KATHMANDU, Dec 6: For most Nepali youths, the dream they weave each night is of foreign employment. The hope of giving rest to their mothers’ tired hands and repaying burdensome household loans drives young people to seek work abroad.
In pursuit of that brighter future, 27-year-old Hemraj Lamsal (name changed) from Palpa left his village. Chasing the colours of a better life, he trusted an agent’s promises and arrived in Japan last Baisakh (April/May). Yet the dream of earning well abroad remained just that—a dream.
Without learning the language, he flew with courage, trusting the agent’s sweet words and carrying heavy loans amounting to hundreds of thousands of rupees. When he boarded the plane to Japan, he felt life had finally become beautiful.
But as Japan’s cold nights wrapped around him, he realised—if only this harsh reality could turn into a dream. The agent had charged 1.26 million rupees to send him there. “No need for language, it’s a Nepali-run hotel,” the agent had falsely assured. Trusting that lie, he arrived in Japan.
Having spent millions without learning the language, the bright future he had imagined turned into disappointment. Hoping for a major turn in life, he had chosen the path to Japan. Agent Sandeep Bista had spun tales of high salaries, generous facilities, and a shining future, trapping Lamsal in an inflated dream.
“You don’t need to learn Japanese; it’s a Nepali company, and the work is easy,” the agent had said. But after reaching Japan, no one offered him a job.
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He gradually began spending his days on the streets. Only after arriving there did he understand how hard foreign employment can be—like chewing stones. There was no food and no safe shelter.
While waiting for work, he spent seven months sleeping under the foreign sky and on the streets. The agent cut off all contact. His days were spent wandering in search of work and sleeping on pavements at night.
With mounting loan burdens, he appealed to Nepal Foreign Employment Rescue Nepal for assistance. Burdened with debts, he returned to Nepal on 7 November—without earnings, without the dream of Japan. Instead, he came back with heavier debts.
After his return, he filed a complaint against the agent. He went everywhere seeking to recover his loan, but the only agency that listened was Foreign Employment Rescue Nepal. He is now pursuing justice through this complaint.
A similar story is that of Ramesh Sherpa (name changed) from Ramechhap, another victim in Japan. Through a working visa, hoping for a cooking or hotel job, he paid 1.8 million rupees to agent Angbabu Lama, trusting his promises.
“Work in a Nepali restaurant, no language needed,” the agent had said. Believing this, Sherpa flew to Japan in Jestha. But like Lamsal, his story was the same: no job ever materialised. His dream had been big, and he spent six months living helplessly in Japan, hoping it might come true. But it never did, and he returned to Nepal empty-handed.
Recently, cases of Nepalis being trapped in Japan under the guise of foreign employment have surged. Youths are sent after paying huge sums, only to be abandoned upon arrival.
According to Indralal Gole, chairperson of Foreign Employment Rescue Nepal, the dreams of those taking massive loans to reach Japan are turning into lives of sorrow. Agents charge 1.5–2 million rupees, claiming, “Why learn the language? There are Nepali hotels. You can earn 300,000–400,000 per month.”
He says 3–4 calls come daily—via WhatsApp and phone—from youths reporting that they have no work, no food, and no place to stay, begging for rescue. Believing they could work in Nepali restaurants without knowing the language, youths fly blindly and end up stranded in Japan.
“Nepali youths wander without work in Japan,” Gole says. “They have to sleep on the streets. We’ve rescued many directly from the roadside.” The rush to go to Japan is increasing sharply, but so too is the number trapped in agents’ webs.
For seven to eight months, sometimes even a year, many youths remain jobless and hungry, crying and pleading, “Please bring me back to Nepal.” Rescue requests from Japan are increasing daily.
The dream of a developed country like Japan may seem enticing, but without understanding the reality, that dream becomes life’s greatest downfall. Sweet words and false assurances from agents push youths to borrow large sums and fly blindly, only to end up stranded there.
When all hope collapses, many return demanding their money back, knocking on the doors of Rescue Nepal. Their pain, suffering, and helplessness have become a recurring, heartbreaking story.
Officials at the Department of Foreign Employment say very few formal complaints reach the government. Government data also shows low numbers of Japan-related complaints.
