Tokyo—With wages across Asia rising, Japan is gradually losing its appeal as a destination for foreign workers.

        The number of foreign workers in Japan is on track to top 1 million by the end of this year, but this trend may not last, even if the country adopts a more welcoming immigration policy.

      One reason is that South Korea and Taiwan are fast gaining on Japan in terms of wages and other working conditions for foreign workers. Another is that job opportunities are improving in China, a major source of overseas workers in Japan.

      The owner of a long-established Chinese restaurant in Tokyo’s Akasaka district is already feeling the effects of these changes.

         When he was looking for a new part-time worker recently, a young Chinese application demanded a monthly wage of 300000 yen($2833), twice the amount he has traditionally paid such employees.

“I can’t afford monthly wages that high,” the owner grumbled (抱怨).

       The applicant said the restaurant’s current pay level is not different from what he could earn back in China. The average monthly income of workers in Shanghai reached 5451 yuan ($813) in 2014 and has continued to rise.

       Rising wages in China are also affecting rural Japan, where a shrinking working-age population is causing serious problems. Chinese nationals once accounted for more than 70% of foreign workers here. But the minimum monthly wage for full-time workers there is about 110000 yen, not much different from pay levels in urban areas of China.

(1) Why is Japan losing its attraction to foreign workers?
A. Because Japan adopted a more welcoming immigration policy. B. Because the economy of Japan has serious problems. C. Because employers in Japan can’t afford higher wages. D. Because China restricts its citizens from working in Japan.
(2) The current pay level of the Chinese restaurant mentioned in the passage is most probably ________.
A. 150000 yen B. 90000 yen C. 300000 yen D. 190000 yen
(3) According to the passage, what is causing serious problems in rural Japan?
A. The working conditions in rural Japan is much worse than large cities. B. The number of people in working age is declining. C. Workers from urban areas of China don’t like living in the countryside. D. Chinese workers are so greedy that they often demand high wages.
(4) What does the passage suggest?
A. Working conditions in China is now better than Japan. B. Workers from South Korea and Taiwan are leaving Japan. C. Japanese people fear that Chinese workers will take their jobs. D. The average income of workers is increasing in China.