Let's 'tight immigration' for a 'small Japan'

[Taro Toporific]

I present to you Japanese newest comedian, Hidenori Sakanaka. Notice his clever use of irony with phrases like, "need to talk through this issue in the next few years".

Japan urged to mull increase of foreign workforce[url]www.chinaview.cn 2003-11-13 00:10:00
TOKYO, Nov. 12 (Xinhuanet[/url]) -- Facing a rapidly aging society with a low birthrate, Japan should discuss on a nationwide level whether it should increase its workforce through immigration, the chief of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau ....Hidenori Sakanaka, made the statement during an address to an international symposium in Tokyo on the possibility of Japan becoming a "multiethnic society" in the future.... "In a few years, Japan will have to make a choice on whether it should be a 'big Japan' by accepting workers from abroad or whether it should maintain tight immigration control measures and become a 'small Japan'," Sakanaka said.

[Neo-Rio]

In a few years, Japan will have to think about it?
IN A FEW YEARS...?

Dear God, Japan has known about this for ages, but have they done anything about it? Will they do anything to ease restrictions on companies to allow more foreign workers?

In fact there seems to be a little loophole for English speakers in Japan who want to work here, and are sick of English teaching. If your company wants you, you can slip by on the 10 years experience necessary styled visa and go for the humanities visa because officially "You're doing work that requires the use of English" somewhere. Unofficially, you may be doing absolutely nothing of the sort.... and this excuse is good if you are, like me, in the IT industry where most of the products and software are documented in English.

I'm not sure how that works out with other foreign workers who can't speak English though.... I can't image a Chinese construction worker getting a humanitarian visa because "Chinese is needed for understanding plumbing"....

[Caustic Saint]

But who will pour the concrete?

[kami gaijin]

But who will pour the concrete?

More importantly, who will commit all the crime?!?

[Captain Japan]

But who will pour the concrete?

My company pours lots of it, everywhere and anywhere - and is showing no signs of slowing. Don't worry about there being a problem with a shortage of poured concrete in Japan.

As to the government's wait and think policy, a guy at my office was saying that when touchy subjects - pay hikes, vacation time, etc. - are brought up in conversations the boss will usually just pretend the exchange never happened. I imagine this is the government's idea for immigration as well: just pretend we never talked about it.