tokyo on Monday, Ambassador Toshinori Shigeie, President of the Association for Promotion of International Cooperation (APIC) said the number of foreign residents in Japan has continued to grow.

From the last national census report, non-Japanese foreign workers have increased to 3.84 million.

He said Japan needs to "co-exist with its neighbours and the rest of the world" but this needs to be done in a balanced way.

Japan is facing a serious shortage of workers in several areas, including agriculture.

"There is a labour shortage pro...