340,000 foreigners may flow into Japan in 5 years under new visa system

There needs to be a guaranteed return trip to their homelands after their work tenure has expired. Also, no marrying to obtain permanent residency. Otherwise, this will turn into a disaster of near-EU proportions.

340,000 new non-yamato slaves to do the jobs the Nihonjin wouldn't dare do... don't expect any real changes guys.

I plan to move to Japan in 14 years. That is after I master my Japanese.

No matter what lame excuses Abe tries to make, what his government is planning to do is nothing less than modern-day slave trade: bringing in cheap labor so that businesses can cut labor costs and make more profits.

Critics have argued that the government is pushing for the legal revision without fully preparing social security and Japanese language education systems.

Why do they need Japanese language education system? Why not let the businesses take care of that? Japan is the same as Europe, trying to forcefuly integrate new people into their culture through social programs. Europe has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that forceful integration DOES - NOT - WORK. You cannot forcefully integrate people, you can LET THEM integrate THEMSELVES through the labor market. America is a land of immigrants, and America has never had any English language classes for new immigrants, yet somehow immigrants manage to integrate into the American society better than the immigrants in Europe. Stop trying to HELP immigrants, LEAVE THEM ALONE.

Also, when it comes to ''social security''. I have a better idea, how about you privatize it, and let people PAY when they want to use it? How about that? The subway is private in Japan, and the highways are private. When you want to use the roads, you pay for it. The system works well. Do the same for social security too.

Hakman, shame on you to treat people differently. Stop stop and stop. There is no shortage of anything except Japan hasn't open to a United States of Northeast Asia.

They are mostly coming from other Asian countries. It will not become a big issue. Their mentality is more or less similar to Japanese people. No serious problem will happen due to cultural or religious differences

There are obviously some similarities, but in other respects there are some enormous differences -other parts of Asia seem far louder and chaotic, compared to the quieter, more orderly Japan.

Where to put them? Only 14 percent of all Japanese want a foreigner as a neighbor, so a recent survey shows

No. The 14% figure was the percent of respondents thinking that bringing in foreign workers and residents would be an effective way to rejuvenate regional economies.

340,000 in 5 years is not a flow. It is more like a trickle compared to other nations

Compared to what other nations? I was listening to the BBC earlier today. The government is talking of a post-Brexit cap of 100,000 per year. The 340,000 (68,000 per year) figure would be nearly 70% of the UK figure and more than 50% of the current Korean figure. Not that shabby. And, the 340,000 is only for the new category whereas the British and Korean figures are total foreign entry.

will there FINALLY be multi-language news feeds at train stations about what-the-heck-ever is causing that current train delay?

Don't know what line you use but the Keikyu has Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese. In contrast, in Britain, where delays are the norm, you're lucky if you get an explanation in English.

 whether we'll start seeing a rise in the number of Indian restaurants too 

Don't know where you are, but in my patch of Tokyo there are numerous Indian restaurants as well as Nepalese and Bangladeshi restaurants.

Last time the nurse idea failed due to the test. 

As Strangerland rightly observed, a nurse needs to be literate in Japanese. Further, the language issue was primarily with geriatric care givers. The test was modified and foreign applicants are now given more time. Their passage rate is now not much below that of Japanese.

I would also note that Japanese language teaching is very different from English language teaching in Japan. I know because my wife is a Japanese language teacher.

Most Japanese language teachers in Japan are professionals. A large fraction of native speaker English instructors in Japan have no teaching qualifications whatsoever.

Foreign nationals learning Japanese in Japan are generally doing so because they want to, not because they are forced to study the language.

Most important, Japanese language teaching for foreign nationals is real life Japanese, not something like the peculiar English needed for university entrance examinations.

And, of course, a Japanese learning English in Japan generally has to pay for practice. A foreign national learning Japanese in Japan can get and will be forced to get all the practice he or she could want for free.

Abe said at the lower house plenary session that the exact figures are "being examined now" but the estimate will serve as a ceiling for the number of foreign workers to be accepted under the new system unless there is a major change in the economic situation.

I lol'd. Chance of a "major change" you reckon huh...

With all these non-Nihonjin coming, will there FINALLY be multi-language news feeds at train stations about what-the-heck-ever is causing that current train delay? It's just computer programming somewhere in a data center, theoritically one of Japan's strong suites. Get with it, Japan.

I'm still puzzled - do the Japanese want more foreigners or not? Abe is giving mixed signals.

The fact that they will not be allowed to bring their families or import brides and grooms from their home countries will accelerate integration and prevent ghettos from developing. If numbers are limited and they have no choice but to marry and have children with Japanese, and their children do the same, then within just a few generations their 'foreignness' will be largely undetectable.

Japanese Abe Government have no intetest about innumerable Human Rights Violations against Foreign Laborers and Trainees.

I am not at all against having more foreign workers in Japan. However, the government should find out why Japanese are not reproducing (answer: it is too expensive).

For the jobs that they need to do there really isn’t a great requirement to know a lot of Japanese.

Even nurses here have little need to do much, only take patients to the bathroom, wash and feed them-that’s it!

I see foreigners getting on very well here especially once they get organized and demand better conditions...

Even I had a problem buying my house with cash, at the ward office, playing a nasty game of how my name registeration had to be in katakana. So I said, “ok, write my name in katakana.” “No, this is impossible,” was the reply and this, there was no way for the sale to go through. Luckily one of the people who had been my student (as I had taught English there during my lunches) had now become a middle level director, and she ordered that my name be put underneath my name in Romanji. As there was no rule against it, they complied.

Some years ago, at the Ward office I wrote my name in Katakana, and the staff went into auto panick.

I also did this at the immigration office. The officer took a tantrum.

I am happy to have lived days where Japan was Japan only.

I know what fate in a short or long term awaits Japan because my home country is experiencing total control loss due to low skilled workers...for which 2 generations are needef to integrate.

@whatsnext.

just think what is the worst thing LDP can do, and it will news tomorrow morning.

Including, grandparents, one low paid worker, wife and 6 children, this figure is totally wrong. Does the japanese govt know that illiterate poverty stricken families have more than one child? Does the one worker know his or her ¥150000 a month salary is impossible to live on for a family. Can they speak Japanese?

my hospital struggles with English. It will be a total nightmare. Zero staff speak Vietnamese, Indonesian Chinese etc. we will have to hire a translator, print information in various languages. Total nightmare. Then there is diseases that are unfamiliar to doctors. Already we are overworked. Aging population is a massive ongoing problem.

These very poor families will only be able to afford rice, udon noodles and bean sprouts. Not the best diet for children.

I don't know this band very well. I don't know their ability with English or Japanese. But one thing I do know...they should have known what they did was wrong on many levels. Common sense, not literacy or linguistic ability is the determining factor here.

BTW...The need to learn a language is still very much needed and will be for some time yet. We are waaaaay off the mark thinking AI has it covered.

Has anybody here tried having a conversation with Amazon "Alexa"?

Half the time "she" will reply..."I see what you mean" or something similar, and you know your answer did not register.

The tech is way off still.

I am happy to be here!

I believe technology will make the need for English language skills unnecessary. 

As long as there is commerce, there will be a need for English literacy.

Do these politicians even think? Just reduce the amount of government Jobs and you'll free up workers for the private sector. Its called restructuring, which the Japanese government is in dyer straits of fixing.

I havent talked to one Japanese or Foreigner that live in Japan that thinks this is a good idea! People need to speak out more. Japanese people control their government not the other way around.

It is a big mistake by developed countries that are hiring mostly high skilled people from abroad. But even bigger mistake when high skilled people are leaving their countries to work at developed countries. Why? The answer is question which is also the answer.

So who will do the low income jobs if developed countries hire only high skilled people?

So who will develop your poor country if high skilled people fly to work at developed countries?

If you mean the beginning of a new progressive thinking era and the end of the blue blooded ojisan, backward thinking era... then I agree with you 100%.

This won't be as good as you think it will be.

340,000 in 5 years is not a flow. It is more like a trickle compared to other nations. But this is Japan...

There are many Asians countries that will soon be in a position to do everything better than Japanese due to the fact the Japanese education system regarding English is about as low as you can get. Like it or not English is the business language in the world and Japanese have failed at this miserably. Such a great country, but why the hell would anybody want to study so hard to learn Japanese only to get paid a few peanuts and a rabbit cage to sleep in.

This results in countless reply of "Nihongo wa jouzu desu nee" (Your Japanese is great!) when I speak even basic conversational Japanese to many shop clerk or anyone in that matter.

Exactly. For this to work, they may do very well to educate the Japanese on how not to patronize, and how not to marginalize people from the international community.

BungleToday 11:51 am JST

...and the race to the bottom begins.

That race is already quite a few laps in...

Employees, who do not emigrate with there families, when the opinion is available, are looking to polish there CV to enhance job prospects within a global market.

What they don't clearly mention is that they are mainly after people to do the lowliest of jobs that the Japanese feel to entitled to do. Highly skilled people can already come into Japan to polish their CV quite easily now.

Where to put them? Only 14 percent of all Japanese want a foreigner as a neighbor, so a recent survey shows. Even I had a problem buying my house with cash, at the ward office, playing a nasty game of how my name registeration had to be in katakana. So I said, “ok, write my name in katakana.” “No, this is impossible,” was the reply and this, there was no way for the sale to go through. Luckily one of the people who had been my student (as I had taught English there during my lunches) had now become a middle level director, and she ordered that my name be put underneath my name in Romanji. As there was no rule against it, they complied. And then you have these neighbors asking if I paid cash (maybe I will default and be gone in year—hope?)—no, there is a LOT of ground to be covered before Japan really allows foreigners to live in Japan. Letting them in is the easy part, having them live here and integrate is quite another issue! And if not, then Japan loses. All of their money leaves the country and goes back to their country. They just buy the very basic essentials which is of little help to Japan’s economy. And to think, I am white with blue eyes! Imagine how people of some color have it!!!

Employees, who do not emigrate with there families, when the opinion is available, are looking to polish there CV to enhance job prospects within a global market.

This makes costly investment in people a business risk, especially research innovation into new technologies requires long term commitment from both employer and employee.

It is not like playing musical chairs....

Between 260,000 and 340,000 foreign workers are estimated to flow into Japan in the five years from next April through an envisioned immigration control law revision aimed at dealing with the country's serious labor crunch, government sources said Tuesday.

Given the lack of labour market laws I doubt they'll ever reach those numbers. Country would probably spaz out

As long as the focus is on 'When are you leaving?" and not "How long can you stay?" it's not going to work out so well

There is more than just a subtle difference between an emigrant and an immigrant, skilled or otherwise. Integration into the community and the numerous cultural nuances is essential.

Acceptance and understanding to unmistakable cultural differences has been, and will continue to be a deal breaker for securing critical skilled employees.

I had a instance of a request of where the local fish and chop and pub were located. I honestly laughed out loud, only stopped when I realised they were serious.

I see an influx of Chinese working in conbini’s and other menial jobs.

Let me rephrase: The beginning of the end of Japanese isolation

Which actually started when Perry first landed in Japan in 1853, so the "beginning" has been going on now for what 170 years or so....I always knew Japan did things slowly!

It’s not really so many by international standards. Hopefully, Japan will have weeded out the unscrupulous Japanese employers looking for some cheap slave laborers to abuse by the time the influx starts.

Abe reiterated the government position that the new system is different from an "immigrant policy"

Abe was spouting this nonsense in the Diet last week. This bill is definitely a policy, and the intention and result of the policy will be to increase the number of immigrants, yet Abe still maintains it is not an "immigration policy". I think the man needs to take a break.

If they come here to work, which the vast majority will, and the Japanese make an effort to learn how to talk earnestly and honestly about job expectations, in a straight forward manner, it will breathe new life and energy into society. Everyone will win. ( ok salaries for the unmotivated and unskilled locals will drop. Too bad. )

If they become tyrannical and treat them like an expendable idiot underclass that will never be able to understand the intricacies of their completely unique culture and ways then there’s gunna be issues. Huge ones. Your choice Japan, remember the lost decades created this need in the first place. A bit of flexibility and understanding will go a long way. Communicate! Win win should be the simple goal.

Those that come , learn the language , pronto!

The beginning of the end for Japan.

She finished a long time ago, that is why the Government wants 3rd world labor to take care of all the old, rich and stubborn Japanese.

I am a Japanese American who looks foreign, and I understand the comments about Japanese shock towards people’s language and even eating abilities, but I don’t think its malicious or xeno a lot of the time.

It does seem stupid to a westerner, but not in Asia. You will find Thai’s and Chinese, and Cambodians surprised and laughing as you eat their spicy foods and try to speak their language.

If it is a slight or someones putting me down, I can tell. Also, in general few people in their 20s or 30s are actually “shocked” at your chopstick abilities. Its politeness to feign interest and awe yo.

They are mostly coming from other Asian countries. It will not become a big issue. Their mentality is more or less similar to Japanese people. No serious problem will happen due to cultural or religious differences.

True. And for those afraid of Muslims coming from Indonesia, don't be, and I can assure you that they are different from Muslims from Middle East, especially the refugees.

From what I see on several Indonesian communities in Japan, they are well integrated with good level of Japanese proficiency and since they share many simliar aspects regarding culture and behaviour (like respect for harmony, respect of senpai, and rather reserved personality), they get along well with Japanese people.

I know one Japanese dispatch worker company that previously recruited Chinese people now end up recruiting more Indonesian people because of this very reason, regardless whether they are Muslim or not.

The beginning of the end for Japan.

Let me rephrase: The beginning of the end of Japanese isolation

The beginning of the end for Japan.

If you mean the beginning of a new progressive thinking era and the end of the blue blooded ojisan, backward thinking era... then I agree with you 100%.

S

I see many more Chinese restaurants around than Vietnamese, I wonder if we start seeing more people from India come in, whether we'll start seeing a rise in the number of Indian restaurants too ?

I really welcome this! I love curry but the Japanese version seems like a watered down version and it's just too sweet.

Yubaru: Far too many Japanese (sadly) have the idea that "only" Japanese can understand, truly understand, and communicate in Japanese, no way a foreigner can learn or master the language!

This results in countless reply of "Nihongo wa jouzu desu nee" (Your Japanese is great!) when I speak even basic conversational Japanese to many shop clerk or anyone in that matter. It's nice and encouraging, but it gets old really fast. At least I suppressed my urge to reply with "Gaijin mo Nihongo hanaseru yo, shiranai no?" (Foreigners can speak Japanese too, don't you think?) (forgive me)

I see many more Chinese restaurants around than Vietnamese, I wonder if we start seeing more people from India come in, whether we'll start seeing a rise in the number of Indian restaurants too 

More power to them! If more workers come in, and other people start businesses catering to their needs, it's a win-win situation for everyone! (Expect of course the narrow-minded fools who are jealous)

They are mostly coming from other Asian countries. It will not become a big issue. Their mentality is more or less similar to Japanese people. No serious problem will happen due to cultural or religious differences.

The beginning of the end for Japan.

Critics have argued that the government is pushing for the legal revision without fully preparing social security and Japanese language education systems.

Double speak for, "NO NO NO!!! You can't allow the flood of foreigners into our country!"

I can get the problem with the Japanese language education system, seeing the track record the schools have had with English I can just imagine the Japanese teachers having to try to team teach or attempt teaching Japanese like they teach English here....これはぺんです！　This is a pen!

If it took foreigners as long as Japanese to learn a language everyone in this country is going to be "elderly!" before it happens!

Far too many Japanese (sadly) have the idea that "only" Japanese can understand, truly understand, and communicate in Japanese, no way a foreigner can learn or master the language!

Yet I see so many JSL School students working in conbini and other places, that have somehow, "miraculously" managed to become AT LEAST conversationally competent in the language between 3 months to 1 year living here, working and going to school!

This ain't a problem buttheads! Your xenophobia is showing again!

My Japanese ain’t that good and I’ve managed to get by for 14 years.

Theyll be ok given a little help and friendship.

Folk make it sound like an invasion of other countries undesirables.

Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to go back. I was in Akita, Japan for a year and that was for an internship program under JITCO. I ‘d love to go back because of the culture as well as the salary. Japanese people are quite impressive when it comes to politeness and following the rules. I did try my best to communicate with them at work tho it’s really hard to learn the language.

Let's see how many manage the language test first. Last time the nurse idea failed due to the test.

The (quite valid) reason for requiring nurses to pass the language test was that they need to be able to read medicines, and deal with health issues that can be deadly. Why would they put that requirement on other professions if that don't have the same degree of danger? It doesn't say anywhere in the article that they are intending to do this.

Let's see how many manage the language test first. Last time the nurse idea failed due to the test. Can't see that many people passing it in 3 to five years. Teaching a second language in Japan not a strong point or particularly successful.

I see many more Chinese restaurants around than Vietnamese, I wonder if we start seeing more people from India come in, whether we'll start seeing a rise in the number of Indian restaurants too ?