Japan has a peculiar history related to immigration policy. In the 1960s and 1970s, Japan succeeded with economic growth without new immigrants and became the first Asian country to achieve industrialization with a very conservative division of labor.

What is peculiar about it? Maybe compared to the all-too-usual comparison in Japan - the US - but even for the first industrial revolution in the UK industrialisation was achieved without new immigrants (depends how you count Irish at the time), because there was always a growing agricultural population as agricultural productivity increased, and a conservative division of labour. Maybe most industrial revolutions in Europe were achieved that way. Probably most of Asia too. Subsequently, after the rural population excess had been mopped up in industrial processes, immigration became an answer.

So basically, they had some success in the past and they thought it was smooth sailing to robots and transporters. Good grief.

At the same time, Japan had some awful emigration experiences. Their communities were abused and exploited in Dominica and elsewhere. How many Brazilian-Japanese today wish their ancestors had simply stayed put.

Meanwhile the base of Japan's population pyramid continues to narrow, ensuring ever increasing DECREASES of population per year going forward.

There will come a time(maybe already here) when even if young families have 3-4children the population will still decrease, I dont see Japan having even a slight chance of turning this one around without immigration

Japan will continue to look ‘inward’ for solutions to the demographic cliff on the horizon, and the way society sets itself up, taking decision making and agency away from the individuals hands, and with it the ability to plan and think anything ‘long-term’ is the root of the problem. People need agency. Hard to wanna hook up and plan a family when your own life trajectory and destiny is firmly OUT of your own hands.

The “where will we be in ten years from now?” question rarely gets asked and rarely discussed. You think about your quarter, keep your head down and hope to get through the year, cause you certainly don’t know where you will be moved to next year!

From rotating bureaucrats to musical chair institutions, the long term planning and strategy stuff is left to someone way above their pay grade. You just have to hope the guys upstairs know what they are doing. #nervoussideglance.

Irony is that immigration by its very nature, and if done well, ships in hard working, ambitious and creative adventurous types, natural risk takers that by their very nature are adaptable and keen to make a new future for themselves and their families. Good energy, but does Japan want it?

Good on Japan. Look at how flooding your nation with migrants has worked out for Scandavia and the EU. The vast majority are still on welfare 10 years on. So much for that imported labor pool.

I think you might need to get out of Japan more, kyushubil. Go to Europe and see for yourself. You can even find countries, like Hungary say, more to your liking.

Well, go ahead and look inward but when more and more problems arise, make sure you point the finger inward.

Because Japan was rewarded with cheap resources and energy at the time. Now, good luck with that as the Yen weakens and hyperinflation is near the horizon.

Once China closes down the shipping lanes, Japan will suffer far worse than North Korea. No amount of Nihonjinron can save the nation.

Good on Japan. Look at how flooding your nation with migrants has worked out for Scandavia and the EU. The vast majority are still on welfare 10 years on. So much for that imported labor pool.

I think you might be referring to refugees? people fleeing war etc? not really wanting to live in those countries but don't have much of a choice. This is to some degree necessary, but that's not the immigration we are talking about for Japan.

Japan does it best to limit the ways for actual productive and motivated people to fully immigrate here. The problem with refugees you are talking about is some what real but that we should be helping out with, as Japan just like most rich countries gladly use these countries for our own gain when it suits us, but with about 10 accepted refugees a year I don't think we are doing our part.

Simply because the only solution is migrant labour, doesn't mean it will happen. Japan may simply follow the UK in managed decline, whilst officially pretending all is well. Politicians don't need to be honest, rational or competent and their policies do not need to work. They just need to get elected.

Japan has a peculiar history related to immigration policy.

peculiar huh? Well that's one way to put it.

Well, go ahead and look inward but when more and more problems arise, make sure you point the finger inward.

THIS!!!

Japan may simply follow the UK in managed decline, whilst officially pretending all is well. Politicians don't need to be honest, rational or competent and their policies do not need to work. They just need to get elected.

exactly