Kotaru Tsuru, a senior fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry in Tokyo and a director of policy planning in the Cabinet Office. (Bloomberg)

2 Comments

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  escape_artist at 09:18 PM JST - 29th August

  I'm sure he's only thinking of Japanese people when muttering this. This undoubtedly doesn't apply to foreigners working in Japan, even if they've (we've) been working in a Japanese company for many years, as I have. I agree with his sentiments, but so far for me, things like 国際化 [kokusaika] and making long-time foreign employees feel like they're real members of the company are just empty buzzwords and facades, with the lower pay and short-term contracts to match. Image -- looking like one is doing something useful and important without actually doing it -- is infinitely more important, I find.

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  Alphaape at 10:06 PM JST - 29th August

  with the decreasing Japanese population, they will have to start trying to hire full time workers. If the average J-salary man knows that yes he may be a temp, but with the continued discrimination to foreign workers, then he will be a much sought after commodity. If the company that he is a temp does not suit him, then he can all ways go to another.

  At least as a full time employee, they may be able to try to regain that "lifetime or work" commitment that has been decreasing here. But as escape artist mentioned, it still will not be a good market for foreigners.

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