Mainichi On Foreign Labour Shortages

[Mulboyne]

The status of foreign labour in Japan after the quake has been a regular topic in the media and the Mainichi has an article (Japanese) on the subject . In short, it says that Westerners have mostly returned but Chinese are slower coming back. Yokohama's Chinatown employs around 2,500 Chinese nationals and some 300 students working part-time left. This has put pressure on local businesses and around 10 are still closed temporarily until they can be sure of staffing. Lawson had to ship in staff from head office to cope with the shortage. They also mention that one of the Chinese graduate trainees they accepted has since declined the offer.

Elsewhere, the textile industry in Japan employs some 40,000 Chinese nationwide, some as part-timers and some as trainees. A spokesman estimates up to 30,000 left and have not all returned. Many of those who did leave have said their families back home were concerned. Trainees and overseas students tend to be mostly young so are more likely to have faced that pressure. The article also mentions that young people likely have less money for airfares so are perhaps reluctant to lay out return tickets. Meanwhile, Berlitz apparently lost around 30-40% of its English teachers but 90% of those who left are said to have returned.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Trainees and overseas students tend to be mostly young so are more likely to have faced that pressure. The article also mentions that young people likely have less money for airfares so are perhaps reluctant to lay out return tickets.

I wouldn't be surprised if this were a big factor especially since tickets were about 3 or 4 times more expensive than usual right after the quake.

[ghostunit]

Silly foreigners.

The real danger is bioaccumulation through repeated intake of radioactive particles through ever-so-slightly contaminated foodstuffs as well as constant exposure to above average radiation levels above ground.

In other words, they should be planning on making their livelihoods elsewhere, 'cause the real danger is compounded over time.

[Greji]

Silly foreigners.

The real danger is bioaccumulation through repeated intake of radioactive particles through ever-so-slightly contaminated foodstuffs as well as constant exposure to above average radiation levels above ground.

In other words, they should be planning on making their livelihoods elsewhere, 'cause the real danger is compounded over time.

Slick, since you appear to be a flat land tourist, I'm going to refer this post to Y'hammer for a reply. I think he can do more justice to your ass on a reply than I can.

[ghostunit]

Silly foreigners, returning now of all times (part 2):

The first thing to consider is that the monsoon season starts soon (late June early July) and Fukushima Daiichi is still spewing radiation into the atmosphere. The winds also change from offshore to onshore and the radioactive particulates that have until now been blowing out over the Pacific will blow over Japan and eastern Asia. Radiation levels in NE Japan have been increasing and the evac zone has been expanded.

This has been anticipated earlier and is a sign of things to come. Things will not get better, only worse over the next few years.

Bioaccumulation is going to start showing up and encasement will not work completely as it did in Chernobyl. Chernobyl was sited on stable ground. They could tunnel under it, emplace a sand boron mix to stop the corium and build whatever they needed without worrying about quakes, typhoons and tsunamis. In Fukushima the areas they need to access are actually below sea level and they are on the coast- digging to any significant degree is impossible.

Which means Fukushima will keep polluting the ocean for dare I say, decades. Total safety checks for every fish is impossible, and the particles will start building up inside the Japanese population's bodies. Even if total safety checking were possible in a sector, the water will find its way everywhere. Containment is impossible, and Fukushima has 6 times the amount of fuel available for pollution than Chernobyl did.

[bolt_krank]

Elsewhere, the textile industry in Japan employs some 40,000 Chinese nationwide, some as part-timers and some as trainees. .

They're in trouble, now they're going to have to pay more than the daily 700yen to get people....

[Samurai_Jerk]

They're in trouble, now they're going to have to pay more than the daily 700yen to get people....

Are you kidding? With the shitty economy and thousands of refugess from up north, they'll have plenty of home-grown labor to exploit.

[McTojo]

Are you kidding? With the shitty economy and thousands of refugess from up north, they'll have plenty of home-grown labor to exploit.

Finally, something we can agree on. Homegrown labour is the best labor. I love it. Just need to send those P.I. nurses back.

[Mulboyne]

• Doshisha University in Kyoto usually takes in 50 new overseas students a year. 26 apparently declined to take their courses this year and 8 existing students have gone home.
  
  
• The Kyoto University of Foreign Studies says 14 out of 33 new exchange students for this year cancelled while 5 current students left.
  
  
• Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts has an exchange programme for 10 students with an institution in Seoul which has been suspended.
  
  
• Ritsumeikan University says three foreign teaching staff turned down job offers but they can't be certain the quake was a deciding factor.
  
  
• Kyoto University, which usually has around 1500 overseas students in total, confirmed cancellations but has no concrete numbers.

New intake numbers are down but there are still a good number of overseas students at the universities so authorities have stepped up efforts to advise them of emergency procedures in the event of natural disasters.

Source (Japanese)

[ghostunit]

Are you kidding? With the shitty economy and thousands of refugess from up north, they'll have plenty of home-grown labor to exploit.

Most refugees are either small children or the regular, old-as-fuck Japanese. Not much of a labor market there.

[Greji]

Just need to send those P.I. nurses back.

I can see why you would say that McTanTan. One of the nurses showed me the candy you gave her:

[Big Boy]

I'm sitting in the greasy shithole known as Roppongi Korakuen ramenya now for lunch and its slammed as usual but with most of the Chinese staff gone, its been more than 10 minutes since I ordered my honorable gyoza and miso ramen. This sucks.