An immigrant worker from Peru shouts slogans at a rally against the Japanese government’s bill to revise an immigration law in Tokyo on Sunday. The slogan on the banner reads,” No retrogressive revision of the immigration law.” REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Foreign residents rally against bills to revise immigration law

Monday 25th May, 06:35 AM JST

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Zenpun at 05:56 PM JST - 26th May

Japan is limited in natural resources and land space. It is fair to say that Japan can not accept the high level of immigrants like US, Canada, Australia etc. According the history, Japan closed the door for outside world for almost two hundred years. The downside was Japan was backward and poor after that period.

Meiji restroation from 19th century transformed Japan for becoming modernized and industrialized nation.

Immigration like a double edged sword. For instance, supporting ageing population, Japan need more young and productive people. Due to the economic downturn and credit crisis, there is not much employment opportunities for immigrants. Even for highly skilled profession like scientist, professor and engineers.

Japan has been struggling to deal with rising social problems like homeless, high sucide rate and unemployment. More people mean more demand for land, water, food, health care, transport, waste management, employment and infrastructure. Reducing the immigrants population is a right idea for preventing the social time bomb and unwanted consequence. When the economy is better, immigration policy can be changed according the national interest.
Patrick Smash at 07:55 PM JST - 26th May

I admit this may be a bit too pessimistic but it does seem that the point of the revison of immigration law is: 1. Discourage immigration. 2. Remove privacy from foreigners. 3. Give scannable ID cards so if anyone isn't carrying one they can be arrested and face a 200,000-yen fine. 4. Forget Japanese non-payment, but make sure all foreigners have to pay social security and ward taxes, even though politicians don't bother. 5. Make payment into all Japanese systems, regardless of fairness, connected to visas. 6. Track and control foreigners.

Note the following too: 1. Japan will do next to nothing for young families. 2. Japan has few young people and doesn't do anything positive to change this. 3. Japan remains governed by dynasties, by the grandchildren of the war generation. It will not change in a positive way and needs an Obama. 4. Japan will raise other taxes too, to pay social security costs to its elderly, not to young families. That affects all of us of course. 5. Japan has a pension system that allows many Japanese to pay one, receive two. For foreigners, pay one, receive nil, or almost nil. 6. Japan is in debt at double GNP, the population is aging more rapidly than anyone predicted, so more bills are on the way. 7. Even those who have been paying their pension premiums may not receive very much, depending on their current age.

Most foreigners obviously come here for a variety of reasons, but one of them is almost certainly financial. Japan really needs to find ways of dealing with its mess. They should not be expecting foreigners (the vast majority of whom are from poor Asian countries) to pay their burden.

When Paddy came here 15 years ago, he left a poorer country, in many ways he came as a financial refugee. Japan was better, was more relaxed than now, and there was money here. It's still an okay place in many ways, but how things have changed in a short time. It will only get worse too I'm afraid. There's plenty more legislation to follow this lot no doubt.

Paddy's ranted enough on this thread and this is his lot. Time for some Guinness.
amakuri at 07:35 AM JST - 27th May

Patrick Smash summed it up very nicely. Enjoy your Guinness.

Cleo; Thank you for the information regarding provisions for low-income groups. I will try and pass that on to the respective person. My husband and I made decisions at the time that suited our situation and the information available to us. If the new laws are passed and people are required to back-pay, that will simply not be affordable to many, like ourselves.

Fusedentrophy- Not everyone here in Japan is selfish and unthankful or were rejected by their home countries -many are here for more than financial reasons.

JPMoonkey also made a very good point about his Japanese father-in-law paying into the pension scheme.

What do you expect for foreign workers?

There still needs to be some kind of organisation or way for people to unify to let their concerns be known in a peaceful manner. In the end, a turn out to the rally of 250 isn`t sending a strong message to the government. If anyone knows of such a group representing foreign workers, I would appreciate it.

Thanks for listening.
Que Sera
marilu at 12:01 PM JST - 27th May

Unless they are being held here against their will, if they don't like it, they can leave.
IvanCoughalot at 12:13 AM JST - 28th May

Marilu - a very weak post indeed.
jonnyboy at 09:41 AM JST - 28th May

Unless they are being held here against their will, if they don't like it, they can leave.

congratulations on being the umpteenth person to restate the least intelligent argument in this debate.
alargo at 09:44 AM JST - 28th May

I have my own--unusual--theories about Japan and immigration which I am sure many who have an interest in pretending that things are not as they are will pounce upon as mean-spirited whining.

As is the case with virtually everything in this country, the immigration plans are copies "borrowed" from other societies.

The Japanese/Brazilian Japanese/Peruvian variety of immigrants are direct copies of the American Bracero program. When cheap labor is required for unpleasant jobs, they are brought over and when the economy shrinks, it is time for them to go home. There is nothing original here.

The "other gaijin" I believe to be nothing more than breeding stock. The Japanese must have long since realized that genetic diversity is lacking in a society which takes blood-lineage to extremes, and what they have done is to engineer a new race of Japanese--Taller, stronger, fairer, (bigger?).... Such experimentation in genetics also has historical antecedents of which some of you may be aware. (Any of you Japanophiles who think I am talking out my hat, just ask some Japanese women about how many miscarriages are suffered trying to get one to stick.)

Now that Japan has "Ood-les" of new blood, they won't be having to bear all these unwanted foreign people any longer. Very soon, the rest of you will be on a ship heading back to the US, Canada, England or wherever where you may find yourself unwelcome even in the Japanese "maquilas" you find there--oh yes, didn't you realize that the Japanese are terrified of those who know who they really are? Open your eyes and see that Japanese youth no longer feels oddly "small" on the world stage.

I predict an increasing exodus of the best and the brightest of the foreign residents here, leaving Japan with the dregs of this and other societies. Are they doing us a favor?
jonnyboy at 01:14 PM JST - 28th May

The Japanese/Brazilian Japanese/Peruvian variety of immigrants are direct copies of the American Bracero program. When cheap labor is required for unpleasant jobs, they are brought over and when the economy shrinks, it is time for them to go home. There is nothing original here.

agreed

The "other gaijin" I believe to be nothing more than breeding stock. The Japanese must have long since realized that genetic diversity is lacking in a society which takes blood-lineage to extremes, and what they have done is to engineer a new race of Japanese--Taller, stronger, fairer, (bigger?).... Such experimentation in genetics also has historical antecedents of which some of you may be aware. (Any of you Japanophiles who think I am talking out my hat, just ask some Japanese women about how many miscarriages are suffered trying to get one to stick.)

whoa! steady on, there! no chance. japan is ruled by elites that would rather see the country sink back into the ocean than have the power handed down through their families be eroded. intermarriage is of course happening, but only because it's largely impossible to stop people making babies unless you physically restrain them. there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that the government is encouraging this, quite the opposite. the government rules on the basis of being a japanese government for the japanese. as the "mixed" population of the country increases these people are likely to start wanting to see themselves better represented in government. this would lead to political dynamism and this erodes the existing status quo
alargo at 09:20 AM JST - 29th May

jonnyboy--

Yes, I agree. They could never allow for a lapse of power, but they also cannot allow the basic inbreeding question to continue. Blood is thicker than water, but genes are inarguable. I have pondered this dilemma and have not yet sussed out the entire plan (not being sick enough, I suppose, to imagine their thinking processes) but I would theorize that this new (half)breed of Japanese must become the underclass of tomorrow--hence, goodbye to the Brazilians and Peruvians.

Maybe the problem is your assumption that the power elite would be relinquishing control? I don't see that this necessarily follows. They may be running the risk that a new superior race of Japanese could take control by virtue of their natural superiority (take this to mean taller and more muscular and not to be intended in context of WWII). It rings a little much of social-Darwinism, but I still smell a war criminal, or descendant thereof, somewhere in Tokyo.

Government rules and social belief systems do relegate foreigners (including third generation Japanese of Korean descent, for example) to an inferior social and political position, but this should not be taken to mean that government hasn't fomented intermarriage (as you so sweetly put it). In Japan, the government sends out signals and the population just reads the air. Foreigners often do not see it as we are, after all, kuuki yomenai.

Just in case anyone is wondering, I believe "intermarriage" to be the wave of the future as much or more as I did when I married a "foreigner" 13 years ago. Also, I am painfully aware of the rules of exogamy which are present in all societies and not just in Japan.

At least you'll have to admit that it is an interesting idea.
elbudamexicano at 10:08 AM JST - 29th May

This is no surprise. Now the Japanese economy is horrible, many native Japanese are also loosing their jobs and when the economy goes bad, yes it is the foreigner from Brazil, Peru etc..with few skills who gets kicked out of his/her job in some factory. Now, the "other" foreigners, not these poor Pakistani working in some small restaurant, but the highly skilled software engineers from Bangalore, India etc..are not only highly prized here in Japan but in most advanced nations. I am sure you will not see any software engineers from India etc..protesting in the streets of Tokyo (maybe a couple of English teachers from their Union??)will be out their, you know, "just to show their solidarity" and make everyone "feel good."
taiko666 at 12:17 PM JST - 29th May

elbudamexicano: In my office there are many skilled Indian software engineers. Some have Japanese wives. However, none of them chooses to make Japan their long-term home because Japan doesn't offer incentives to stay. Skilled workers are able to pick and choose where in the world they work. For these people, staying in Japan long-term makes no sense at all. So no, they're maybe not on the streets protesting; they're busy buying their tickets to a much better life elsewhere
jonnyboy at 05:17 PM JST - 29th May

alargo, i don't believe there is a "plan" as such about this in nagatacho. i think there are competing pressures. on one hand you have the obvious pressures that japan's aging population is going to put on the labour market. on the other hand you have their need to not jeopardise the power base of the old boys' club at the Diet. i think most people in the government can see these two sides and that's why you get some rather conflicting policy decisions.
jonnyboy at 05:45 PM JST - 29th May

elbudamexicano: In my office there are many skilled Indian software engineers. Some have Japanese wives. However, none of them chooses to make Japan their long-term home because Japan doesn't offer incentives to stay. Skilled workers are able to pick and choose where in the world they work. For these people, staying in Japan long-term makes no sense at all. So no, they're maybe not on the streets protesting; they're busy buying their tickets to a much better life elsewhere

you make an excellent point. this is something that people in the government ought to take seriously. however, i think the meiji-era idea of foreigners as "temporary advisers" lives on
PeachFuzz at 05:07 PM JST - 30th May

GENERAL UNION

For those persons interested in keeping up with developments regarding the pending visa/immigration law, please see the General Union website below (Tokai/Nagoya area).

Its a legally registered Japanese labour/trade union open to workers of any category or nationality. Of particularly interest is the partYour Visa on the Line - Health Insurance fight becomes Urgent`. Open forums will be held in various parts of the country in June/July for those interested in attending (Kansai, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Kanto branches) and letting their concerns known.

The General Union will shortly be negotiating with the Ministry, seeking clarification of the issues the new guidelines raise.

I hope this information can be of some use. Today is the first time I discovered that such an organisation exists here in Japan.

http://generalunion.org/News/532
elbudamexicano at 09:45 PM JST - 31st May

If Japan does not adjust it's immigration laws to the realities of the 21st Century, I have a funny feeling many Japanese will end up looking for work in India, China, Brazil, Russia etc..the so called BRIC coutries.