by Ngo Tu Thanh (Frank Tu)

A former director of JOIN, the Japan organization for Internal Migration told me in an online interview in 2021 that when he moved to Tokyo, he realized that the city could not function without the foreign workers employed in convenience stores and restaurants. He noticed that many workers in convenience stores “were foreigners, and they spoke fluent Japanese. They provided excellent customer service, without a doubt. Even when I visited restaurants, there were many of foreign workers. They are not just travelers. They are people who have been living here for a long time.” (online Interview, 12/10/2021). This bureaucrat’s observation reflects a finding he shares with many other politicians and bureaucrats in Japan I spoke with during my field research. There is a growing consensus among key policy actors in Japan that foreign labor plays a critical role in Japan’s (rural) development, as Japan’s population is expected to continue to shrink in the future, especially in rural areas. Therefore, many of my research participants believe that the acceptance and integration of foreigners into Japanese society is of paramount importance.

Immigrants bring new perspectives and contribute to rural development
Copyright © Ngo Tu Thanh 2022

When asked how foreign workers can contribute to Japan’s regional development, many of my research participants said that international migrants not only provide much-needed labor for Japan’s rural areas, but can also bring financial resources through taxes, investment, trade opportunities, and most importantly, new ideas and ways of thinking. And there are already many foreign nationals working in Japan, such as Pham Thanh Dat from Vietnam, who featured his work in Japan in a post for this blog. However, Japan still lags behind other developed countries in terms of immigration. In 2022, there were about 3 million foreign residents living in Japan, which is about 2.4% of Japan’s total population of 124 million [1][2]. By comparison, this percentage is much lower than Germany (18% of the population in 2022) [3], France (10% of the population in 2022) [4], the United Kingdom (15% of the population in 2022) [5], and even South Korea (3.1% of the population in 2022) [6].

Buzen’s official Facebook page that offers support for foreign residents
Copyright © Ngo Tu Thanh 2023

Why is Japan so slow in promoting immigration? Several of my research participants offered their explanations. At the national level, a politician from the Democratic Constitution Party of Japan, who proudly pointed out that his wife was of foreign origin, argued that the LDP government still did not know how to compete for talented immigrants from Asian countries and that many LDP politicians still had the attitude of “using cheap labor” and only employed low-skilled immigrants for the technical trainee training program (interview, 6/29/2022). At the local level, a government advisor said that local officials and politicians were risk-averse and often tried to avoid such a sensitive issue as immigration because they feared that local residents would oppose accepting more international migrants (interview, 11/10/2021).

Welcoming immigrants requires more than commodifying foreign cultures in theme parks
Copyright © Cornelia Reiher 2023

These reports suggest that a shortage of leaders may be the problem. But there are also examples of how to attract foreigners to rural towns and communities. The head of the international cooperation department in Buzen told me that Buzen residents were originally unwilling to accept more immigrants. However, he believes that the city could not develop without foreigners. Therefore, he and his colleagues had to gradually start from scratch to change residents’ attitudes and create mechanisms to protect and support foreign residents (Interview, 08/18/2022). Two council members from Buzen also expressed a desire to welcome more foreign residents and make the city more international, as described in a previous blog post about Buzen’s internationalization initiatives. Buzen’s example shows that strong leadership can bring about meaningful change. I personally believe that the Japanese government should take a leadership role in welcoming more foreign workers, who in turn can bring many benefits to Japan’s (rural) development. Such leadership should be expressed through concrete policy changes and their implementation, not just rhetoric.

References
[1] The Japan Times. 2023. “Foreign Residents in Japan Hit Record 3 Million at End of 2022.” The Japan Times. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/03/25/national/foreign-residents-japan-increase-2022/.
[2] Yeung, Jessie, and Moeri Karasawa. 2023. “Japan’s Population Drops by Half a Million in 2022.” CNN, CNN World edition. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/13/asia/japan-population-decline-record-drop-intl-hnk/index.html.
[3] DW. 2023. “Germany: Immigrants Made up over 18% of 2022 Population.” DW. https://www.dw.com/en/germany-immigrants-made-up-over-18-of-2022-population/a-65383249.
[4] Le Monde. 2023. “One in 10 People in France an Immigrant, Says National Statistics Agency.” Le Monde, 2023. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/03/30/one-in-10-people-in-france-an-immigrant-statistics-agency_6021240_7.html.
[5] Immigration Advice Service. 2023. “How Many Immigrants Are in the UK?,” 2023. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjZhYD0t5CAAxUORPEDHUvQAJ4QFnoECBMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fiasservices.org.uk%2Fhow-many-immigrants-are-in-the-uk%2F&usg=AOvVaw3qGpV5Xp4eCKtTpVwf2EVu&opi=89978449.
[6] Kim, Yon-se. 2023. “Foreign Population to Rise to 4.3% in 2040.” The Korea Herald. https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220414000692.