Japan and Singapore Care and Nursing Market News Briefing — 2026-08-21

Japan Care and Nursing Market Trends

1. Care Facility Operational Crisis Due to Halted Foreign Recruitment According to a report by the Mainichi Shimbun, changes to the Specified Skilled Worker visa system and the suspension of new foreign worker hires have pushed nursing facilities in Japan to the brink of severe labor shortages and operational collapse. Criticism has emerged from the ground, with calls for politicians to "see the reality on the ground."

   

2. Repercussions of Halting New Acceptances in the Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1) 'Food and Beverage' Sector With the Japanese government halting new acceptances for the 'Food and Beverage' sector under the Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 visa, concerns are growing that this will lead to broader labor supply instability across the nursing and care industries.

3. 'Future Care' Initiatives Prepared for 40 Years Ahead CBnews, a comprehensive medical and care information site, reported that the industry's efforts to build a "future care" system looking 40 years ahead are drawing attention as a way to solve the rapidly deepening labor shortage.

(Note: Other retrieved materials related to Japan were excluded as they were published before August 19, 2026, or their dates could not be verified.)

4 sources

mainichi.jp

移民と社会：「政治家は現場見て」崩壊危機の老人ホームの食 外国人採用停止 | 毎日新聞

mainichi.jp

プレスリリース：第2回 介護施設探しに関する実態調査（2026年）（PR TIMES） | 毎日新聞

mainichi.jp

特定技能1号「外食」新規受け入れ停止で波紋

mainichi.jp

プレスリリース：［夜間の急変が心配な人へ］24時間看護師常駐は全国4.4%（2,639件）、トップ大阪府11.2%｜みんなの介護研究所「看護体制実態調査」＜2026年8月＞（PR TIMES） | 毎

Singapore Care and Nursing Market Trends

1. Current Regulatory Status of Singapore Nursing Homes SingaporeLegalAdvice.com recently (8 hours ago) updated and released legal guidelines on the regulatory standards nursing homes in Singapore must follow, along with the administrative measures triggered upon violations.

   

2. Opening of 'Perennial Living', the First Private Luxury Assisted Living Facility Singapore's first privately funded assisted living facility opened its doors on Tuesday. Spanning 195,000 square feet and equipped with amenities such as a swimming pool and restaurants, assisted living rates start at $8,000 per month, with nursing suites starting at $7,600.

   

3. Public Reaction to Private Nursing Home Costs The Independent Singapore reported that regarding the high costs of the private assisted living development project announced by Perennial Holdings, some Singaporean citizens criticized the pricing as "extremely expensive and beyond the financial reach of average families."

   

4. Forum Held to Optimize Nursing Home Land Use The Straits Times published details a day ago from a forum discussing how to optimize land use for nursing homes to address the aging society.

(Note: Other retrieved materials related to Singapore were excluded as they were published before August 19, 2026, or their dates could not be verified.)

1 sources

singaporelegaladvice.com

singaporelegaladvice.com

Policy and Market Implications

1. Fundamental Shifts in Labor Supply Structures and Alternative Searches While Japan relied heavily on foreign labor, policy changes have cut off that supply, prompting shifts toward future care models driven by "technological innovation" and "internal efficiency." Conversely, Singapore is introducing private capital to bring high-end care services to the market, though high costs leave challenges in securing broader public accessibility.

2. Strengthened Regulations and Market Order Establishment Both countries are moving to tighten regulations and supervision to ensure the quality and safety of care services. Singapore is clarifying legal compliance requirements and penalty provisions for nursing homes, while Japan aims to increase market transparency through follow-up measures to the Elderly Welfare Act amendment passed in June 2026 (such as the paid nursing home registration system).

3. Continuum of Care: Integrating Living Environments and Care Singapore is blurring the lines between 'housing' and 'care' by lowering the age requirement for Community Care Apartments from 65 to 55 and integrating medical and wellness services into private assisted living. This represents a paradigm shift toward providing services centered on the quality of life (QOL) in senior years rather than mere nursing care.