Japan is one of several countries hoping that Britain votes to stay in the European Union on Thursday. What's your stance on the issue?

I'm hoping they don't ......

I can't think of a single reason put forward by the Brexiters that isn't based on lies, xenophobia/racism or both. Stay.

Not too important. Just too much media promoted publicity I think.

Of course, there will be few hiccups in the stock market for few days if any. European Union and Euro currency was never stable and will never be stable. Its too complex to gain an average investors confidence. US and Britain is well aware of this. Also many asian bankers recommend their customers not to have long term investments in Euro anyways.

The future is in Asia excluding Japan, sad but true.

My first reaction is to say, hey.... let them do what they want to do... what business is it of Japan's?

But really, the reasons that Japanese people and businesses and government would advise the UK to stay in are exactly the same ones that UK citizens should think about when making their decisions. I can't think of a bigger pain than having to abide by a bunch of rules made by people who are a continent and a culture away, BUT the advantages that the UK gets from access to all of those people and the undue influence it gives the UK are certainly worth it.

As with NAFTA and other trade agreements, all the complexities are going to produce angry people here and there, but the overall benefit is still there. The difficulty in producing and maintaining the structures is justified. Think of how many tariffs, wars, boycotts, and taxes have been avoided. Agreements and treaties are easy targets. Civilization is always a whipping boy for disaffected losers. Always.

Should remain, not convinced there is even a need for this referendum besides right wingers having yet another whinge over their inability to keep up with modern life

Leave, and become strong again.

Stay. Leaving fixes nothing, as Jon Oliver has pointed out. Staying allows you to influence things for the better.

Leave, and become strong again.

Again? Britain was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe when it entered the EU in 1973. It even had a lower GDP per capita than Japan. How far back in history are you expecting us to look?

I have too much trouble with Michael Gove's thick Scottish accent to know where he stands.

Remain. Much better being part of a bigger stronger unit.

I have a few problems with Michael Gove but his very mild Scottish accent is not one of them, by the way.

As a Brit I'm voting stay... All Brexit can offer is chaos, xenophobia and Farage.

I must have heard Michael Gove's story about his dad's business a thousand times.

not all exit arguments are racist or xenophobic. The EU is bureaucratic nightmare for small businesses and is a pretty wasteful and ineffective body overall. agree benefits of free trade and travel are real but to characterize all Brexiteers as loons is just wrong. and also why so many folks want to leave.

HI Cleo,

So put one reason forward for remain...Clearly Brexit equates to xenophobia/racism.

Cleo: how about maintaining national sovereignty? Control of their own destiny and legal system? No desire to finance other, less fiscally responsible countries?

Cleo do you think your family, husband and children have the same status that the other citizens of EU states?

Born in the UK, yet I hold a Japanese passport, have family in the UK, the hoops I have had to jump through to continue my profession in the UK, I have had to agree to no recourse to public funds even though I pay taxes figures, the staus quo for non EU citizens defines xenophobia/racism

So put one reason forward for remain...

United we stand?

Much less chance of WW3 starting in Europe?

After a Brexit vote the pound would plunge, slashing my pound savings. (That alone is enough reason - for me).

Who wants to be a tiny, windswept island (half an island, if Scotland opts to stay) that can't trade because the big boys will concentrate on trade with the EU? (Obama has said as much).

how about maintaining national sovereignty? Control of their own destiny and legal system? No desire to finance other, less fiscally responsible countries?

How about working together for the greater good?

do you think your family, husband and children have the same status that the other citizens of EU states?

Trying to look past the grammatical foibles of that question...My husband and daughter do not have the same status as members of EU states, because they do not have and never have had UK citizenship, nor the citizenship of any EU member state. duh. My son was born a UK citizen, and has every right to walk into the UK (or any other EU state) and demand the same rights as any other citizen. What's your point?

Born in the UK, yet I hold a Japanese passport

you mean you chose to give up your UK citizenship? Your choice, nothing to do with EU membership. Why would you chose to swap your UK citizenship for Japanese, if your life is in the UK? Makes no sense, if you'll pardon my French. Or do you mean you were born to Japanese parents in the UK? Maybe you should consider applying for UK nationality?

I'm Scottish and British and proud to be both - should Farage and loony Boris win on Thursday and Scotland votes to stay that will, once again threaten to rip the UK apart... and this time the result could be different if another Scottish Indyref is held.

If the Little Englanders win then no doubt Cameron would find his position impossible and there'd be a leadership election... and who do you think would win that little contest? Yes, Boris.

The pound will sink, there'll be panic in the City... and like Scotland in 2014, the country will be split between those who wanted to leave and those opting to stay. If I was younger I'd leave the UK behind...

Apologies I incorrectly assumed your husband was a Japanese passport holder, and your children likewise.

My father is English and and Mother is Japanese. I chose to obtain Japan nationally when the opportunity arose. My education was in the UK and I conduct my financial software development business at the moment here in Japan. I have subsidiaries in London and Brighton. I just wanted to be closer to my family here in Japan.

Nato has always maintain peace in Europe under the three nuclear powers France, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has nothing to do with the EU. The EU cant even secure its borders. The EU instituted a diplomatic catastrophe in Ukraine.

Patrick Minford, Professor of economics co-chairman at Cardiff University published a report yesterday for the Unite Union

"Skilled migrants offer a huge economic boost to the UK, however, it is clear that the UK is suffering in economic terms significantly from vast numbers of unskilled EU migrants. Leaving the EU and the single market is the only way for the UK to take back control’....

The full Report has been published in the Mail on line, but I have issues with the tone of the Mail.

Apologies I incorrectly assumed your husband was a Japanese passport holder, and your children likewise.

You assumed correctly; they all have Japanese passports. My son is the only one with the right to demand a UK passport (he was born after the UK law was changed, granting UK citizenship at birth to the overseas-born offspring of UK mothers - my daughter missed out by a matter of months.) I don't see why or how non-UK/EU passport holders should expect special treatment?

Nato has always maintain peace in Europe

Not always - only since 1945. There was quite a bit of rumpus before that. Funny how you don't mind being beholden to the US for defence, but find the idea of cooperation with EU neighbours anathema.

Just equal treatment if a member of the family is a UK/GB passport holder.

My own personal circumstances when deciding to stay here in Japan was undoubtedly flaky. My spoken Japanese was adequate, passable but not really satisfactory and far from outstanding, let no go into tHiragana, Katakana, Kanji and Romaji, I am still taking classes yet the power that be have been sympathetic to say the least, I have been able to buy companies here, and go about as I please. UK/GB could be reciprocal to nationalities that are will to contribute likewise. That cannot be said for other EU states.

Did anyone catch the Brexit special on TV Tokyo last night? It was interesting to see how much misinformation is out there.

They interviewed a mother in England who was convinced that EU students were responsible for her son not being able to attend university. The reason? She wanted to send her son to Scotland to take advantage of cheaper fees. She didn't realise that domestic UK rules mean that English students have to pay full price in Scotland. But because she also read that EU students living in Scotland receive the same discounted fees as Scots, she thought that this all had something to do with the EU.

@itsonlyrocknroll

So put one reason forward for remain

In all seriousness, this is the most persuasive argument for remaining in the EU that I've heard so far. So simple, yet so true. No lies, no dubious statistics, no lofty promises, no threats. Just pure common sense and logic from a man of very simple words.

https://youtu.be/kYZiN3SZPo0

Hi M3 you are a dedicated pro-European in the sense that your would vote for Great Britain to remain in the EU. I am not going to change your mind. Farage and co have seen to that.

Thank you for the link....

Let me provide another....Kalypso Nicolaïdis

A letter to my British friends: for Europe’s sake, please stay to state clearly I do not have a closed mind...

https://www.opendemocracy.net/brexitdivisions/kalypso-nicola-dis/letter-to-my-british-friends-for-europe-s-sake-please-stay

I honestly believe that refusal to reform currency union. Germany has a overwhelming economic advantage especially in the area of wage restraint, the numbers adjusted for inflation have barely risen for fifteen years, this has contributed to an eye watering trade surplus boosted the competitiveness of German manufactured products and services within the currency union, whilst eliminating imports.

The UK has been hanging on for dear life. The southern states are close to collapse. I would be singing the EU praises if there was a genuine agenda for reform.

@itsonlyrocknroll

That's a great letter, thanks. I agree with everything in it. I also agree that the EU will inevitably make changes even after a remain vote. Of course, it's a bit hard to admit that there's anything wrong with the EU in the middle of the campaign, but I think there will be some serious soul searching after this near death experience. I'm sure the Euro will have to be at the top of the agenda but I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an expert on the economics of the Eurozone.

Can I ask what you meant by this?

UK/GB could be reciprocal to nationalities that are will to contribute likewise. That cannot be said for other EU states.

I understand the first part but I'm not sure about the second. Are you saying that when is comes to non-EU citizens, other EU states are more welcoming than the UK or less welcoming? In my experience, they are significantly more relaxed and welcoming than the UK. The immigration system in the UK is a bit like scaling a castle wall, but it's obviously a popular destination. But I suppose Britain is also notorious for treating its own citizens quite poorly, not only immigrants and former citizens. For example, the very high minimum income thresholds for bringing a non-EU spouse to live in the UK which only apply to UK citizens. Unfortunately, the EU rules can't protect you unless you cross a national border.

Hi M3, Holders of an EU passport from any member state have free movement. However from outside the EU even if one can has relatives resident in a member state, there is no automatic right to remain, although this can differ, it depends on ones circumstances.

Bye bye, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

@itsonlyrocknroll

That's true, it's not automatic. However, I'm not sure most people would support a strictly automatic right for children of EU citizens. I think there needs to be a right to refuse entry to those with serious criminal records or terrorist links etc, even if they are the dependent children of EU citizens.

It also depends significantly on the rules of the individual EU states. Spain and France don't seem to be as demanding as the UK when it comes to issuing family reunification visas. There was also a well publicized decision in 2014 by the CJEU that the UK could not refuse non-EU family members from entering the UK if they were issued a visa elsewhere in the EU.

Even though the rules don't give you an automatic right, the CJEU is definitely on your side, much more so than Theresa May or anyone at the Home Office. The court has recognised that even though you aren't an EU citizen, you still enjoy derived rights from EU legislation, and that your existence impacts on the decisions of EU citizens exercising their own EU rights. I hope this can change your mind about the benefits of being in the EU. The EU recognises you, you're not a stranger to us.

Such [UK] measures, being automatic in nature, would allow Member States to leave the provisions of Directive 2004/38 [Free movement] unapplied and would disregard the very substance of the primary and individual right of Union citizens to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States and of the derived rights enjoyed by those citizens’ family members who are not nationals of a Member State.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62013CJ0202

The Brits are notoriously fickle, so it's good that they get this out of their system and hashed out just to give the nay-sayers their due. At the end of the day, the UK will probably stay in the EU. If the UK does stay in the EU and the whole thing ends up going belly up (Hopefully not!) for them, then the nay-sayers will have bragging rights to say, "See, we told you so".

I just hope everything turns out for the best.

"The Brits are notoriously fickle"

I've heard snobbish. pompous, surly and lazy among other things but I'm not sure I've heard fickle before.

Do you have examples of this?

The Brits are notoriously fickle...

I'm not, and don't know many people who are. We're more likely to be stubborn or bloody minded than fickle.

fickle:

a. not constant or loyal in affections

b. likely to change

Not meant in a negative way. A British friend agreed with me that Brits were like this when I asked him about being fickle.

If the Brits do happen to vote on leaving the EU, then fickle would apply in this case, wouldn't it? Certainly, there are significant number Brits who do wish for a change even if the UK decides to remain in the EU.

not constant or loyal in affections

I don't think your British pal is representative in my experience ;)

@stormcrow Strange use of the word for me. It sounds like any country who vote out a government at election time is populated by fickle people by those standards.

I've voted for the same party in every election bar one. Am I fickle?

On Google I get 445 hits for "Brits are fickle". "French are fickle" gives me 1520 hits. "Germans are fickle" only gets 8. I think that settles it.

Interestingly, if you type 'Les britanniques sont...' (The British are in French), the auto-complete comes up with 'moches' (ugly). 'Les anglais sont...' give you 'hypocrites'. Les écossais sont.. gives you 'radins' (Scots are stingy). In German, 'Die Briten sind...' gives you 'anders' (different).

National stereotypes just won't be the same if Britain leaves the EU.

Hi M3, I came to a no recourse to public funds agreement , and a reduced tax settlement, it is a halfway house. My whole attitude towards the EU project was influenced but the way Greece was treated. And the fact that the EU institutions will not compromise on reform either politically or it's currency union. The south is heading for a economic catastrophe, it's risk assessing the fallout if UK remains or leaves.

but I'm not sure I've heard fickle before.

You've never heard about Perfidious Albion ?

I'm not, and don't know many people who are.

You and your friends are who ? Nobody. The masses never counted. It's about the English, the Londons, of course.

Do you have examples of this?

The Boris. The whole the Battenberg klan. For countless cases of severe English treasons, open an history book, chapter of international relations. If you prefer litterature, try 'les rois maudits', it was recently adapted into a soap opera as 'game of thrones'.