The 2020 Opportunity: Japan’s Effort towards Inclusivity for Immigration
Possibly in every discussion on the topic of population structures and demographies, the case study of Japan’s rapidly declining and aging population structure is mentioned as an iconic example of population trends in developed countries. In fact, according to the Telegraph, numbers are said to “shrink by a third within 50years…just over 127 million in 2015 to 88 million in 2065, dropping further to 51 million by 2115.” Such consequences of this “demographic crisis” include the severe imbalance over the last 15 years in the dependency ratio such as seen the following graph by the World Bank:
An indicator of how many dependents under the age of 15, and above the age of 64years are there in relation to the working age population, this steep increase in the dependency ratio raises concerns such as how are services going to be allocated for this booming population of seniors, versus a negative fertility replacement level. While various government policy reforms have been attempted by the Prime Minister Abe Shinzo to encourage women to have more children, in an age where women are playing an active part in the workforce, these efforts are seeing little effect.
This declining population problem is a common problem for many of the industrialized nations, such as Germany, Italy, and Greece, yet, why is Japan a highlighted issue? One reason is attributed their reluctance to consider immigration as a potential solution to supply the working class. Japan, a country that has demonstrated their emphasis on cultural homogeneity and the unease with since the “foreign” throughout history (most exemplified by the Sakoku Era up to the Meji Period) has faced difficulty in accepting immigration as a way to combat their demographic crisis.
The 2020 Opportunity
The reason for their reluctance towards immigration is possibly the fact that cultural presumptions towards foreigners is so strong and it is difficult to imagine the “foreigner” in their backyard. In this context I suggest that the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is a perfect opportunity for the Japanese Government to provide a positive global experience for their citizens and redefine diversity in their country and thus ease the tensions of the immigration debate.
As for occasions for global interactions, this is not the first time Japan hosts the Olympic Games and experiences a mass tourist influx from around the world. In fact, Japan has hosted 4 times, and for Tokyo, this is the second Summer Games since 1964. However, a significant difference with these games in 2020 is that the global demographics of these Games are expected to be much more “diverse” than the Games in 1964.
The three core concepts of the games are as following:
- Achieving Personal Best
- Unity in Diversity
- Connecting to Tomorrow
In particular, “Unity in Diversity” displays Japan’s optimistic attitude towards diversity, in which they have stated:
“Accepting and respecting differences in race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, level of ability or other status allows peace to be maintained and society to continue to develop and flourish.
The Tokyo 2020 Games will foster a welcoming environment and raise awareness of unity in diversity among citizens of the world.”
Following this mandate, what efforts has Japan made so far?
The Hidden Infrastructures behind the Visible
Towards their “Three Core Concepts for the 2020 Olympic Games”, Tokyo’s city landscape has seen vast changes since the Games were confirmed in September 2013. Such changes include train stations which have been upgraded for better accessibility for the handicapped and elderly, as well as renovations of Tourist Information Centers as modern, aesthetic sites for visitors to learn and interact with Japanese culture. These infrastructural changes abide with their proposal for the 2020 Agenda of “Unity in Diversity”– restructuring their city to create a “welcoming environment and raise awareness of unity in diversity among citizens of the world”. While it seems as though Tokyo has been successful to recreate the Olympic ambience through these visible modes of inclusion in their cityscape, to what extent have these conceptions carried over into their unvoiced, political structures of their national agenda towards solving the “demographic crisis”?
Media outlets such as CNN and VICE News reveal that in fact the Olympic Games have actually become a catalyst in magnifying labour exploitation of foreign migrants. Both sources explain how labour exploitation has been revealed in various industries across Japan such as in agricultural farms, and most significantly in the construction work towards creating the Olympic venues. Despite their contribution to the workforce in Japan, the legal structures to provide these labourers the permission to stay in the country have not been revised. Instead, as outlined by Business Insider, in March 2017 the Japanese Government revised the Permanent Residence regulations for “high skilled labourers”– in other words, the elite class. As we read between the narrative of this policy reform, it gives quite a clear impression of the government that individuals who do not have these ‘high skills’, are not welcomed in Japan. The silencing and overlooking of the low-skilled worker for permanent residency therefore undermines the Olympic promises made by the “Three Core Concepts”, and accentuates their incomplete work towards making Japanese society a more welcoming climate for immigrants to Japan.
Conclusions and Recommendations
While Japan has demonstrated signs of an attempt to follow its promise of “Unity in Diversity” by investing into its infrastructure and has created visible efforts towards this goal, the political climate towards immigration and long-term diversity has remained unchanged as seen with attitudes towards migrants and Permanent Residence regulations for non-nationals. The reality of the foreign migrants illustrates a clear need for migrant workers, yet Japanese regulations continue to act blind against the need for immigration while violating human rights.
As such contradictory attitudes can create greater conflict and confusion internally in Japan, and externally for the global community, we suggest that Japanese regulations need to clarify their position towards the non-national and foreign workers. If immigration is not the preferable solution towards their “demographic crisis”, then we urge that the Japanese government to design a better support system for women in the workforce and families to raise children in the urban society. If they choose to continue to use the ‘internship program’, we advise that these are reconsidered with a greater understanding of human rights and the true meaning of “diversity”.