Nikkei Says Government Planning "Immigration Agency"

[Mulboyne]

[bolt_krank]

So if more foreigners come - then crime will increase ?
Where's the proof ?
Looking at (now old) statistics. From 2000 - 2003, there was a 16% increase in the number of crimes comitted by foreigners. But the population of foreigners increased by 45%.... this kind of goes against the idea that more foreigners = more crime. On top of this, almost half of those crimes are from visa overstays...

The country's xenophobia is worrying...

[2triky]

So if more foreigners come - then crime will increase ?
Where's the proof ?
Looking at (now old) statistics. From 2000 - 2003, there was a 16% increase in the number of crimes comitted by foreigners. But the population of foreigners increased by 45%.... this kind of goes against the idea that more foreigners = more crime. On top of this, almost half of those crimes are from visa overstays...

The country's xenophobia is worrying...

The rhetoric is not too surprising. What do you expect from an historically racially homogenous society whose history also suffered an episode of expansionism at least partially predicated on racial superiority (WWII and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere)...I'm not condoning it but it's clear the xenophobia you speak of is something Japan will be dealing with for a long time to come in some shape or form, especially in light of a declining birthrate.

[Behan]

I think it's interesting that nyukoku kanri is translated as immigration because, basically, immgration to Japan does not exist. That is, if you think of immigration as moving (semi-) permanently to another country.
Nyukoku kanri could be (badly?) translated as management or control of entry to the country.
Imin kyoku would be a direct translation of immigration department
but few people actually immigrate here.
I would guess most permanent residents got that status after years on a visa, most commonly spousal visas.
Other than the Zainichis or Nikkei South Americans most FGs in Japan are on relatively short-term visas and aren't really 'immigrants'. At least I think so, anyway.
Several generations after their ancestors were forcibly 'immigrated' to Japan, many zainichis still don't have citizenship. It's kind of a gray area in regards to immigration. Nikkei can be described as 'returning' to Japan rather than immigrating here.
Without a J spouse, how many people actually 'immigrate' to Japan every year?

[kusai Jijii]

B,
your points are well taken. I personally think the issue is whats going to happen from now on. Given demographic forces, I'm of the opinion that the foreign immigrants (in the sense you implied) have to be on the increase. The zenaphobic Take-ish cunts can debate all they like, but the debate is over. if they wanna eat, if they wanna have nurses in their hospitals, if they wanna have electricity in their streets - and their streets paved for that matter (either manually or through tax revenue) - then they are gunna have immigrants. This idiotic idea of Japan exporting its way out of the greying population without any foreign labour is bullshit. Excellerated immigration is on the rise!
And boy oh boy, wont this website be a blast then!:p

[bolt_krank]

I agree that Japan will need to bring in people to expand its workforce. I'm just worried that it's going to end up contradicting itself by saying "We need more people to come to Japan!" and "There's too many foreigners in Japan" at the same time.

[2triky]

I agree that Japan will need to bring in people to expand its workforce. I'm just worried that it's going to end up contradicting itself by saying "We need more people to come to Japan!" and "There's too many foreigners in Japan" at the same time.

Agreed. I think that's the tension that needs to be dealt with, as I alluded to in my previous point.

[sublight]

So if more foreigners come - then crime will increase ?
Where's the proof ?
Looking at (now old) statistics. From 2000 - 2003, there was a 16% increase in the number of crimes comitted by foreigners. But the population of foreigners increased by 45%.... this kind of goes against the idea that more foreigners = more crime. On top of this, almost half of those crimes are from visa overstays...

The country's xenophobia is worrying...

I wish I could find the actual article, but the Mainichi's search function is shit.

The last couple of years the NPA has been reporting that crime rates are going down, but then try to scare everyone with reports, for example, that "foreign crime in the Chubu region has increased 20-fold since 1990!" without also mentioning that the foreign population there has increased 100-fold (1991 was when the immigration bill allowing visas for Brazilian descendants of Japanese emigrants, and most of them ended up in Chubu working for Toyota, Yamaha, Suzuki, etc.).

[ttjereth]

I wish I could find the actual article, but the Mainichi's search function is shit.

The last couple of years the NPA has been reporting that crime rates are going down, but then try to scare everyone with reports, for example, that "foreign crime in the Chubu region has increased 20-fold since 1990!" without also mentioning that the foreign population there has increased 100-fold (1991 was when the immigration bill allowing visas for Brazilian descendants of Japanese emigrants, and most of them ended up in Chubu working for Toyota, Yamaha, Suzuki, etc.).

Add this as a bookmark and you can use google to search within any site. Just add the following Javascript code as the bookmark URL and when you click on it, it will open a little window asking what to search for (or you can select the text you want to search for before clicking), you enter the text, click "ok" and it will take you to a google search for the text you specified within the website you were viewing:

[code]javascript:(function(){var h,q]

[Charles]

Add this as a bookmark and you can use google to search within any site. Just add the following Javascript code as the bookmark URL and when you click on it, it will open a little window asking what to search for (or you can select the text you want to search for before clicking), you enter the text, click "ok" and it will take you to a google search for the text you specified within the website you were viewing:

[code]javascript:(function(){var h,q]

Hey thanks for that little widget. Never occurred to me that this specific search function might be accessed this way.

[ttjereth]

Hey thanks for that little widget. Never occurred to me that this specific search function might be accessed this way.

They're called "bookmarklets". Fairly handy for any repetitive functions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookmarklet
http://www.bookmarklets.com/tools/categor.html
https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/
http://en.gibney.org/bookmarklets/

[Catoneinutica]

AFP: Gov't looks to immigrants as population shrinks
Some politicians have argued an influx of immigrants would lead to lower wages for Japanese workers and a higher crime rate.

I'd say the LDP has led to lower wages for Japanese workers and a higher crime rate.

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: Pros and cons of using foreign workers

Using foreign workers to the country's best advantage is an important task to be tackled by the government in sustaining Japan's vitality amid the nation's declining birthrate, graying society and shrinking labor pool. Last month, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda established a panel of experts under the chief cabinet secretary for the purpose of accepting more foreign workers with specialized skills and knowledge, and ordered the body to study how to achieve the goal. The government does not allow the entry of unskilled foreign laborers, but takes a positive approach to accepting highly skilled foreign workers. In addition to those in the entertainment industry such as singers, about 158,000 foreign nationals have been granted resident status as researchers, engineers and teachers, among other professions. But half of those are in nonregular employment and a mere 5 percent are employed by major companies. Non-Japanese have difficulty getting promoted at Japanese corporations and research institutes. Also, such issues as education and medical services for family members are worrisome for them. Under such circumstances, highly skilled workers who leave their home countries tend to prefer to work in Europe and North America. To fortify Japan's international competitiveness, the government must establish a collaborative relationship with industry and academia to attract human resources to the nation. In addition, measures such as helping foreign students find employment in Japan should be undertaken. For that purpose, the government should consider expanding the list of cases in which foreigners are granted resident status in this country.

White-collar vs blue-collar

There are many problems with accepting unskilled workers. Contrary to the government's policy, a large number of non-Japanese are already working in the agricultural, manufacturing and construction industries. They are foreign nationals of Japanese ancestry--who are specially granted the right to work--and trainees who came to Japan under the government-run foreign trainee system in the name of international cooperation. The foreign trainee system has become a loophole for using unskilled foreign workers and has been criticized as a hotbed of abuse leading to illegal employment practices including low wages and long working hours. The government must crack down on illegal practices. This must be complemented by drastic measures to retool the system, including a plan to give resident status to foreign trainees who have acquired high skills, thus enabling them to work in Japan for extended periods.

Attracting best and brightest

No capable foreign nationals will come to Japan if companies take the attitude that they can be hired at a low wage, used and then discarded. Nurses and care workers from Indonesia and the Philippines will be admitted to Japan under bilateral economic partnership agreements. They should be nurtured carefully as personnel who will provide vital medical and welfare services. Japan's working-age population, aged between 15 and 64, is drastically declining after peaking at 87.16 million 1995. Some lawmakers, including the Liberal Democratic Party's former Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa, are seeking to establish a system to accept unskilled foreign workers. Meanwhile, some people have expressed concerns, including the possibility that such a measure would reduce employment opportunities for Japanese due to a flow of foreign workers into the nation and cause discontent and confusion in smaller communities. National debates should be deepened on how many foreign workers should be accepted and the fields in which they should be permitted to work.