The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze Japan's policy to secure foreign maritime professionals and analyze recent achievements to find strategic implications for securing Korea's foreign maritime professionals in the future. To this end, first, the trends in Japan’s policies for securing and accepting foreign maritime professionals are examined. Second, we analyzed Japan’s institutional framework for hiring foreign seamen, reviewed Japan’s establishment and operation of foreign seaman training institutions, and analyzed the locational advantage of the Philippines, which Japan uses as a base for securing foreign seamen. The results of the analysis are as follows. Japanese companies began mixing foreign and Japanese seamen in earnest in the 1970s, starting with low rank crew. In the 1980s, the employment of foreign seamen was actively promoted due to the increase in the lack of Japanese seafarers, and in the 2000s, the global competition to secure excellent seamen accelerated due to a shortage of seamen due to the increase in ships. Until the 1980s, foreign seamen from various countries were employed, but Filipino seafarers formed the core of the Japanese merchant fleet. In the process, the Japanese government, Japanese shipping companies, and the labor union JSU cooperated to train and acquire seafarers in the Philippines. Support was provided for the establishment of educational institutions and system maintenance. Currently, there are three Japanese merchant marine universities in the Philippines, supplying the excellent marine engineers required by Japanese shipping companies.