Japan to offer permanent residency for 4th-generation descendants

Unbelievable. These premise that people of Japanese blood make better Japanese residents/citizens than the rest of us was disproved by the Japanese-Brazilian fiasco around the turn of the century. Most of the Brazilians did not fit in and formed their own working-class enclaves in the low-rent industrial areas where Brazilian culture prevailed. Their children suffered bullying for the crime of being different and street brawls with local youths were common in Aichi. I loved one complaint from a Japanese brawler explaining why his gang attacked the newcomers, "They're better at speaking to girls than we are." LOL.

Their communities were deemed a problem by the population as a whole, and the government eventually paid them and their dependents to leave Japan and never come back. As if that wasn't enough to convince the government that a scheme based on racial assumptions was a bad idea? (slaps forehead)

What's that, like, possibly one-eighth Japanese? It's even possible they have none of those special Japanese genes at all by that generation. In fact, if it follows the last time this was policy, the Peruvians and Brazilians found all kinds of creative ways to "prove" Japanese ancestry. They may not be so interested now.

he change to the program introduced in 2018 and aimed at helping develop human resources familiar with the cultures of their home countries and Japan comes following low uptake and calls to ease its conditions on the maximum age and period that holders are eligible to reside in Japan.

Geez, what a mouth of words just to say, "The population is getting older and we need working age (quasi) Japanese to fill the roles!"

An official at the Immigration Services Agency of Japan expressed hope the new system will help fourth-generation descendants "settle in Japan and participate in society for a long time."

Another way of stating the obvious without coming right out with it; "Please stay in society a long time, and remember to keep paying taxes!"

There are PLENTY of other "foreigners" who are already here, who are hard working, and busting their butts to assimilate as best as they can, considering all the "diversity" problems here, to be successful, but have to leave because of some visa requirement.

 their families are not allowed to join them.

Japan always try to deny family existence in every aspect they can.

Another way of stating the obvious without coming right out with it; "Please stay in society a long time, and remember to keep paying taxes!"

There are PLENTY of other "foreigners" who are already here, who are hard working, and busting their butts to assimilate as best as they can, considering all the "diversity" problems here, to be successful, but have to leave because of some visa requirement.

Absolutely! Well said!

Japan always try to deny family existence in every aspect they can.

Please READ the article! Note the first word; CURRENT

Under its current provisions, fourth-generation Japanese abroad aged 18 to 30 are eligible to work in the country under a designated activities visa. The maximum period of stay is five years, and their families are not allowed to join them.

Please READ the article! Note the second word; REVISIONS

The revisions mean fourth-generation individuals, who have lived in the country for five years under the visa, can upgrade to permanent residency if they possess business-level Japanese linguistic ability, such as that needed to pass the second-highest level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test.

Other changes include allowing the spouses of the participants and their children to live with them.

Your comment is moot under the new provisions. (Now dont you wish there was an "edit" or "delete" button here?)

Japan is now viewed as a nice place to visit, but is an unattractive market for employment.

There are PLENTY of other "foreigners" who are already here, who are hard working, and busting their butts to assimilate as best as they can, considering all the "diversity" problems here, to be successful, but have to leave because of some visa requirement.

Because that’s the law and should know that before you come here.

Successful applicants for the program also need a supporter to assist them in their daily lives and activities.

LOL. Thats not exactly a great sign that these handful of folks can adapt to Japanese life if they require a "supporter" to assist them with day-to-day tasks!

 a total of just 128 people had entered as of the end of 2022.

I cannot imagine that these small tweaks will add more than a few more hundred to this visa category.

So many racially confused people here.

Once you see the light, its really hard to go back.

95% of the world conflicts and social issues become crystal clear to understand overnight.

This is just another issue that needs a minimum anthropological view to understand.

If you are a race realist the opinion would be summed up in 1 world: "Fair".

For other people, it becomes a very complicated issue spreading through so many subjects and other irrelevant factors that it boggles someone's mind.

I know its hard to hear this as a Western expat (immigrant?) but Asia is for Asians.

glad to see they'v simplified the process..... LOL I'm sure folk will be applying by the hundreds of thousands, if not the millions.....

Because that’s the law and should know that before you come here.

YOUR loss not theirs. At the end of the day, it's Japan that needs them- not the other way around.

And the proof is that even with the easing of visa requirements, even the impoverished SE Asians don't want to come here.

I wonder if the good ole times of the 'token gaijin' will make a comeback....back in my day, honorable gaijin with very specific eye and hair color were hired to serve as office decorations and make the company look international...obviously my brown skin does not go a long way here....

Japan is now viewed as a nice place to visit, but is an unattractive market for employment.

Absolutely.

Asia is for Asians.

@ finally rich -

I guess you'd also state loudly that "Europe is for Europeans"?

It's 2023. We have moved past that rhetoric a long time ago.

Unbelievable. These premise that people of Japanese blood make better Japanese residents/citizens than the rest of us was disproved by the Japanese-Brazilian fiasco around the turn of the century. 

Yeah, the whole "people of Japanese blood make better Japanese residents/citizens" is more like your opinion as to why they're doing this. In my opinion, I think it would only be natural that any person directly connected to a countries culture/history would possibly have a deeper connection to that country. They should have multiple pathways (various visa options) to explore that connection. Many European countries do the same or even go farther by offering citizenship to 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. generation descendants of citizens.

Japan never fails to impress with its unique plans and laws which are truly unique to Japan

Amazing Japan!

The government had anticipated the program would bring in around 4,000 people a year, primarily from countries like Brazil and Peru, however, a total of just 128 people had entered as of the end of 2022."

Similar rate of success as most of the governments schemes. Slow clap. Japan is badly loosing the global race to attract foreign talent. Time to accept Japan,s golden years are over and its sailing off into the sunset.

I wonder if the good ole times of the 'token gaijin' will make a comeback....

2023 and its still like this, even here in Tokyo. Difference is that they only want Westerners with a high command of japanese, still you get preferential treatment pretty much everywhere. I say this as a self-employed service provider, going to companies for a few hours～days just to be asked at the end if don't want to "leave everything" and join their team. I always chuckle inside.

It's 2023. We have moved past that rhetoric a long time ago.

We who? The japanese are adamant on defending their people, as clearly proved by this article.

Same can be said for indians, polynesians, the chinese or pretty much any other people.

Go check the list of countries adopting the principle of jus sanguinis for example.

Japan wanting to give preference to people at least 1/4 japanese who speak their language to live in their own land is a non-issue.

Japan wanting to give preference to people at least 1/4 japanese who speak their language to live in their own land is a non-issue.

How is a 4th generation descendent of a Japanese person "at least 1/4 Japanese"? Do the math.

And I have never, ever heard a Japanese person proclaim "Asia is for Asians".

 I say this as a self-employed service provider, going to companies for a few hours～days just to be asked at the end if don't want to "leave everything" and join their team. I always chuckle inside.

Riiiiggghht.

Because that’s the law and should know that before you come here.

I always am in awe how things fly right over people's heads.

KH

Many European countries do the same or even go farther by offering citizenship to 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. generation descendants of citizens.

Sorry, which European countries do that?

Either you are born here, your parent/s are Japanese or you are married to a Japanese. Four generations? I could potentially be a resident in 6 countries with this logic.

How is a 4th generation descendent of a Japanese person "at least 1/4 Japanese"? Do the math.

You really should stop and think before commenting. You should do the math.

A 4th Generation Japanese, COULD be 100% "Japanese" by ethnicity however depending on the ethnicity of the parents in the 2nd and 3rd generation they could be either 100% "ethnic" Japanese or not.

What happens when the 1st generation marries and has children with someone who has zero Japanese ethnicity? Then their child is 50% ethnic Japanese. Keep going down the line.

A 4th generation "Japanese" could either be 100% or a number of different "percentages of ethnic Japanese, based upon their parents.

One could very well be 1/4 "Japanese" from either parents side.

Here is the question though, will immigration and the new "guidelines" take into account mixed heritage children or do they have to be 100% ethnic Japanese. If the latter is the case, there arent going to be a lot of people coming over! (Oh and that makes one of my previous posts, about folks who are already here, more pertinent than ever!)

And I have never, ever heard a Japanese person proclaim "Asia is for Asians".

And you have no idea the makeup of Asia if you even make or reply to an ignorant comment like this!

If the goal is to stabilize population loss, wouldn't it be better to encourage permanent immigration among the pool of workers who would love to live in a country that has a decent standard of living, which has the rule of law and needs laborers?

If the goal is to stabilize population loss, wouldn't it be better to encourage permanent immigration among the pool of workers who would love to live in a country that has a decent standard of living, which has the rule of law and needs laborers?

Common sense is not something that's big here unfortunately.

Yes, that seems to be easy to understand. Imagine a delicious cake. A quarter of that cake only, that is not much but still delicious cake. But no cake at all , that’s not a cake and also not delicious.

Isn't Kim Jong-Un 1/4 Japanese? I think his mother is from Osaka.

Isn't Kim Jong-Un 1/4 Japanese? I think his mother is from Osaka.

yes. His mother Ko Yong-hui was born in Osaka and her mother is Japanese. So yes Kim's maternal grandmother is Japanese.

But mixed Japanese and Korean ancestry isn't anything new.

On 23 December 2001, Emperor Akihito said that, in the Shoku Nihongi, the mother of the Japanese Emperor Kammu (736–806) is related to the King of Baekje Muryeong.

Far too restrictive to make it attractive.

Under its current provisions, fourth-generation Japanese abroad aged 18 to 30 are eligible to work in the country under a designated activities visa. The maximum period of stay is five years, and their families are not allowed to join them.

You can always tell when there are elements in the government which want to be able to show that they are creating a program to acheive a purported goal, but at the same time also don't want anyone to actually use the program. The way they do this is to put so many conditions on eligibility so as to exclude almost anyone who would have been interested in it in the first place from even applying.

Just sayin.

@EDF

"If the goal is to stabilize population loss, wouldn't it be better to encourage permanent immigration among the pool of workers who would love to live in a country that has a decent standard of living, which has the rule of law and needs laborers?"

Labor shortages are addressed through 3~5 year visas. All signs point to 50% of current jobs being made obsolete by AI and mass-automation within the next 25 years. The goal seems more in line with repatriating those of Japanese heritage. For those who "would love to live in a country that has a decent standard of living," permanent residence is available. The general rule being having had lived in Japan for a minimum of 10 years without so much as a parking ticket on your record. This helps to ensure potential permanent residents follow "the rule of law".

In other words, just the way to attract "slaves" from third countries with the argument "they have Japanese roots, we are not opening frontiers to immigration."

As pointed above, many foreigners work hard in Japan, are integrated, speak Japanese, respect everything but are not allowed to get PR juste because stupid oyaji of administration are still living in past century.

There are currently 3 million foreign residents in Japan. The large majority of people whom the official data considers to be “foreigners” living in Japan have a permanent or long-term residence status. Five residence categories (Permanent Resident, Special Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, and Spouse of Japanese) account for 58.6% of the total number of foreigners living in Japan.

Why not just allow dual citizenship? Isn't that a helluva lot easier and more attractive to people to keep paying taxes here (at least). I know if I could have both, I would in a second - not that I'm leaving, but I would like the option as would those overseas with some Japanese connection through heritage or family lines. Come on Japan! This 4G is a real slap in the face.

They can't reverse racism. But they try. Pity.

I know plenty of 3rd gens back in the States who are full blood Japanese and know nothing about Japanese culture, let alone speak the language. Allowing 4th gen such privilege shows desperation.

Japanese American have nothing cultured ties to Japan only may be one of two generations from removed from,they are usually progressive and would not want to live under a defacto fuedal society

I think it started as "Nisei Visa," when nisei were already past 30 years old in U.S. Why put labels on the visas? Just call it "Nikkeijin" visa or something. Yonsei in U.S. would be about 50 years old. The gosei would be their children so they will not be allowed to apply for this visa? Typical of Japan that likes to put you in 'categories.'

Not even Issei have to be of Japanese ethnicity, they only have to be born in Japan.

This is totally wrong! One does not get citizenship by birth in Japan. Your statement is totally wrong, a foreign couple, neither Japanese, has a child born here in Japan, that child will NEVER become Japanese without going through the naturalization process.

Issei, and down, have to have Japanese ethnicity or some percentage of it, to be considered "Japanese"

@Aly RustomJune

KH

Many European countries do the same or even go farther by offering citizenship to 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. generation descendants of citizens.

Sorry, which European countries do that?

Try Germany, Italy, and Portugal for starters