Over the years and particularly in recent months, there has been an increasing debate about the need for foreign workers and/or immigrants to help make up for the rapidly declining population in Japan (one person a minute). The expression “hitode busoku” (labor shortage) is the catchphrase now to capture this lack of available qualified workers.

But this has been a problem for a long time. Indeed, today, on average, for every 15 jobs, there are only 10 workers. In some communities and fields it is much worse. And, it is only going to get worse with the Olympics approaching and with tourism now at 31 million visitors per year (from just 6 million in 2011) and projected to reach 60 million in the coming decades.

Interestingly, one nearby but overlooked pool of potential workers is the dependent population of U.S. military personnel assigned to Japan, which include spouses and teenage (or older) children. Moreover, with special permission, even military members can work part-time.

These individuals spend anywhere from a year or two to, in some cases, six, nine or a dozen years here (with the longer ones known as homesteaders). As such, they, especially, the longer-term individuals, can provide a stable, professional pool of labor with an international flair.

One problem, however, is the fact that approximately 20 percent of their pay (known as domestic source income) would be deducted for taxes, and thus many choose not to work off-base. They are not being treated in a discriminatory manner per se, but simply as non-residents as part of Japan’s Income Tax Law (Article 161).

However, there is no real basis for the 20 percent number, and certainly any arguments that were used in the past do not really apply. The law, Act No. 33 of March 31, 1965, was written in part to protect Japanese jobs, but now the situation is much different.

Japan needs foreign workers, and what better way than to utilize those that already live here and are somewhat accustomed to the culture. Indeed, some are on their second or third tours here.

This is particularly problematic in Okinawa, whose service industry (hotels, restaurants, stores) is booming. Companies there need employees, and would prefer those who can stay in Japan for a relatively long time, but the details of the recently passed bill expanding the number and scope of foreign workers remain unannounced, preventing recruiting.

The Abe administration’s efforts toward the bill were a step in the right direction, but it was a small, uncertain step. As with many things here, it was too little, too late.

In any case, even foreign workers hired from abroad will not be enough. Thus, I would encourage Japan to look at a population already living in Japan — members of the Status of Forces Agreement community.

To make work for them off-base more attractive, a special arrangement for taxes should be worked out in which they would be treated as other legal residents or Japanese are. Namely, they should be taxed at 10 percent rather than 20 percent. Indeed, for all practical purposes, they are residents here and should not really be considered non-residents as per the current interpretation of the income tax law.

Of course, the savings would not be the only incentive for them to work off-base. They will be able to develop more friendships with Japanese people — contributing to the friendship between the two countries in the process — learn conversational and other Japanese, become more familiar with Japanese culture and customs, among many other things. With the experience and connections they make, they may end up choosing to stay in Japan afterward, contributing to Japan and/or the bilateral relationship in a new, post-military career way. For young people, it also will give them practical work experience they can leverage in the future.

In response, there is some understandable concern that the Americans might not make reliable workers, incapable of replicating the quality and courtesy of Japanese employees and who would place their own needs ahead of the company or store in an “un-Japanese-like” manner. However, these concerns are true of other groups as well, including in some individual cases, Japanese workers themselves. Proper training and communication of expectations, ahead of during the employment period, are easy ways to resolve this potential problem as it would be in any case.

A previous inquiry to U.S. Forces Japan went unanswered but one possible concern from a U.S. military perspective of course should be with operational security — information about military operations, capabilities, resources, personnel movements, etc., — from leaking, but that was, is, and will always be a problem regardless of the situation — work or social. A requirement, which does not exist now, for those who work off-base to pass this training before applying for jobs could be mandated.

Okinawa was alluded to above, but the situation will get more desperate throughout the country as described earlier. Fortunately, there are U.S. military facilities in most of the affected areas, such as in Kanto (Yokosuka, Yokota, Zama, etc.), Chugoku (Iwakuni), Kyushu (Sasebo), and Tohoku (Misawa).

Perhaps the Japanese government, consulting with the U.S. side, may wish to consider making an exception to the Income Tax Law for the above population, addressing the lack of workers and making up for the gaps in the recent bill.

Changes in the Income Tax Law for this group will generate more income for the Japanese government then the current higher tax rate, which causes most to either not work at all off base, or to do so illegally “under the table.” It would be a win-win-win for everyone.

Robert D. Eldridge, a former tenured associate professor of International Public Policy at Osaka University, previously served as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps Installations Pacific in Okinawa.