On January 5 -- two days before the fatal shootings of 12 people at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris by a pair of jihadists claiming to represent al-Qaida in Yemen -- the February issue of Sapio went on sale.
In it was a one-page article titled "Imin seisaku wo oshi susumereba Nihon wa Furansu no ni no mai ni naru" (If it presses forward with its immigration policies, Japan will repeat the same mistakes as France).
Author of the article was Jean-Marie Le Pen, who from 1972 served as head of France's anti-immigration National Front party, France's third largest party after the Gaullists and the Socialists. He stepped down in January 2011 for his daughter Marie Le Pen to assume the party's reins.
"I have been told," Le Pen begins, "that voices are being raised in Japan that immigrants will be necessary as a source of labor because of the low birth rate and rapid aging of society. But rather than bringing in foreigners to work, the country should, from a long-term standpoint, instead consider policies aimed at increasing the birth rate. The immigration policies we pursued in France were overly simplistic."
After World War II, France adopted the policy of taking in immigrants to supplement its own labor force. But prior to 1974 no one gave consideration to how this would affect the stability of the country. Then from that year, under President Giscard d'Estaing, it became possible for foreign workers to bring in their families, and this led to the French government's bestowing citizenship on people who were not workers.
Forty years on, these immigrants have become ubiquitous. Foreigners entered the country at the rate of 300,000 a year. As opposed to an average of two children per family of native-born Frenchmen, it was not rare to see immigrants with five offspring.
Presently out of France's total population of 65 million, 15 to 20 million are Muslim immigrants or their descendants, Sapio says. (Editor's note: Based on checks of online sources, these figures appear to be considerably inflated.) And because France permits dual nationality, when elections are held in Algeria, for example, some 800,000 Algerians holding French citizenship can vote. Moreover, they also have the right to vote for the president of France.
To avoid this kind of situation, it is clear that restrictions must be placed on immigration.
"We (native French) are taking care of [the immigrants and their families] livelihoods, education and medical care. The unemployed from their ranks as well currently make up several million. From the standpoint of civilization, can this not be said to represent a serious problem?" Le Pen says.
Moreover, France doesn't know how to halt the phenomenon of Islamization.
He writes, "Ultimately, won't it come to the point that Muslim immigrants surrender to the terrorists who repeatedly carry out massacres, and cooperate with them? Why? Because the terrorists commit murder without any compunction, the immigrants will be faced with the choice of surrendering or being killed themselves. This is reaching the point where it is penetrating the fundamental safety of French society.
"Japan's current situation cannot yet be compared with France. Out of a population of 125 million, foreigners number only some 2 million. In this magazine's issue of May 28, 1992, I expressed my opposition to Japan inviting large numbers of immigrants. Once again I reiterate this advice.
"On August 15, 2010, I visited the Yasukuni Shrine. I have always placed nationalism in the forefront of my mind. History and nationalism do not penetrate all countries to the same degree. Beneath the 'nation' lie such attributes as a country's public safety, freedom, identity, culture and language -- attributes that we should always work to safeguard.
© Japan Today
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Kabukilover
I am not Le Pen.
Peeping_Tom
Mass immigration will, no doubt destroy Japan.
Immigrants, on the whole will not abide by Japanese rules, yet will demand changes to accommodate their perverse needs.
They should remain and improve their own hovels, instead of setting out to destroy someone else's place.
Enough of this "multiculturalism will enrich society" bull-crap!
Keep them well away.
MASSWIPE
Why would Japan make the same mistakes as France? The basis of the French state since 1905 has been a universalistic, assimilationist, explicitly Catholic-downplaying ideology called laicite which has no real counterpart in Japan. Also unlike Japan, France was a major, global colonial power for centuries and opted after 1960 to keep its ex-colonial holdings in Africa perpetually dependent on Paris for aid, trade, military protection, etc. Migration to the "metropole" was naturally a part of this system of dependency. Kind of ridiculous for a xenophobic jingoist like Le Pen to find fault with a neocolonial system through which France continues to dominate large parts of Africa. He wants to have his cake and eat it too.
Draghon Ash
Huge lot of nonsense. Of course the figures are grossly inflated. Out of 65 million people in France, 5 millions are of North African or African descent, to the most, not 15 or 20 millions. And the immigration policy did not start in the 1940s and 1950s. There were already a number of Polish, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese immigrants in France before the war. What the articles (both Sapio's and yours) forget to mention is that Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, plus a certain number of West African countries, were French colonies till the late 1950s. Wait, wait, would that mean that their inhabitants were then... French? French enough, it seems, to be used as canon fodder in the two World Wars of the 20th century under the French flag. Old Le Pen should remember that, the self-proclaimed patriot, he who, ironically enough, fought in the Guerre d'Algérie -- a war the French fought to save the Algérie française. Had they won the war, Algeria would be French now. As for his views on the Muslim immigration, they are grossly insulting to millions of people who work in France, pay their taxes and, as opposed to Le Pen and his clanish party, do not borrow money from Russia in order to gain power. «I have always placed nationalism in the forefront of my mind», says he. And mortgaged it to Moscow?
Seirei Tobimatsu
Filter & assimilate is the answer. Pool of quality immigrants too good to pass.
warispeace
The neo-nationists who oppose immigration also mythically celebrate periods when their nations held sway in international politics, periods which just happened to coincide with the violent colonization of other peoples.
Maxwell Raynard
Yeah because homogenous Japan never had a terrorist attack cough Aum Shinrikyo cough.
KnowBetter
You may not agree with Le Pen on his views and warnings for Japan but then look at Denmark and England to see how that has worked out for them.
Multiculturalism if kept in check works but then there are those that argue "then it's not true multiculturalism".
Whenever religion gets to the forefront is always seems to force change and then that change forces change of the policies which then allow the floodgates to open.
History repeats itself because we humans trust far too much that we will change however we see it time and time again that history repeats itself all for what we wanted to avoid. It must be human nature to do something we know will cause us harm in the long term because we actually hope that things won't result in the same way again.
Japan may appear 'broken' in many ways to outsiders but its people are the reason it will survive as a nation deep in its culture.
Zenpun
Now that ungrateful immigrants have paid back their gratitude with slaughtering French people. In fact they have never assimilated with main stream french society.
Boston bombing brothers were granted as refugee by US despite Russian warning of their potential risks for terror. Sydney Gun Man was fraudulent criminal from Iran. Australia did not extradite him despite several requests from Iranian authority.
It is hard for migrants friendly nations for refusing the political asylum seekers because of their pride for humanitarian ground. Reality is some of the immigrants had colorful criminal past and they become more destructive in the free and fair society.
Absolutely correct. In UAE and Saudi, many Western and Asian skilled people are living and working there. For example US pilot, Fillipino nurse, Japanese engineer and Aussie pathologist. They contributed local economy and followed local rules and custom. For example public affection is prohibited there. If the western couple kissed and hugged in public place, they will be prosecuted and fined. They have to respect the local law, culture and custom.
On the contrary, western nations are very tolerated to the immigrants including hiding face in old fashioned uniform. Le Pen is very correct to say that Japan should avoid the same mistake as US, UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Holland and Australia for pampering the killer immigrants. When in Rome, do as Roman.
Nessie
Kudos for the editor's note.
Peeping_Tom
Le Pen is right.
No!
StormR
Facts, I have also been told that many muslims in NZ wont or cant work because they have to stop often to go pray to allah, bosses want workers not prayers, So these people become unsuitable to work alot of jobs. Some demand prayer rooms etc.
Japan should accept more immigrants, just make sure they accept the ones who will love Japan, respect it and integrate into it.
Respect your adopted country or stay home.
Peeping_Tom
And what about immigrants bettering their own countries?
Why this insistence in "immigrants will make Japan a better place" mantra?
No to mass immigration.
jpntdytmrow
Well, the end is near for Japan anyway. Any number of immigrants here do have 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 children who will grow up and actually continue to live in Japan and marry and have other mixed race children who will be able to vote and lead and do more than sell cosmetics and be hafu fashion models. Any public school already has a few students of mixed parentage who consider themselves to be "Japanese". Japan is and will be all the better for its opening its doors to people wanting to live here, and not only in the urban areas. Land is plentiful and cheap in the countryside! Go forth, build, have them babies! If they are welcomed, they won't be on the margins of society! They will work and strengthen Japan. Win Win situation! There is already a group of young adults with mixed parentage and they are great citizens. No way Japan will ever be like France. Remember the Huegenots?
commanteer
Exactly.
Mulitculturalism is a massive hoax. If there is no urge to respect one common culture, then society disintegrates. Immigrants are fine, and tolerance of different customs should be encouraged, but not at the cost of a common culture that bonds the society.
Rome welcomed generals and leading citizens from many different regions and cultures. Once they entered Rome, though, they became Roman.
Cosmopolitan: yes. Multicultural: no.
citizen2000
I do not think Japan should follow advice from someone who was brought to trial. In France, as in several other European countries, "Holocaust denial" being a crime. Once again, The problem is not the immigrants but the terrorism, unless you want to follow LePen's view which can be reduced to "every immigrant is a potential terrorist".
Frungy
If you find yourself on the same side of the debate as Le Pen, a holocaust denialist, someone convicted of assault, someone with links to terrorism, and someone who has been found guilty and fined for hate speech... well you're clearly on the wrong side of the debate.
As for the idea that globalization is something that a country can "opt out" of... it is an infantile position. The question is not whether immigration will happen, but rather how it will be regulated.
itsonlyrocknroll
Immigration and multiculturalism from a political point of view are linked, however as a practical means to an end, to provide a solution to society's depopulation crisis, both couldn't be further apart. It would be insulting the intelligence of contributors to state the blatantly obvious.
Dismayed with this Kuchikomi article, Draghon Ash has provided a more appropriate contribution, detail with correct balance in tone and histrionics. In many respects and certainly the experience in UK towns and cities like Birmingham, Bradford, Sheffield, multiculturalism is the very opposite of assimilation politically creating a paradox, for any society to become multicultural degrees of assimilation ie cultural mixing is paramount, otherwise these communities end dangerously separated, divided in every respect. A tinderbox of segregation through religious and cultural beliefs.
Jean-Marie Le Pen Wednesday last “We’ve been predicting this for a long time, It was to be expected. This attack is probably the beginning of the beginning. It’s an episode in the war that is being waged against us by Islamism. The blindness and deafness of our leaders, for years, is in part responsible for these kinds of attacks.”.........None of the rheortic provides any meaningful solutions. Only a national debate without the emotionally politically motivated hysteria will provide a starting point.
nath
Yeah, uh, increasing the birth rate is good and all, but you are going to have to wait 20 years or so for those babies to be contributing members of society. Sadly. You don't have to let in the muslims, however, and in fact, most of the muslims that would come into Japan would be from Malaysia and Indonesia, which aren't THAT bad. Not every country with immigrants has had it as bad as Europe.
StormR
So there is trouble in france, trouble in the UK for awhile, trouble brewing in Germany, trouble in Scandinavian countries, trouble in Australia all involving muslims and some of you claim its not because of them ?
They do not integrate or want to adopt the way of the country they immigrate too, they expect the country to adopt their way of life and belief, this is not integration as we expect or know it.
Their version of integration is that we must change to there wants and way of life, to that I say stay where you are, globalisation doesn't work using that model.
I am all for immigration , hell I have immigrated to a country I love and respect, but when you want to make that country just like the place you left then no point in leaving the former place.
JTDanMan
In the good 'ol USA, multiculturalism works very fine, thank you.
I understand the same goes for Australia.
Wilke
@ knowbetter:
Denmark's colonial empire wasn't anywhere near as extensive as Britain's (Denmark sold their few Indian colonies (in reality, trading stations/forts) to Britain a couple of hundred years ago).
As a previous poster mentioned about many French Muslims being from Francophone North Africa (former colonies, which were part of France until quite recently), the same applies with the UK, where those born in Britain's Dominions and Colonies were either classed as "British Subjects" or "British Protected Persons", and -- although their cultures and often religions are not identifiably British -- they are not considered to be Aliens under current British law.
For most of its history, the Japanese Empire has extended to the land masses between Hokkaido and Kyushu. The exception to this was the period between 1895 and 1945, when Japan's empire expanded to Taiwan, Korea, parts of Russia and Mainland China and (very briefly and not securely) south to Indonesia.
Japan now does, to an extent, have ethnic minorities of colonised and formerly-colonised people in its population. The most noticable of these groups are the Koreans. However, there are also the Okinawans and the Ainu.
The difference is that their cultures are now quite similar (to the outside observer) to the Japanese culture, which leads people to regard Japan as a monoculture.
Le Pen, by the way is wrong.
Peeping_Tom
Tina
Entirely agreed!
itsonlyrocknroll
Immigration has in many respects provided the UK with a rich and diverse social and cultural society.
However Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are the most segregated communities, preferring arranged marriages, gender segregation in schooling as well as strict religious formal wear, a particularly awkward debating point for my liberal multiculturalist friends and work colleagues. The Japanese government does not need to adopt a multiculturalist approach to immigration.
Many options to consider, establishing the root causes of depopulation is the beginnings to a creating policies to not only reverse the current situation but provide needed reforms to ecomony could be a byproduct.
nath
Yeah just ask any black guy or Latino.
katsu78
What an odd opinion. I would have thought that the huge swell of shock, grief, unity, and opposition to the Charlie Hebdo attack is a fairly clear sign that the attack was an extremely rare occurrence seen as utterly unacceptable by French society as a whole. And if you live in a society where there's a sizable minority culture and violence between the two sides is so rare and unacceptable that one instance of it has the ability to unite the country in opposition to it, I'd say that's a fairly clear sign that the country's immigration policy is on the right track. Maybe not perfect, maybe in need of some improvement, but basically things are going well. Because you can't take a single attack, no matter how horrific, as proof that a nation's policies are failures. At least, that's what conservatives in America keep telling me every time there's a mass-shooting.
We know multiculturalism can work. We need only look at Singapore to see a thriving, prosporous society so diverse that signage is frequently produced in up to four languages with minimal violence between groups to see that multicultural societies based on immigration are possible. So that means the rational choice is not to ask if multiculturalism can work, but rather to ask what countries where it has worked have done right and how other countries where it's not working well can emulate those successes. That's assuming at least that the questioner actually wants to solve the problem and isn't just latching onto questioning multiculturalism out of a desire to paint their racial and cultural biases with an insincere and shallow veneer of intellectualism.
genjuro
Le Pen hits the nail on the head.
Multiculturalism is not the answer for Japan. Fixing the root of the problem, that is rectifying the birth rate issue at home, is. Let these would-be immigrants instead focus on their homeland instead of immigrating. Japan has enough problems already of its own.
CrazyJoe
Japan has developed a democratic veneer on a centuries-old culture of enforced conformity, with contempt held toward other Asians.
nath
Le Pen is a moron. He has taken a reasonable concern, and has reacted to it in an entirely unreasonable manner. People like him are as much a problem as those who won't integrate.
bass4funk
Oh, please! That's NOT because of the NOT being a multi-culture society. You could say that a long time ago 50 years perhaps, the US had a lot problems, but not now and a lot of the racism that is there is their own making and let's not forget about the reveres racism that a lot of Blacks and Latino's also have towards Whites nowadays.
As for France, Le Pen is a complete idiot and moron and anyone that listens to him is NOT much better.
How?
And how should Japan go about doing that? Please explain.
What's wrong with Japan and allowing in immigrants, especially when people want to have a different life for themselves or their families or want to help and contribute, love the culture or country and what it has to offer and are law abiding, it would be different if many foreigners would constantly make problems and wouldn't respect the culture and laws of the land.
Hicham Da
ths mr pen forget to say what france did to that home countries of the immigrants in las century ... he forgot to mention if in france 800000 algerians . fance already killed 1 million algerian last century . i'm moroccan and my wife is japanese ... and we are happy . even thought i"m not muslim and have no religion but most of my friends do islam have nothing to do with terrorist . that terrorists have another religion called " salfi jihadi " there more than 2 billion muslim around the world .. and islam have more than 100 groups ... same like budisht there some group called "jihadist" wich is banned in all the muslim countries ... and only about 0.0001 percent of muslims bleive that thinking .. also believe it or not a normal muslim also can be kiled by that jihadist if he not agree with they thinking ... same as we se in iraq ad syria isis and elqaead are jihadist terrorist ...and most of they victims is normal muslims and who fights them is muslims ...
Kaerimashita
Japan for the Japanese!!! Let's go back to Bakufu times and shut out all the foreigners and foreign cultural influences.
Le Pen is indeed a moron. But its not entirely clear to me that mass migration of people to countries other than their own is always a positive thing.
SamuraiBlue
bass4funk
Look at the reality, majority of non-checked immigrants don't care about how culture is at the host nation, the only thing they care is a better life in the way they are used to so they are not willing to be assimilated to their host country's culture and will try as much as possible to stay away from it.
That will never work in Japan and Japanese will not accept it either.
Pukey2
Did Le Pen also mention about freedom of speech without the fear of getting shot dead or physically assaulted? Because that happens in Japan (whenever one criticizes the Imperial family or the right-wing). Abe has been very quiet on these issues and about the recent wave of anti-Korean demonstrations advocating the killing of Koreans. Politicians have been shot here too for getting out of line. This isn't much different to what happened when certain magazines included satirical cartoons. Weren't some comedians prohibited from making political jokes on NHK? It makes me sick when Abe goes on about how terrible the incident in France was, when he himself is driving this country back to the 'good old' days where censorship and archaic punishment were rife.
Instead of making more babies, why not just let the population go down. In the long term, quality of life will be better without everybody being squashed into trains or cubicle-sized apartments. I don't see the Scandinavian countries suffering from a smaller population. If the previous governments hadn't squandered money on bridges to nowhere, let corruption go unchecked, let people appreciate the quality of life and actually planned for a better future instead of living and spending like there was no tomorrow, Japan wouldn't be in this mess. Immigration or babies may solve the problem in the short run, but this will just put the nation back into a pyramid scheme whereby the population will grow endlessly.
AlexNoaburg
sweden is making it work without immigrants
bass4funk
That will never work in Japan and Japanese will not accept it either.
To a point, I agree. That is why Japan so far never really had any problems with the majority of foreigners. Most just tried their best to assimilate as much as they can. Also the Muslim population is NOT even close to 1% and once that happens and gets over that, the Muslims will start to ask for Sharia law to be the law of the land or it would get to the point where the people would try and police themselves, I don't see that happening in Japan, however, Japan is now in a position that they really need more foreigners, the population is aging, women aren't having enough children, If Japan doesn't, this country is going to have serious major problems. You can do selective immigration based on certain factors, including past history in your home country, crime offenses and so on.
Most of Europe never really tried to let the Muslim population integrate into their societies properly, they just let them govern themselves, impose self-isolation, Yes, it's a bit more complicated, but in Germany, I saw many NO GO areas and for these governments to even allow them to exist is a huge mistake, it should have never happened and If Europe doesn't take the threat of radical Islam seriously, they will take over and the problems will get worse before they get better.
And who will take care of the aging population. We are not talking about a few hundred senior citizens.
If you bring in the right people into this country they can use their talents to make Japan a better society and internationalize the country without eroding its cultures and traditions.
Also, Scandinavia is NOT Japan.
http://youtu.be/9iC0TQPCv9U
True, but we are here and in the now, so let's deal with the current situation and that is-Japan's population is aging, living longer and who will take care of thousands of senior citizens. Many young Japanese don't want to go into farming and agriculture, so again, what and how should Japan change this?
That will NEVER happen.
Frungy
... with a foreign-born population of more than a million out of a Swedish-born population of only about 9 million that makes Sweden about 10% immigrants.. when you factor in children with one foreign parent and children with two foreign parents the figure rises to nearly 20%.
The idea that "sweden is making it work without immigrants" is just plain ridiculous.
I don't think Le Pen would be comfortable commenting on these issues because he has been convicted of assaulting someone he disagreed with, and has links to far right-wing terrorists.
I'm assuming you live in Tokyo or another major city in Japan. The overcrowding in Japan is a result of urbanization driven by medieval ideas of work and workplace. And ironically the worse the population problem becomes the more these severe these problems will become as companies in the countryside shut down and young people flock to the cities for work opportunities.
hidingout
Are you comparing Aum to islamists? Cause that would be one of the more feeble comparisons I've ever seen drawn. On every level imaginable.
The point is not "to avoid terrorist attack". The point is to maintain your culture and your way of life. Multiculturalism is a proven failure on a macro level. The most multicultural country on the planet - indeed a country built on a foundation of multiculturalism - is still facing the most horrific social problems rooted in ethnicity, color, religion etc. Its so bad there now that there are large sections of the population who believe that the police kill certain groups for fun, with impunity. In return they think that killing a cop is nothing - a kind of service to his community more than anything. These problems only seem to be compounding themselves as certain groups end up under educated, over represented in the prison population, kids in care, on welfare with dozens of their relatives on the way to join them at the end of the rainbow.
The liberal/pc crowd will say that kind of talk shows a terrible tendency to stereotype. And yeah, obviously it does. When socioeconomic data leads researchers to certain conclusions that's stereotyping. Its also the truth. There are good people of every race and religion - that should go without stating. But taking a macro viewpoint massive immigration (as it has taken place in Europe where some cities are now 1/4 muslim) will destroy a culture from within.
So in America, where they founded themselves on a policy of immigration, they still have different races killing one another with guns two hundred years down the line, and in Europe where they let in a whole bunch of immigrants willy nilly to "fix" their work forces, they have different races killing one another with guns.
Perhaps in the long run (like 1000 years) humans can get past their pointless posturings - I doubt it, but I guess its possible. In the meantime, Japan would be very well served by maintaining the sort of immigration policy that rewards only the best applicants the opportunity and curtails any immigration from nations openly hostile to Japan. Certainly Le Pen's observations on this subject are right on point.
tinawatanabe
I don't think Japanese agree to that.
J govt also reads English papers and knows how those articles and posters are anti-Japan. So, I don't expect it to happen.
Frungy
What you mean is that YOU don't agree with that. Given the xenophobic and racist content of many of your posts I am hardly surprised.
You know what makes me laugh about this? Foreigners have other passports and can disappear off whenever they like. If Japan really goes downhill it definitely will NOT be the foreigners suffering... it'll be the Japanese people.
So, by all means, hang on to your discrimination and xenophobia, but realise that it'll be you and your children paying the price. The foreigners will, like good capitalists, hang around while it is profitable, and then head home when it isn't.
Or you could abandon your prejudice and realize that your sense of superiority isn't worth the Japanese economy crashing.
Either way you're going to have foreigners. If you welcome foreigners and set up sensible laws then you can get the best and the brightest internationally. Or if you continue to be a racist you can wait until the Japanese economy crashes and the Chinese buy up Japanese businesses, Japanese property and the whole of Japan for pennies on the dollar and move in and Japan becomes another colony of China.
... Which would you prefer?
Mocheake
@Strangerland -Yeah just ask any black guy or Latino. Multiculturalism works in the U.S., but, like any system, it has its hiccups. No system anywhere is perfect as even a country like Japan, with its prized "homogeneous' society, has many other problems you don't see in other countries (shut-ins, freeters, low birth rate, aging population, etc.). The threat to most countries usually comes from within. I have lived in Japan for quite some time and have assimilated. I speak the language well enough to do just about anything. I work and pay taxes, etc. but I don't feel a part of the country due to the overall attitude of the government and the people in general. I feel a good portion of foreigners here think the same but I am surethat feeling is different in America. I have experience with that also as I was not born in the States either but I when I moved there, I quickly assimilated and soon felt a part of the community and the country. Japan would be wise to not worry about letting in foreigners - it's more about integrating them in, giving them a voice, treating them fairly and not marginalizing them. It CAN work.
CGB Spender
And Le Pen got it right with what he wrote. Anyone who can't see the relations between loose immigration and raising crime rates must be very naive indeed.
Leszek Rybicki
It says "World War 11" in the article. Typo.
Scrote
It is a mistake to allow people to settle in your country when they hold beliefs that are ideologically opposite to those of the native population. If you invite in people who do not believe in free speech, who come from a culture of misogyny, homophobia and general intolerance to anything which impinges on their beliefs, you should not be surprised when those people do not integrate and cause trouble.
If Japan really needs immigrants (which I doubt), they should come from China. Chinese people will be able to read, are willing to work hard and will not demand special treatment on the grounds of believing some made-up nonsense.
In fact, many Japanese companies are already recruiting in China and Taiwan. I have met several people working in large Japanese companies in Japan who moved directly into those companies after graduating in China and Taiwan. These are not the unskilled slave labour we sometimes read about, but educated young people who earn the same as their Japanese colleagues.
StormR
3
katsu
What an odd opinion. I would have thought that the huge swell of shock, grief, unity, and opposition to the Charlie Hebdo attack is a fairly clear sign that the attack was an extremely rare occurrence seen as utterly unacceptable by French society as a whole. And if you live in a society where there's a sizable minority culture and violence between the two sides is so rare and unacceptable that one instance of it has the ability to unite the country in opposition to it, I'd say that's a fairly clear sign that the country's immigration policy is on the right track.
Katsu although violence on this scale is rare, violence in france by muslims on French is not so rare, haven't you seen the videos of them attacking locals simply because they are French going about their everyday life ?
Take a look it is shocking, there is groups of muslim youth roamimg some areas looking to inflict violence on citizens, male and lone females. There are tons of disaffected youth wanting to take out their frustration and lack of respect on anyone who happens by.
Seriously the appologists need to go to places like this and teach these victimised citizens their misguided view.
drakedogma
Anti-immigration is simply equatable to how rich snooty millionaires don't wish to associate themselves with poor people. Rather than working with societies and bringing us closer together to make lives better, just leave the hooligans to themselves and let me live in peace in my million dollar mansion.
ReformedBasher
More like "J govt also reads English papers and knows things must change."
And things are changing for the better. Hopefully dual nationality is coming. This would allow me to get my pension, that I worked for, from back home, as well as show my support towards my new country (actually 25 years on and off, so not so "new").
With the right environment, more and more current long term "foreigners" will stay and new ones will come too. Even with a modest minority of "sensible" foreigners (basically the same as most of the long term ones here now) will have a positive impact on the country, socially and probably economically also.
smithinjapan
Le Pen is a fool, and saying "If Japan goes forward with immigration reforms it will suffer the same kind of things as what happened in France" is taking simplicity and racism to its worst. What Le Pen should be saying to Japan is that they should not be revising their constitution to take part in wars (that will no doubt involve joining the US 'war on terror'), because there's a FAR better likelihood that terrorists would strike Japan, inside or out, if they see them as an enemy, than if they let in immigrants who have no reason to attack Japan. France has been over the past decade increasing racial profiling, banning clothes that are crucial according to Islam belief, making immigration policies strict (with calls to keep Muslims out), and blaming all Muslim countries for things that occur all over the world and in NON-Muslim countries, and when they don't happen in all "Muslim countries" at all. And look at the result!
Peeping_Tom
Foreigners have other passports and can disappear off whenever they like. If Japan really goes downhill it definitely will NOT be the foreigners suffering... it'll be the Japanese people."
That's the reason foreigners should not be allowed in huge numbers. And I doubt Japan will allow dual nationality, as there’s no Diet support for such a bill to be made into law.
FightingViking
Le Pen : It's none of your beeswax... (he's "racist" to the core...)
Yenot
I would agree that in this present age of terrorism, refugees and an increase in mental illness cases certain precautions should be taken.This relates to both domestic and internation issues. Many immigrants today are not migrating to foreign lands with the same purpose or goals and dreams as their ancestors.
itsonlyrocknroll
The Immigration Bureau of Japan sets stringent rules of settlement that are unlikely to change in the short to medium term.
There is no fool like a old fool and Jean Marie Le Pen is no exception to this rule but don't for a moment underestimate Marine Le Pen political acumen or skill at reinvention. “I don’t intend to submit myself to this blackmail, It’s a total perversion of the concept of national union, they’ll have to accept the consequences from the voters.”
Marine Le Pen has the electioneering capabilities to counter Father's racially bigoted prejudice. Marine Le Penin has full control and gauges the radical polarization and fear in French society of terrorism resulting from the soft and ineffectual Government of President Francois Hollande that gives credence to a clash of domestic and immigrant nationalisms. Marine Le Pen popularity, and share of the vote, has only increased populising her agenda strictly anti EU, anti-immigration, anti-euro cherishing her status as an outsider, totally untainted by the inertia of the current unpopularity of French political class.
Phil Stilwell
I sadly had a Muslim friend in Tokyo tell me that he would be willing to be a suicide bomber. I've not had a friend from another religion say anything remotely similar.
Nathalie Ancelin
This article fits directly with the extreme-right French wing, embodied by Le Pen family. I have not time to take it line per line. Beyond several biased sentences, even your figures are not right. I am afraid that you have not understood the message sent by the world yesterday walking against intolerance. I am surprised by this reaction from a country so Bouddhist and Shintoist.
Frungy
Nationalists can't have it both ways. They can't discriminate against foreigners, deny them equal rights, deny them a voice and then turn around and whine like a little girl when they feel no loyalty to the country and leave when the going gets tough.
Either treat everyone like a person and reap the benefits of internationalisation, plus the occasional downside like access to a world full of crazies instead of just your regular domestic supply, or try to retreat inside a shell of nationalism like a tortoise and then wonder why it keeps getting hotter as someone roasts you over a fire and picks the meat out of the shell one bite at a time.
Because make no mistake, without international support and international people Japan is headed down the toilet.
heynong
It is untrue. Currently Japan has plenty of homeless and unemployed adults. In Osaka, there is adult slum area. It is the example of hardship for some older and hopeless Japanese people.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/03/24/national/nations-biggest-slum-cannot-be-found-on-maps-or-at-osaka-film-fest/
Back in 1970s and 80s, Japan was booming and affordable to absorb the higher level of immigration. Right now, Economic climate is discouraging. Fukushima victims are still hungry and frustrated. They have only got limited support from government. Japan is many times poorer than US, EU, Canada, Au and NZ because they have plenty of natural resources.
Japanese authority should look after her own before importing high level of intolerant and immigrants likes France. Less is better than more. It is always.
Kabukilover
Let's get this focused. Le Pen in talking about Japan is talking against us foreign residents, whoever we are. Le Pen is our enemy.
tinawatanabe
In which country foreigners have equal rights? And when did Japan whine about your no loyalty or leaving?
It is you that should treat Japanese like a person. Reading your post I can see your arrogance toward Japanese.
I really don't know what you are talking about. Japan has done nothing wrong.
TrevorPeace1
@katsu78: The answer to your question, "So that means the rational choice is not to ask if multiculturalism can work, but rather to ask what countries where it has worked have done right and how other countries where it's not working well can emulate those successes."
Canada. But, even Canada - probably the world's safest multicultural country - can suffer from the occasional crazy terrorist.
Hotmail
And who wants to immigrate to Japan anyway? lol.
Frungy
Try the ENTIRE European Union, which has acknowledged that boundaries between countries just get in the way of making money.
Or the USA, which actually has negative population growth, but achieves positive population growth through immigration.
Or Canada, which does the same.
You mistake the government for the people. I like most Japanese people (although the country has its fair share of racists like any country). The Japanese government appears to currently be home to most of the racists.
... wow... oh... wow... you really have no idea just how disliked Japan is across most of Asia, do you? Japan BADLY needs allies and instead Japan seems to be doing everything in its power to treat foreigners with an attitude that reinforces existing negative perceptions in those countries that already dislike Japan and resurrects negative stereotypes in countries that used to like Japan.
Just speak to people from the U.S. who have lived in Japan and they'll tell you about casual arrogance, discrimination, and rudeness, and these are your ALLIES! The people you're relying on to protect you if China attacks.
KawaguchiTaro
I'm french and my parents arrived in France in the late 70's and now married to a japanese wife, I can say that I'm pretty much in connection with all the subjects in this article. Mr LePen is quite famous in our country for his xenophobia, antisemitism, and the way he like to simplify subjects for his audience. It's true that France has difficulty to deal with immigration but the solutions and causes provided by LePen are WRONG (and by the way this line "... out of France’s total population of 65 million, 15 to 20 million are Muslim immigrants or their descendants" statistics is an obvious huge lie). The problem is the gap between the rich and the poor, Paris and its suburbs while we promised to the first migrants that those suburbs would be a temporary situation before they can enjoy a good life in Paris, the reality was totally different now their children born in France are having more problems than their parents who immigrated to be assimilated as french and to live in France. The gap increased to the point of rupture. I'm also living in those suburbs so I can witness all of that, but I managed to get out of there thanks to my education and my job. I was lucky but it's not everyone's case. For the future of Japan I can't tell really tell, since japan's culture and especially the relation with the foreign world is really different from Western's. Anyway LePen's interpretation of french society is quite old and smells the nostalgia of colonization.
JoiceRojo
Exactly!
To see an extreme, even it is fiction, read: The Curious Enlightenment of Professor Caritat, by Steven Lukes
Certainly it is not by encouraging the immigration of low-skilled foreign workers
That's sensible stuff.
What I see is that in the world we see like two big tendencies: One towards globalization and tolerance of other cultures and other centered on the struggles of terrorism which calls to "close up". What I see is that there are cultures that are not open to tolerance or being "flexible", and they expect to be respected or accepted in other countries, the clash of cultures with strong religious holds (like Islam) is too great to be accepted in countries with opposite beliefs, (like Christianity or Catholicism) but even so in countries more neutral, agnostic or atheist , Islamism is extreme, which makes it difficult to accept, because we have seen that whereas may Muslims in countries like USA, or Asia are people who don't "make trouble", there are factions so zealous that it is too extreme to bear, which taints the general population of Muslim origin.
What amazes me is that European countries, being old, don't have a strong hold in their roots and culture like Asian or SouthAmerican countries do. True, in SouthAmerica we were colonized by Spanish and Portuguese and the strongest religion is Catholicism, (now towards more Christianity, but still similar belief) and even though it is adopted and the Indian beliefs have had faded over the time, it is kinda a strong culture, Certainly, there are Muslims here, but it seems that out "hot blood" is too much to reverse tendencies like allowing prayers 5 times a day, or women covered all the time.
As for what Le Pen says, my opinion is that he's an idiot, he should mind his own business, Not because what he said is not true, is that his opinion to me is not worthy of respect (a conservative old geezer, sticking his nose on other country's business)
bam_boo
Le Pen's nationalistic ideas about french culture and french history are largely based on fiction and this is true for nationalistic ideas in general. At the end of the 18th century apparently only half of the "French people" spoke some French and France then was much more multi-ethnic then it is now. The same is true for almost all empires before the 19th century.
Still fiction can be a powerful source for human action, for good and for bad.
Unfortunately it seems as if people in Japan recently are becoming increasingly vulnerable to this kind of nationalistic messages and if this goes on like this Japan will become a quite lonely nation.
tinawatanabe
frungy
Can you work at EU or have the same right? is the point. Anyway, EU, USA, and others are different countries with different histories. Yes, they may be better places for foreigners, but that does not mean Japan has to behave the same.
I'm aware many people say Japanese are racist, but I know they are not. I also know Chinese and Koreans don't like Japanese, and even Americans yes. But I don't know any other countries are nicer to them than Japan, at least Japan has made all efforts possible.to improve ties. Now kind of give up on them.
If you go to USA for instance, you don't complain maybe because you respect them? Many people look down on Japan, that maybe one of the reasons they complain so much and feel Japan should change not foreigners, which attitude they would never think of taking toward other countries like USA.
Frungy
Yes, if you have an EU passport (and they're not that difficult to get) you can live, work and enjoy the rights of a citizen anywhere in the EU.
No, Japan can choose to flush its economy down the toilet. Not the brightest choice, but even a wrong choice is a choice.
... just the statement that "Japanese are racist" or "Japanese are not racist" is in itself racist. You can't generalize about every person in a country.
Nope, I don't respect anyone automatically. Respect is something you EARN. You are not entitled to respect because of your country or race or anything else automatic. Prove to me that you're worth respecting and I'll respect you. Until then you just get what everyone else gets, treated like an equal until proven otherwise.
Actually the USA has changed enormously over the decades, and normally it was people demanding equal treatment. Often it was foreigners, like the African slaves, then the Irish immigrants, then the Italian immigrants, and so on.
Go and study a bit about the history of immigration in the USA. The US has had to change many times, and because it changed it survived and prospered.
Japan has come to the same crossroads. Change or suffer the economic consequences.
JTDanMan
Yes, please do.
But that is not the point. Of course, we have serious racial strife in the US. That is because we have many different kinds of people in the US.
We have a long way to go, and we are getting there.
And that is multi-culturalism, or pluralism, in action.
Pukey2
To those posters who are living in cloud cuckoo land, like bassfunk, the population cannot go up and up endlessly. Look at the mess in India - there's no end in sight. Are you lot Catholics, Muslims or Mormons?
Like someone said, ain't my problem. As a non-Japanese I have the luxury of leaving if or when the country gets beyond salvation in terms of the economy and politics. I can't say the same for most Japanese.
tinawatanabe:
Japanese is a beautiful beautiful country. Please do enjoy it. I stopped caring about Japan's problems ages ago. See above (the bit where I say I can leave anytime).
Dorian le Senechal
The other point is that Mr Le Pen forgets to say that those immigrants are giving more than 60 billion euro to france eauch year, and that france "only" spends 48 for them, so we get 12 billion euros thanks to them (It's nearly the health care debt...) Also, most of the immigrants come from coutries such as germany or UK, they also are graduated ans have good jobs. What is says is not the reality, he's talking about a small portion of french immigration!!
PS: During the attacks and hostages and sunday commemoration, he called the people to vote for his daughter or said that all the people in paris were "Charlots", meaning ridiculous and stupid! He's not aomeone to take seriously! He's just racist and antisemitist (he was found guilty of nazism apology a few years ago when he said that the jews genocide never happenend)
AiserX
And that is multi-culturalism, or pluralism, in action.
The U.S Seal says "E. Plurubus Unum, Out of many one"
The U.S was never meant to be this Multicultural mish-mash, it was actually rejected during it's foundation. Only recently during the last century was it embraced. Multiculturalism simply does not work. Also, what do you mean that "we have a long way to go"?
Because of Multiculturalism? So more diversity will result in some kind of peaceful co-existence? nope history and recent events prove otherwise.
Peeping_Tom
Frungy,
A comparison with the EU is a fallacy, not applicable in this case.
Japan is not an EU member state; its citizens do not enjoy freedom of movement, establishment and local vote anywhere within the Union.
I'm a Brit who can vote in Spain if I so wish; the same applies to any Spaniard in my yard.
Why should Japan grant you more rights?
Is your country going to retribute in kind?
Of course not! Never heard that the EU is moving towards granting same rights to Japanese, who, surprise, surprise pay taxes too! I happen to live 24/7 with one of them, thus I KNOW!
What about that?
It looks like you just want to have your cake and eat it too!
Frungy
Tinawatanabe asked if places existed where people enjoyed the same rights. I answered her question.
Your rant that Japan is not an EU member state is completely irrelevant.
No, I was just answering a direct question. Try to keep up.
Of course there has been a global trend towards systems similar to the EU where entry barriers are lowered and protections extended to foreign workers in order to encourage international mobility. And these countries have all reported significant economic gains.
Moderator
No more bickering please.
JeffLee
Prominent Europeans in Japan have told me, off the record, that Japan needs to avoid the mistakes Europe made in its immigration policies.
Kabukilover
Having poisoned France with their xenophobia, Le Pen is out to poison Japan more than its already poisoned. We already have enough xenophobia and racism here in Japan without Le Pen's assistance.
hidingout
Not so. I am of the opinion that an immigrant who is not prepared to accept the way things are done in his/her adopted country shouldn't be allowed in the door. You want to do things "your" way? Great. Stay home then and do as you like.
I guess when you say "sensible" you mean people like the population of posters here at JT? Mostly educated and mostly working. I would say that the comment pages of this site - wherein gaijin visitors to Japan (not even real immigrants) can be seen bellyaching about almost every aspect of Japanese society, mocking the culture, and longing for the day that Japan can "grow up" and become just like their home country where everything is "perfect" - should be used as Exhibit A for tightening up immigration even more.
If even the most "educated" and "tolerant" samples from the immigration pool behave like the posters here at JT regarding their adopted home, Japan is better off without them.
Yeah, the guy talking facts is the enemy. And the posters bashing Japan day in and day out on this site are the sample population of "good" immigrants. What kind of upside down world are you from?
ReformedBasher
@HidingOut
I think you have me confused with another type of foreigner "group".
I like Japan and think it has a lot going for it. I certainly don't want Japan to change it ways at the insistence of small minority of whiners. Think you'll find the majority of my posts are pro-Japan, which is how they should be.
However, some recognition of long term foreigners who have something to benefit the country is always nice and some welcome changes have been made recently.
Perish the thought. This site seems a haven for disgruntled foreigners. (see above).
"Sensible" foreigners are the ones who make the effort to fit in and play a positive role. There are some on JT but they seem to be in the minority at times.
Gaijin Dilemma
Let's try focusing on facts.
Fact No.1. Majority of Muslims are loving and caring people who do practice the righteous teaching and live a peaceful and meaningful Quran guided life.
Fact No. 2. The same majority CAN'T control nor influence the less than 1% troublemakers who will settle for nothing but violence and blood as the only counter solution known to them.
Fact No. 3. The Muslim populations is increasing at a rate that will eventually form 50% of the world population by the end of century.
Fact No. 4. When the Muslim population reach a noticeable mass in any country, trouble will start brewing when they start demanding their "rights", and religious practice to be integrated into the majority's life.
Fact No. 5. Response to any threat to Islam or God by violence is acceptable, enough evidence has shown that brain washing has indoctrinated that in the name of God, death by collateral damage is glorious.
Fact No. 6. Someone mentioned Singapore as a good example of how successful is the government in integrating Muslims into their society. This is too simplistic, one should really find out how the government of Singapore in the 60s and 70s, under the charge of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, took a ZERO tolerance attitude toward ANY possibility of mass gathering of Muslims, to the extent that any apartment block in Singapore has a quota to which Muslims inhabitants are not allowed to exceed certain percentage.
I think most of you can figure the rest out, with the generally kind and respectful (and ignorant) nature of most Japanese, any significant immigration of Muslims population into this country will just accelerate the country into guaranteed conflicts in the near future.
Fortunately for me, I'm blessed with the chance of having to live in this country and integrate happily AND in my 50s, I won't be alive anymore to witness any change that I mentioned above in Japan, or in the world.
All the best to the next generation.
therougou
If we are residents of Japan already under the current policy, I don't see how we are related to the discussion on opening up to more immigrants.
jpntdytmrow
It is interesting to remember that when the Germans came to Japan in the late 19th Century, they brought beer making skills, found medicinal value of hot springs, and the medical system was directly related to the extent that all students of medical and science fields were expected to study German until recent decades. They were here long before the turn of political events after WWI.They stayed during WWII (a time when most foreign residents were sent home or sent to certain areas like Karuizawa). After WWII, the Japanese government along with the GHQ rounded up all people of German descent, including those who had come here during a peaceful time and likely had no connections to political events and they were sent back to Germany,a divided Germany many of them did not know...many were from parts of Germany that no longer existed. So, my point being that history shows that there are no distinctions made between foreign residents of Japan who came with skills, proper papers, and new and future immigrants who come here to work. Foreign is as foreign does when anti-immigration sentiments rise. For a while, one might find security in being of one color and not another or in dressing in a more "acceptable" way, but if it starts to turn, all foreign-looking persons, including Japanese with more facial hair or deep set eyes will be suspect. I have seen the latter first-hand when a relative, Japanese, was stopped on numerous occasions and asked for his papers.
LaWren
As much as I hate to agree with Le Pen, he is absolutely right. It is not too late for Japan yet. Those who would appease the radical Islamists and make excuses for them are no better than those who appeased the Third Reich in 1938.
Christopher Glen
The number of immigrants Japan accepts is a trickle compared to other countries. There is hardly any chance of Japan repeating France's "mistakes"
commanteer
The whole idea that an economy requires constant population growth is as unsustainable as anything anyone can dream up. At some point, populations must shrink. This is a fact of life.
Yes, a shrinking population will bring some problems. But most of those problems are due to equally unsustainable economic practices over the past several decades - practices that depended on continual population growth. Those practices are the root of the problem.
Saying Japan needs more people to keep the economy afloat is like saying a larger credit limit will help someone who spends twice what they earn. It simply postpones the inevitable and brings on bigger problems down the road.
Japan certainly could use more foreign brainpower and the stimulation brought by hard-working and ambitious immigrants. But importing people willy-nilly to prop up a failing economic policy will be a disaster.
WilliB
Maxwell Raynard:
Now, can you imagine a massive immigration of Aum Shinrikyo followers, a prohibition on criticsing their ideology (I mean, you don´t want to be accused of Aum-phobia), and a prohibition on cartooning the bearded one, enforced by death theats?
I think you just shot an own-goal here.
nath
Since most of commentators here are Anglophones it could be expected that they will be against the article and against the French in general. While France brought her problem upon herself, problem is real and is beyond repair. What we do know but omit to say is that right across the ditch the Brits are having almost as much problems with the same groups and for the same historic reason that french do. And the brits are also crying out loud about it when the highest level politicians declare that the multiculturalism is an utter failure. So while the message to the Japanese may be somewhat premature it should not be totally pushed aside. Japan is doing better than most countries do and may be better off tightening the belt when needed rather than risk destroying its social order and its culture for the sake of little more Yen or Dollars. Just look at two Big earthquakes, Japan and Haiti and two big tsunami and see and compare the reaction and restoration pace in those other places with Japan, that alone gives one understanding why Japan is better to stay Japanese.
nath
From all the articles I read in the last couple of days, it must be very scary being a Jew in France and Europe as a whole. At least I feel safe here. Let's not change Japan's immigration policy.
Elbuda Mexicano
No, no the Le Pens of the entire world are correct!! Kick out of every single, last immigrant leave France, leave the USA, heck LEAVE JAPAN and see how quickly those economies come to a screaming halt! Some greedy, idiot fools like Le Pen, David Duke, the Japanese Right Wing want to have their CAKE and it it TOO!
citizen2000
Kaerishmata, I find yourself having a lot in common with the one you are calling a moron.
habidaccus
To be honest I don't know if there's any clear answer. Bad, good: these things are relative. You can casually link multiculturalism to the success of the U.S. while simultaneously blaming it for holding societies back. But being able to change is what ensures survival, and Japan can't remain static any longer. Gender equality, diversity, a less psychotic work regime. They're all necessary changes that will alter Japan, but history has shown that change has always been beneficial, but being inflexible is a huge detriment. From a shallow observation, the downsides of being diverse appear heavily outweighed by the benefits.
Yenot
@Elbuda Mexicano, I agree to disagree on your statement. It seems like you are putting the issue in a box just like the individuals you mentioned. I had mentioned before that many choose to immigrate with reasons alot different than those before them. Many chose now to part of the society and community at hand.Many more are unskilled with little education which makes them vulnerable to low paying jobs and at the mercy of greedy unfair employers. I am one that you always respect your culture and the culture of others. However many immigrants arrives in their new surrounding by going to communities in which they came. In case, Chinatown. This is interesting as they do it all the different countries they go when foreigns immigrate to China, it's their way or no way. All present immigration laws needs a reboot and all immigrants should be carefully screened with dignity to ensure their safety and the safety of those in the new country they had chosen.
Peeping_Tom
No, I was just answering a direct question."
Yet, you very shrewdly dodged my own direct question. Was the truth too inconvenient?
Is your country going to reciprocate, considering you're very vociferous regarding acquiring more right, i.e. vote, and mass immigration of millions more like yourself in Japan?
Can Japanese citizens vote in America and Canada?
I know they can't. Will be waiting for your reply that some States allow them to vote on school boards and the like.
Don't do too much searches because I happen to know very well how the foreign vote movement is in the States.
And my "rant" is totally appropriate in the circumstances.
Try to keep up."
Don't ya worry, I will. Slowly, slowly catch a monkey!
Peeping_Tom
Rather than just restrain the new imports Japan should rid itself of the thousands of foreign malcontents already living there.
Le Pen is more than right.
Kabukilover
Thanks but no thank you for your advice Mr. Le Pen. In Japan we have enough would-be immigrants dying in substitute prisons. We have enough Japanese bigots harrassing Korean residents. We have enough foreign residents discriminated against in housing and employment. We have enough many black companies exploiting foreign "trainees." We do not need any more xenophobia in Japan. We have more than we need already.
Le Pen and his daughter have done sustancial damage to France. The Front National is Hitler's sewage. We already have enough right-wing sewage in Japan.
tinawatanabe
What does this mean? Japan is willing to accept the consequences of smaller population. Japan is predicting 100M people by 2060.
Peeping_Tom
justbcuzisay
No, I don't live in Japan and never will. Or in anybody's country for that matter.
I'm pretty happy in London thank you very much.
Considering that I read this forum regularly, yes I can state categorically that's easy to tell there are lots of foreign malcontents in Japan. Their only wish is for Japan to become just like their own countries.
They love Japan so much yet have absolutely nothing positive to say about their hosts; just hate disguised under the cloak of a tough love.
When asked why they don't leave rather than be permantly disgruntled, the typical answer is "I only want to make Japan better"!!!!!
What about making their countries a better place?
It would appear you skipped that part of my "persona" that informs that I am in a very solid relationship with a Japanese girl. Contrary to what you and many seem to believe, I do know a lot about what's going on in Japan.
I strongly believe that Japan would be far better off, maintain the actual balance of power and keep huge hordes of foreigners where they belong, i.e. as far as possible. Before Japan is ruined just like my own country was.
For that and other reasons I support Le Pens position in its entirety.
bam_boo
"A recent report states that by 2060 the number of Japanese will have fallen from 127m to about 87m, of whom almost 40% will be 65 or older."
Looking at those rather conservative predictions we know that Japan has to change quite fundamentally in order to sustain a healthy and productive society.
Or to put it in concrete terms, I would definitely prefer an immigrant nurse from Indonesia or from where ever to care for me when I grow old in Japan then one of those ridiculous (in)humanoid pseudo-caregiver robots scientists are promoting.
Emigration/immigration is one of the defining elements of the human race and to me it is not question whether or not but just how, also in regard to Japan.
Le Pens vision would create a world of heavier frontier fortifications, increased border clashes and ultimately a always growing number of wars about wealth and distribution of resources.
lucabrasi
@Tom
The only thing that might "ruin" the UK is old-fashioned 1950's prejudice against people who aren't white and Protestant.
The vast majority of Londoners,and Brits in general are happy to live in a multi-racial/religious society.
Only the hopelessly old-fashioned and intolerant don't get it. They're dying out.
Peeping_Tom
The vast majority of Londoners,and Brits in general are happy to live in a multi-racial/religious society."
I am dead set against multiculturalism and not afraid to shout against if from the back of me lungs.
That's what ruined Britain and will destroy Japan if they go ahead of this mass immigration lunacy.
Peeping_Tom
The fact that you refer to somebody as a "Yamato woman" raises questions...."
Well, she's not Japanese-Somalian, Japanese-Kurdish, or Japanese-Mexican.
She's a Yamato and proud of that. Anything wrong with one's being proud of who he/she is?
And in case you're wondering I'm a child of the 80's.
JAM7777
Remain a small country, don't increase your population, adapt to being a smaller country with the economic strategy that suits a smaller country. Immigration policies will only destroy your heritage.
citizen2000
Like if strong (against) immigration policies will be able to stop ideologies at the borderlines.....like the chernobyle radioactive clould simply stopped at the borderline too like we heard, so LePen do not forget, also to include to censor and burn books, movies and control the internet and restraint people traveling abroad to name a few...... is that the type of country you want to live on ? Seriously, fanatic terrorism and immigration are 2 different things.
mekki
Yes, Sweden has been taking plenty of muslim refugees. And now they have many things to show for it, like the no-go zones for police in many of their bigger cities. They must feel very happy, just like in Paris!
Olegek
OK - let's discuss it ( I'm Russian and I have no special reasons to love British Empire)
BUT : We should recognize that it WAS a one of the most important part of human civilisation - just look at the world before British Empire and after it . (especially end of 18th century - end of 19 th century - Rise of Empire)
Real world trade and industrial revolution, parliamentarism and relatively free press
Fast development of science, steam engine&railroads and steamers
All these things were tightly associated with British Empire
But all these things were made by Britons Scots and Irish people
In 1950's this empire come to an end
And after that - lot of foreigners coming on british soil...
But this is another story...
Peeping_Tom
Ah, yes, multiculturalism destroyed Britain and will destroy Japan. Rather ironic statement for a British man dating a Japanese woman!"
A Brit (anyone for that matter) can date (live together as is my case) with a Japanese/Moroccan/Balinese. That's not multiculturalism.
Do you know what societal multiculturalism means?
Just asking.
bam_boo
Could it be that you're slightly generalizing here?
From what I've learned GB destroyed itself through its shoreless expansionist colonial greed, in combination with the lack of focus it caused, and the only thing left now that keeps GB somewhat interesting and competitive on the international stage is its multiculturalism (e.g. Londons appeal to foreign companies and skilled foreign immigrant talent through its cosmopolitan status)... but that's just my humble view.
It's a complex issue and might need some more reflection before making final judgements.
Peeping_Tom
Multiculturalism represents the final straw on the camel's back. You know what happened to the camel, dont you?
Cosmopolitanism, racial mingling, learning from one another, inter-cultural exchanges, all of that is more than fine and should be promoted.
Multiculturalism, divisive by etymology and nature?
Never!
Unless you think a perfect Britain is one in which Brits will be in the minority!
Where we no longer will be allowed Christmas, on account of offending someone else's religious sensitivities!
Sounds far-fetched, yet some parts of the country, i.e. Bradford/Luton exemplify the issues at hand.
Soo Moa
lol no, there are around 4 millions muslim in France, 8% of the french population, they're just a minority.
what
boweevil
La Pen advising the Japanese on immigration? Coals to Newcastle....
therougou
History shows a lot of things. That doesn't mean they will be repeated again, in a much more civilized country. For one thing, we now have a visa that says our status, such as "permanent resident".
Kajima Seibei
I imagine that many of the contributors to this debate are foreign residents who are married to a Japanese national. Some will have children who go to a Japanese school and are blending in happily with the host society. This organic (for want of a better word) assimilation is the only way that immigration can be a success in any country, I believe. Such gaijin are (usually) accepted by the spouse's family and by extension the larger society. They become family. By and large they respect and appreciate Japanese culture as in many cases that was what attracted them to this country in the first place. Contrast this benign trend to Europe's disastrous policies where huge numbers of people of very alien cultures and religions were encouraged to come, solely for economic reasons. Naturally, they grouped together in ghettos, some determinedly ignoring or despising the host nation's customs and way of life. Japan is doing the right thing by its gradualist approach.
Yenot
@Kajima Seibei, You make some very interesting and I believe correct insight to the problem at hand. As a foreign living in Japan, I never felt the need or desire to imply Japan should be like by native country. Many are here respecting the laws and cultures of Japan. I am personally against all religions and here in Japan, I do not feel any pressure to engage in any religion. However, I have recently read that a certain organization in Japan are installing special rooms for their muslim staff to pray. I find this totally out of step and unfair for anyone to practice their religious belief at the job. Japan must keep this out of their mainstream. One will lead to another. Just recently my rival university Duke I(GO TARHEELS) was intending to ring the church bell to inform muslims when to pray even though church bells has been banned by the school for other religions. Thankfully they changed their mind. Religion is dangerous and especially any religion that preach the extermination of those not like them. Before I get a lot of hate for this statement. I will admit I am bias and unfortunately served in the middle east and seen things so horrific but glorified by the mass that it just blows away any belief or open mindness you may had mind..
frontandcentre
The economic benefits of a sensible immigration policy would far outweigh the disadvantages. Trying to convince Japanese to have more children clearly isn't working, and in any case Japan shouldn't take advice from a discredited racist and bigot like Le Pen.
Imanishi E.
Japan is where England and France along with the USA was years ago. Feels good to talk nice on this topic.
Learn from history or history will repeat itself.
seang
Japan, seriously you are a role model for the world. The economic benefits of having migrant workers are only short term and not long. My advice to you is to maintain your cultural heritage, as with S. Korea. Western nations have nothing to draw conclusions from unless countries like yourself continue to preserve your own international identity. Keep doing what your doing! Your country is a great source of reference!
Jacques Hammeur
I really agree with Le Pen; Japan must keep his culture and be very careful with immigration. France chose the worst people ever for its immigration.