If you are ever, EVER tempted to say "Japan is a closed-off xenophobic country, look at how few immigrants it has", you are required to read this thread before proceeding with the discussion 👇👇👇
To be clear, Japan is bringing in many MORE low-skilled guest workers than I'd personally be comfortable with, if I were the Japanese government...But I'm not the Japanese government.
The people who say "Japan has a low % of foreign-born people therefore its a closed country" should think about whether they would also called the U.S. a "closed country" back in 1970, just after we dramatically liberalized our immigration laws.
It just makes no damn sense.
It just makes no damn sense.
No country goes from 1% foreign-born to 14% overnight, no matter how much it liberalizes its immigration laws.
Immigration doesn't work like that.
The people who say "Japan has a low % of foreign-born people therefore its a closed country" aren't thinking straight at all.
Immigration doesn't work like that.
The people who say "Japan has a low % of foreign-born people therefore its a closed country" aren't thinking straight at all.
The fact is, Japan *was* mostly closed to immigration for a long time (though not as much as people think; demand to move there was almost nil).
But there have been recent changes. Big changes.
Even if those changes are sustained, it will take time for them to be felt.
(end)
But there have been recent changes. Big changes.
Even if those changes are sustained, it will take time for them to be felt.
(end)
Oh and in case you're interested, here is a paper with evidence about Japanese attitudes toward immigration!
seikitanaka.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/kage_e…
seikitanaka.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/kage_e…
