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Let foreigners enter, but don't let them obtain Japanese citizenship, doctor urges

62 Comments

Katsuya Takasu, MD, is not only a man who has acquired considerable wealth through his chain of cosmetic surgery clinics. He is also a person of strong opinions, which he airs in a regular column in Yukan Fuji.

His somewhat rambling column of Dec 11 concerns the Diet's recent passing of a law to enable blue-collar foreign workers to enter Japan in large numbers.

"If a good system is not put in place, we'll fail," he warns.

Takasu of course is well aware that a number of business sectors are facing shortages of workers, and as evidence of this, points to the growing frequency of young foreigners working behind counters at convenience stores.

"I suppose they are here on student visas and working while studying at Japanese schools," he writes. "Presently the convenience store business would never be able to maintain its round-the-clock, 365-days-a-year operation without foreign workers."

Perhaps to young Japanese, working part-time at a convenience store may seem like a menial job, but for the working foreigner it provides an opportunity not only to learn Japanese, but to acquire knowhow in customer service and in retail operations. In fact, remarks Takasu, it may provide them with more practical and meaningful social education than they get from attending a school. Such jobs also enable them to obtain trends in information while getting paid a salary.

The actual problem, if there is one, is that in Japan, an affluent country where no one suffers from food shortages, a certain number of people may be willing to entrust more and more jobs to foreign workers. Dubai, UAE. is one such country, which has energetically been accepting foreigners and developed its economy along those lines. But in such cases it is necessary for Dubai citizens to be company directors, and the system is set up for the foreigners to supply raw labor while Dubai nationals hold managerial positions with higher wages.

If Japan is to be regarded as an "appealing" place in which foreigners can come to work, Takasu sees no problem as it makes the country all the more appealing. The labor shortage provides the foreign workers with an opportunity after all. China, while more appealing in terms of being able to earn large profits, cannot provide the same degree of security and social stability.

So what concerns Takasu? "Overstays by the blue-collar workers," he says. "In the past when their duration of stay ended, they returned to their home countries; but once in the country, some of them will stay, and there will be more cases of them starting families with Japanese women. This could be a growing problem."

Of course, Takasu's in favor of measures to improve the conditions for low-wage technical trainees, and says a better system will be called for if their numbers are to expand in the future.

But more than that, Takasu is worried that as more and more of foreign workers enter the country, some may eventually obtain Japanese citizenship -- to which he issues a resounding "no." "This," he asserts, "would definitely lead to political problems. So while admission of foreign workers may serve as a stopgap measure to relieve the current labor shortage, the underlying problem -- that Japan cannot expect any increase in its population -- will remain.

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62 Comments
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What a disgusting racist.

35 ( +42 / -7 )

Is this that sleazy plastic surgeon with those stupid commercials? Like I'm gonna ever trust my face to a charlatan like him. He probably has coupons on his website.

23 ( +26 / -3 )

Wow! What a racist piece of work. Sad that we still have this in 2018. But at least now you know where NOT to go for any cosmetic consultation.

22 ( +26 / -4 )

"some of them will stay, and there will be more cases of them starting families with Japanese women. This could be a growing problem."

That's some impressive racism ! 10/10 ! Bravo !

Idiot.

(note that he doesn't talk about Japanese men starting families with foreign women, how weird !)

26 ( +29 / -3 )

Reminds me of another expert, the owner of the APA hotels. When I go to get some botox injections or lay my head on a pillow at night, I'm not interested in hearing the toxi uyoku views of my doc or hotelier.

17 ( +21 / -4 )

.... but once in the country, some of them will stay, and there will be more cases of them starting families with Japanese women. This could be a growing problem.

Why would this be a problem?

15 ( +20 / -5 )

I would give up my Belgian citizenship immediately for a Japanese pasport. I have done enough for Japan to earn one while my country’s Embassy staff has stolen my 2 dogs , get cover from the Ambassador himself. If that sounds incredible, i agree. Still , just as true.

-13 ( +2 / -15 )

Interesting his age wasn't mentioned - I'm guessing he's probably in his 60's or 70's - and if not, more's the pity. He and his fellow septuagenarians, including 90% of our esteemed politicians, should get out of the way and let a younger generation take the helm.

This claim keeps coming up here. I checked the ages of top political figures in Japan. On average, they are younger than top political figures in the US.

Katsuya Takasu is 73. He has been spouting drivel for decades. He deserves no more attention than similar types in the US.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Let me see your smile

Don't give me grumpy bitter face

It's so terrible! So terrible!

You are so selfish

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

but once in the country, some of them will stay, and there will be more cases of them starting families with Japanese women.

With an estimated thirty percent of the Japanese male population apparently being the so called "herbivores", doesn't that mean about thirty percent of the Japanese female population is single and or available. With the Japanese population shrinking by the year a "hafu" is better than nothing.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

This claim keeps coming up here. I checked the ages of top political figures in Japan. On average, they are younger than top political figures in the US.

Katsuya Takasu is 73. He has been spouting drivel for decades. He deserves no more attention than similar types in the US.

Tend to agree. This is magical thinking, that only the aged troglodytes are holding us back. The olds don't have a monopoly on xenophobia or frankly any ideology. Ditto the youngs.

Take Osaka's leadership for several years now, made up uniformly of right-wing nationalists. Former Gov. Hashimoto is 49, the current gov. is 54 and their mayor is in his early 40s. I know, if you're 22 and just finished poly sci 101, this sounds ancient but...

Meanwhile, I know many progressive-minded, tolerant older men in Japan who are working in academia, trading and the arts. I also tend to think lazy generational warfare around hot-button issues like immigration is an effective means of dividing populations, groups who could and should be natural allies.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Where has this man been all his life, living under a rock? In case he hasn't noticed, mixed-race Japanese have been around for decades, just turn on the TV. Whether he likes it or not, mixed-race Japanese will probably be the future of Japan. It's Neanderthals like him that holding Japan back

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Despite the thought how the older generation of the country is paranoid or rather scared about the culture and changes of the country itself. Like, that their peace, culture, history and so on will disappear if there will be more foreigners.-Which is understandable considering what has been going on the past 1 or 2 years on other places like the U.S. and the center of the EU.

This is still wrong what the guy is saying, not only mentioning like most of the other people in the comment section how much of a racist he is.

But actually, the politics are rather scared about the aging population, so the thought of foreigners getting in contact with the people and forming a family would be a good idea. And even if they would get a few problems, they need to manage it anyway. Either now while slowly open the borders for foreigners and having the 'risk' of them forming families. Or later somehow the problem of their aging population, with some other ways which still affect the work of the country.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Actually what he is saying is not racist at all, he is just presenting the future scenario of Japan. Plays out like this:

Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian etc come to Japan to change diapers and bedpans because the growing age explosion epidemic is crawling nearer to reality; tens of thousands of 80- 100 years old seniors that need extensive care in ryojin homes. the 50 - 70 years old crowd will do some of it, but not near enough. the 20 - 50 years old crowd are too busy working in service sector jobs, so there will be a huge demand for this work. So many of these SE workers will settle down, and marry Japanese women, to many of these J women who cannot find, or want, a local J mate. These SE foreigners will get burned out on the ryojin home work, and since they are now jammed in Japan due to their marriage and new family, will try and find more appealing local work, that the 20 - 50 J crowd is doing, and later want to climb the company ladder to management positions. Therein lies the friction, both with the SE long termer and the xenophobic Japanese doing the service sector jobs. The SE man / woman will argue the same arguement that I and other gaijin have been doing for years, that is "we pay taxes, have family here, langauge ability, etc etc." Thing is nobody cares, because the Japanese dont want you in their sector, only where they dont want to do the dirty work.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

What a disgusting racist.

@Luddite

You may or may not be surprised how many Japanese share the same views. I have had conversations with some who say things like 'well you are ok', me being white European.... 'but why are xxxx people here?'.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Boycott Takasu clinic, I will pass this article internationally to all in the world. He is a racist and very mean hearted person. No, wonder, he can fly in private jets and drive in Rolls & charge expensively. I saw his visit to Saudi, I will tell everyone , I know abt him. Down with such mean hearted people.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Why should anyone of any money help U , u are racist & a mean hearted bad person. No plastic surgery can help u. Maybe , that is why U are in that business, only good to see but rotten below. Strong boycott of Takasu clinic must be held immediately , right now.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

they been talkin this mess for years, even elected a very outspoken spokesperson by the name of Shintaro Isihara, to lead them. Nothing will change, unless you change yourself.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

He’s on record praising the Nazis.

And thinks the numbers killed in the Holocaust have been exaggerated.

Sadly familiar....

8 ( +11 / -3 )

@vinarius,

actually his views and rhetoric will probably increase his sales. There was a business hotel that was doing something similar a few years back, and I think it helped their business. I dont know why foreigners get excited about this, things in Japan will never change. Thats the first step to understand this place, and to deal with it.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

another pig ignorant racist bigot , the thing is that most Japanese will completely agree with him from my experience..

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Maybe this 'doctor' would like to tell all his compatriots to go back to their own country then. Does this person actually know that millions of Japanese went abroad and took citizenship elsewhere? Perhaps he can reverse this.

My advice to these workers thinking of coming to Japan - look elsewhere where you'll be more welcomed and treated like humans, and not looked down upon as indispensible slave labour.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Personally, I couldn't care less about J citizenship. As much as I enjoy living here I know I'll never 'feel' Japanese nor will I ever be seen as Japanese (which is fair enough) by J ppl themselves, so why bother.

The only thing I want/demand is 'reasonably' fair & equitable treatment by society as a whole, the tax/justice/medical systems etc.

Re SEA 'blue collar migrants', am pretty sure that many/most would settle for that before even thinking about becoming J citizens. Truth is Japan's not quite there yet and most sea workers are treated like second-class citizens (pun intended) by J. So i/o insulting would-be migrants & assuming they all want to become J citizens, blokes like Takasu should focus on providing fair equality of opportunity/treatment first.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Well, this is actually a bit of a hard one, and if you need to know why, just look as Europe as they try to swallow all those Muslims. One can hardly say there were no problems.

True, mere bloodlines are not decisive, but ways of thinking are. In the 20th century, people were so happy just to be allowed in to a 1st World country that they respect the local culture and liberal ideas that even allow this to be an option. In the 21st century, this is less true and people enter the new country expecting to keep their ways, even when they are against the local ideas of what may be considered a "margin of appreciation" for an individual or family. Muslims go to Europe and expect the right to continue to treat women they way they do at "home". The Chinese as we all know are also clearly more "assertive" in recent years.

You may say thinking like Takasu is racist, and it may well be. On the other hand, I think preserving the option to be racist is actually reasonable. If you are being accomodating to say the Chinese not so much because you are nice or liberal or think they are winning on real points as because they'll cause too much trouble if you even take a reasonable but firm stance with them ... you are not liberal. You've lost your choice. And I think Takasu has a legitimate opinion in trying to keep that choice alive.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

"....the underlying problem -- that Japan cannot expect any increase in its population -- will remain."

Can someone explain to me what he is talking about? I cannot see as how there is any context for that statement, and so I do not know what he means.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"I would give up my Belgian citizenship immediately for a Japanese pasport."

Damn. It must really suck to be a Belgian citizen.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

This guy's view is basically the view of the capitalists of Japan who are pushing Abe for this policy. More foreigners to exploit, and once you're done with them, kick them out, and let more clueless-Japan-so-beautiful foreigners come in, rinse and repeat.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

but once in the country, some of them will stay, and there will be more cases of them starting families with Japanese women. This could be a growing problem.

He fails to explain why this would be a "problem". He hasn't written it, but what he means is that foreign manual workers marrying Japanese women is bad and this is presumably down to some archaic concept of racial purity.

At the core of his argument is one about not wanting Japanese blood diluted with foreign blood. In other words, he is an out and out extreme racial purist.

Of course there are idiots like this in every country, but I suspect that his argument will gain lots of traction among others horrified at the thought of Japanese women being impregnated by Indonesians.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

He fails to explain why this would be a "problem". He hasn't written it, but...

Perhaps he has explained his views clearly, but the above article might be a typical hit piece, possibly distorting his views and/or taking statements out of context.

Or perhaps he is a racist pig; who knows...

But his commercials are strange; there is definitely something wrong with him.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I'm not sure he is a racist. He is initially talking about people on temporary visas overstaying their time. This is a problem all over the world - and that's not a racism issue, it's an immigration/political one, and it effects a lot of prosperous nations with high living standards. All countries need to consider potential loopholes or the exploitation of opportunities with matters such as these. I think that is what he is alluding to here. He might be referencing marriage to Japanese women because he knows of some examples where men used this as a permanent avenue into the country to secure permanent residency, then flipped the girl.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

I recommend boycotting any publication that prints vile comments about intermarrying. The Emperor himself said he has Korean blood.

The added irony is that this man's fortune has come from Japanese women having surgery mostly to add Western features, like double eyelids.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

The word "incomprehensible" comes to mind. What in the world is he talking about?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@RawBeer

+1

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Whether he or the ultra-rightwingers like it or not, change is here. It started long ago and will continue into the foreseeable future. Nothing you can do about it. Don't need a visa to have a girlfriend or start a family, either.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Why u guys are so mad? It's like that in Thailand since ages and it's working good ration in company 1 foreigner = 4 thai workers. I agree with this guy at 50% only

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

I agree as long as there is reciprocal action toward Japanese overseas.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

This rant is nothing - he's been expelled from the US Cosmetic Surgery Academy for his Nazi praises.

https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/US-Cosmetic-Surgery-Academy-expels-Japanese-surgeon-over-praise-of-Nazism-513782

5 ( +7 / -2 )

This rant is nothing - he's been expelled from the US Cosmetic Surgery Academy for his Nazi praises.

https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/US-Cosmetic-Surgery-Academy-expels-Japanese-surgeon-over-praise-of-Nazism-513782

Even more interesting. I'm sure the Japanese public doesn't know about this. So, if his membership is terminated, can he still practice? I'll tell my wife (Japanese), but even she says that his commercials are stupid.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

This rant is nothing - he's been expelled from the US Cosmetic Surgery Academy for his Nazi praises.

Have these people looked at themselves in the mirror? Dark-skinned Indians are more Aryan.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

So, if his membership is terminated, can he still practice? 

Since it's the US Academy, and TIJ, he's got no problems in Japan. Heck, those posts probably got him five new Nippon Kaigi clients.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

But more than that, Takasu is worried that as more and more of foreign workers enter the country, some may eventually obtain Japanese citizenship -- to which he issues a resounding "no." "This," he asserts, "would definitely lead to political problems."

I expect he's concerned that the newly enfranchised citizens won't vote for the LDP, thus putting their election-winning scams at risk.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

On the other hand, I think preserving the option to be racist is actually reasonable

When you are unfairly targeted because of your race, are you going to say this to your abuser? If yes then you are one strange person.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

This rant is nothing - he's been expelled from the US Cosmetic Surgery Academy for his Nazi praises.

This explains everything.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

.......is that in Japan, an affluent country where no one suffers from food shortages, a certain number of people may be willing to entrust more and more jobs to foreign workers. *

. Is this guy REALLY awake to the problems of homelessness and the working poor in Japan ? People who live on one onigiri or a cup of noodles a day just to see another day ?

......and there will be more cases of them starting families with Japanese women. 

No wonder they tortured me and my family , eventually breaking us up .

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I invite this idiot to my country to come see how the Japanese live like Kings here while professing to be " helping " us.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Katsuya Takasu is a bigot and an ignoramus. Unfortunately, he represents the promise of failure of foreign workers in Japan. Remember the disaster of Brazilian-Japanese workers in Japan and the ongoing horror of foreign trainees. The ultimate ramifications of that promise of failure is not that foreign workers will stay, marry Japanese and settle in but that they will get out of Japan in droves, thus leaving Japan with a permanent labor shortage.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

What ever happened to your "robotics" workers doing all those jobs, and leaving Japanese without work.

Whatever happened to the rate of Global Population Growth slowing down naturally, so you don't need so many workers.

And why oh why do you listen to a "doctor", and not a proper diplomat or politician ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's time dr Takasu, to pull your head in.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oh my. I have a Japanese wife. Now what? I’m here to stay. You know what, I believe I’m helping improve the race.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Well, this is actually a bit of a hard one, and if you need to know why, just look as Europe as they try to swallow all those Muslims. One can hardly say there were no problems."

The Muslim Euro immigrant problem comes up allot, but really its not that complicated. Morons in charge of European governments, accepted huge numbers due to buffoons in the US gov and elsewhere who thought it would be a good idea to invade or disrupt "problem" dictatorships, but not rebuild those same (Syria), middle eastern countries. So because of this liberal guilt, they have to accept massive numbers of a people who do not think, speak their language, and have limited skills, but take priority over their own natives to train and house.

Japan would never accept such a huge number of Muslim immigrants, they are best settled in rich countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar. Japan instead will accept peoples from its former colonies, like the Phillipines, Indonesia and Viet Nam, because their culture is more aligned to Japans. Now how they get treated and assimilated, thats another story, but Japan is not so stupid to accept hordes of Muslims into its borders, then later let the chaos take care of itself as some other countries have done.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

If he is that passionate about the future of Japanese society and the effects of more foreigners diluting Japanese culture, maybe he'd like to explain why he uses "Yes Takasu" as his commercial slogan rather than "Hai Takasu".

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Please mind it japan is not built in one day and night.after second world war japan has begged and been given in treaty(US-JP).so japan been improvised and developed because they have not billed yet to US army to protect them.so do not be so racist one day racist kills everyone because japan doesn’t believe in god inspite they belief in pachinko

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It's pointless to take Japanese citizenship anyway. It doesn't make you Japanese just because you have a Japanese passport. Would I (a white guy) become Nigerian overnight if I took Nigerian citizenship?!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That's it! I'm getting my cosmetic surgery somewhere else!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

be fair do same for all Japanese overseas

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The added irony is that this man's fortune has come from Japanese women having surgery mostly to add Western features, like double eyelids.

Yeah, there seems to be this love-hate relationship everywhere in Japan.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

some of them will stay, and there will be more cases of them starting families with Japanese women. This could be a growing problem.

Japanese men don't want the competition? lol.

That aside, I love how all the Westerners in this thread like to judge Japanese by Western standards.

When are people going to understand that not every country on the planet thinks mixing ethnicities is a recipe for social and national nirvana. The West is actually highly unusual in the degree to which it embraces such a mix and at amuses me that we think our ethics and our sensibilities, which I share to a degree, should be the norm in non-Western countries. They aren't and probably never will be. Much of Asia is a prime example. You think these attitudes are unusual? Wow. Go to China, Korea or India.

Curiously, even a lot of Western countries, especially in Europe are re-evaluating the whole notion of multi-culturalism, which is well overdue.

The key question for Japan is that if you are going to allow these workers to eventually gain citizenship then it is absolutely critical that they are thoroughly integrated in Japanese culture and way of life, starting with the language.

Don't ever allow the same situation which applies in much of the West of ethnic enclaves to develop in which none of the inhabitants can even speak the local language to a decent level. They MUST be integrated and MADE Japanese.

I don't believe in multi-culturalism, because I believe a single national, dominant culture is essential for social cohesion and trust, but I do believe in immigration of ethnicities other than my own provided they can be thoroughly integrated and the gap between first and second generation immigrants and 3rd generation born and bred is as little as possible. That all starts with language, then you move onto social norms etc.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

There is a huge difference between it takes work to integrate people and we must take care about the long term outcomes than, don't let them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In 2017, the Simon Wiesenthal Center was made aware of Tweets made by Katsuya Takasu in 2015, in which he praised Nazism for the progress made under the Nazi regime. He stated that no doubt that the Jews were persecuted by the National Socialist German Workers' Party, but the toll of Auschwitz and the Holocaust victims was exaggerated by Allies. On November 8 2017, the Simon Wiesenthal Center announced that the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery expelled him due to the Holocaust and Nanjing Massacre denial.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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