Japan is set to accept nurses and elderly-care workers from Indonesia, as the country struggles to care for its rapidly growing ranks of old people.

Kyodo news agency says this could possibly be as soon as July.

On friday the upper house of parliament approved an Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia which would allow 400 experienced nurses and 600 experienced care workers to work in Japan on special three and four-year visas.

The lower house approved the agreement last month.

Tokyo has already mapped out a similar EPA with the Philippines, but it has yet to be ratified by Manila.

The Japanese government has long kept immigration to a minimum but the dearth of young people has forced Tokyo to rethink its attitude to foreign workers.

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