Can't get Japanese people to do this work anymore

[Taro Toporific]

Time running out for shrinking Japan
The Japan Times, Sept 2
... You can't get Japanese people to do this work anymore.". Everybody knows the problem: Japan's labor force is set to shrink ...

[Alcazar]

Maybe if Japan's population does go down as the article says it is projected to do so, the quality of life for Japanese will increase? Less crowding, better housing, etc. The Japanese can and will have to fill out their economy-not by immigration, but by becoming more efficient in their labour market.

Cut the amount of excess salarymen in offices and at the management level. Encourage the participation of women in the economy as an asset, rather than the wasted resource they are now in Japan. Change the education system to promote independent thought and innovation, rather than just celebrating the regurgitation of facts. This would serve to create young people with the potential to start new businesses.

[GomiGirl]

ah yes - but the tax revenues from a smaller population will not cover the costs...

[Taro Toporific]

M...so, the quality of life for Japanese will increase? Less crowding, better housing, etc. The Japanese can and will have to fill out their economy-not by immigration, but by becoming more efficient in their labour market..

"better housing"

Right now the average age of a Japanese construction worker is 56 years. That's one hell of a lot of "becoming more efficient in their labour" you're asking for.

[Captain Japan]

Cut the amount of excess salarymen in offices and at the management level. Encourage the participation of women in the economy as an asset, rather than the wasted resource they are now in Japan. Change the education system to promote independent thought and innovation, rather than just celebrating the regurgitation of facts. This would serve to create young people with the potential to start new businesses.

But so far, I don't think there are too many people who sense that any one of these things is a problem. And until responsibility enters the picture nothing will change.

The higher-ups at my company (one of Japan's biggest) have it made. They aren't accountable for anything. Utter a few platitudes, speak of the company's rich heritage when times are tough and you are gold. The underlings are the ones slowly bleeding (cuts in salary, bonuses) and they don't do anything about it. Of course, what can you do? Switch jobs? To what? You've been molded for this job. Besides, you've gotta obey the masters. Just continue on, dig into your savings when things are tight and hope for a better future. But nothing ever gets better because nothing is ever changed. It's like a slow march to death with everybody strangling one another. I'm sure glad I am a contract employee.

[Shibuya Me]

Maybe if Japan's population does go down as the article says it is projected to do so, the quality of life for Japanese will increase? Less crowding, better housing, etc. The Japanese can and will have to fill out their economy-not by immigration, but by becoming more efficient in their labour market.

Cut the amount of excess salarymen in offices and at the management level. Encourage the participation of women in the economy as an asset, rather than the wasted resource they are now in Japan. Change the education system to promote independent thought and innovation, rather than just celebrating the regurgitation of facts. This would serve to create young people with the potential to start new businesses.

Wow! That was great! I agree!

[Taro Toporific]

AH SO DESU NE!!! It all makes perfect sense .... thus creating more artificial 'families' and ultimately saving the Japanese society from complete disgrace and ruin. But perhaps this is best part: these Atom children will FINALLY ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR FOREIGN WORKERS AND ONCE AGAIN PURIFY JAPAN!!!!

BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!!

"To us Japanese, ASIMO has a Spirit."
---Mamoru Mohri

"Married without kids --'I have 10 AIBOS at home and they are like my kids'"
--AIBO designer displays his talent with consumer goods [url]2003-09-01 / Taiwan News,[/url]

See also
http://www.honda.co.jp/ASIMO/news/

[Big Booger]

yeah, they can just use Asimo to do all the work. To hell with foreign help. Let's use Japanese reinvention! We can do it. Gets! Come You! No foreigner! No Speak Japanese!

[jim katta]

the average age of a Japanese construction worker is 56 years

What?! I mean I know some pretty robust 50somethings, but jeez, I would never have guessed the 'average' age was that high in such a physical job. I guess you have to pry the jackhammer out of their cold dead hands.


And yes, I too believe japan would rather have robots than more foreigners. funny thing is, I think they'd even consider the robots 'more japanese' than a naturalized foreigner who spoke and wrote fluent japanese. I keep hearing this stuff about japan's declining population and the need for more people, blah, blah. but I'd like to hear from some japan veterans, in real plain talk with no snappy jokes, what do you guys 'really' think is going to happen to japan in the next 30-50 years on the jobs/economy/immigration front?

[Taro Toporific]

..., in real plain talk with no snappy jokes, what do you guys 'really' think is going to happen to japan in the next 30-50 years on the jobs/economy/immigration front?

Best that can be hoped for scenerio....
Japanese will HOPE to become like the Swiss on a bad-hair day. It'll remain less wealthy, offer limited oportunity, and will be slide off everyone's radar.

More likely scenerio....
In the next 10-15 years Japan will implode violently like the Soviet Union and take the entire century to rebuild. The level of Japanese bonehead stupidity is just too great to allow reform.


As far as J-immigration....the only pure Japanese is ASIMO --- no farqueing filthy gaijin will ever be allowed in (especially me ).

[Video-Link Japan]

the average age of a Japanese construction worker is 56 years

What?! I mean I know some pretty robust 50somethings, but jeez, I would never have guessed the 'average' age was that high in such a physical job. I guess you have to pry the jackhammer out of their cold dead hands.


And yes, I too believe japan would rather have robots than more foreigners. funny thing is, I think they'd even consider the robots 'more japanese' than a naturalized foreigner who spoke and wrote fluent japanese. I keep hearing this stuff about japan's declining population and the need for more people, blah, blah. but I'd like to hear from some japan veterans, in real plain talk with no snappy jokes, what do you guys 'really' think is going to happen to japan in the next 30-50 years on the jobs/economy/immigration front?

Jim..
Lot's of people are asking these questions and crystal ball gazing.. not too mention the marathon masses of research and planning delegations.

btw: I'm not sure where that avg. age for construction workers stat. comes from.. unless they're including all the deadwood in upper management as well..?!?

One thing that seems to escape every-one in the 'negative mindset' here is that even after 10yr. recession Japan still has the 2nd largest economy in the world..!! Since that compares to U.S. who have double the population and 50x the land mass, that should tell you something. We also hear alot of talk about the recent growth of China which has a Billion people yet it's running GDP about 6th place, when they finally let their currency 'float' I think we'll see that growth curve level off somewhat.

SO.. "Jobs/Economy/Immagration".. How about actual unemployment #'s thats another good indication; People point to the fact that Japan is at record high of 6% (or so) now. Here the system works like 'real' insurance.. you pay in and can collect (get re-training) when you are not working "For Whatever Reason" quit, fired etc. Therefore it actually counts ALL the people who are out of work and paid in to recieve coverage. Unlike in the the U.S. where you have to buy the insurance alright but unless your "Laid-Off" you can't collect.. or COUNT in the Stats. imagine then the compared U.S. rate could be much more like 30%..!!!

As for the increasing need for more workers in coming years, replaced by robots or gaijin, I think we'll see a continued growth shift in working women that will pretty much fill the void, combined with other forms of 'replacement labour'. Immigration is really a tough call.. things seem to be opening as 'globalization' marches on.. there is a real push on funded by govt $$ to increase in-bound tourism over the next 5years, I guess hosting the 2002 World Cup improved their domestic bottom line, so it would be natural to expect that as more people visit Japan, more will want to stay.

However all bets are off if Ishihara ends up becoming P.M someday..

Just my 2bits worth..