Gov't seeks alien Phds to farm daikon

[Taro Toporific]

Japan to allow skilled foreign workers on farms in special zones
Japan Today | 2016-Dec-13
The Japanese government decided Monday to allow skilled foreign workers to work in the agricultural sector in certain special economic zones, aiming to alleviate a labor shortage in the sector exacerbated by the graying of Japan’s population...
...The offer is expected to be restricted to applicants who can show a certain level of skill---for example, having studied agriculture at university level in their home countries---and can communicate in Japanese...more...

phd-farmer.jpg

[wagyl]

People who study agriculture at tertiary level are agronomists, not farmers, and those who have the additional skill of Japanese language ability are not going to be the type to get their hands dirty. Limiting it further to special economic zones, and this is another scheme bound to attract zero applicants. I suppose they can then say

we have opened up to foreign involvement, so you cannot call us a closed industry.

[kurogane]

Oooh, a very clever gambit, and very clever of you for spotting it. OTOH, those of the Kasumigaseki ilk do think everybody brown and his brown dog are slavering to move to Japan and will jump at any chance to do so, working conditions be damned. It's not so much their hearts in the wrong place as their minds.

I am myself thinking of starting The Great Southern Star Bean Sprout Ranch and have the requisite ultimate degree. Think there's a visa in it for me? Actually, why don't you just mail me that one you've left lying on the floor?

[yanpa]

If it's cheap white agricultural labour they're after, maybe they can strike a deal with the UK, who want to get rid of theirs after Will of the People wisely decided higher food costs are in their best interest.

[kurogane]

Do the inbreds still till the fields? Even if it be so, the Japanese Language requirement rules them out. They'll need to learn English first.


PS I really do like Wagyl's cynical logic up there. It fulfills all the TPP conditions...........and still works for those that like it the way it is.

[matsuki]

Do the inbreds still till the fields? Even if it be so, the Japanese Language requirement rules them out. They'll need to learn English first.

PS I really do like Wagyl's cynical logic up there. It fulfills all the TPP conditions...........and still works for those that like it the way it is.

Even up front on paper, the ridiculousness of it is pretty apparent....unless you're Japanese and drinking the green tea kool-aid? It's like so many other patterns here where general statements make it seem open to imported products but when you see how it works in practice, there tend to be ridiculous classifications based on minutia that effectively prevent the very thing they make it seem like they're promoting. (But I'm sure they'll make exceptions to friendly FG who are willing to be genki on camera and tell us how Japanese soil is unique, etc etc )