Many of the 95,000 foreign nationals residing in the devastated region would be university students, exchange students, language teachers, but the largest numbers would be workers in industry and construction.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110322a7.html
22 March 2011
excerpt (entire article can be read at JT, see links above or below):
Information on foreigners in Tohoku scarce
Kyodo News
Authorities are trying to gather information about foreign victims of the March 11 earthquake-tsunami catastrophe, but the unprecedented damage is hampering relief work.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto pledged to do his utmost to determine the whereabouts of foreigners, both alive and missing, but 10 days after the disaster the government remains unready to release even an estimate of those affected.
"We must (try to ascertain) the whereabouts of people from foreign countries in the same way we are doing for Japanese people," Matsumoto told a press conference Friday.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110322a7.html
