Kajima Seibei comments

Accept the cultural difference, folks. Don't expect everything to be the same as in your country when you travel. Also, do your research before you travel so you won't be disappointed.

Japan does accept immigrants and has done ever since the Meiji Era. The country just does it gradually, at its own pace. That's the only way it can succeed in older, established cultures.

Social stability is far more important than economics. Study Europe carefully Japan before you make their mistakes.

Japan is quite properly looking after its national interest. Fortunately, it has always refused to be swayed by the mostly western siren call to open its doors to every economic chancer. The appalling situation unfolding in Europe confirms the wisdom of Japan's policy. What's more, whinging gaijins on this site aside, most people abroad now agree.

I never buy Made in China goods if I can help it.

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.

No objection, as long as they let me take part.

Ever since the Meiji era Japan has been wise enough to learn from other countries. The disastrous consequences of uncontrolled immigration from hostile, unassimilable cultures should ensure that this country will avoid the calamitous mistake made by European countries.

China's hypocrisy knows no bounds. It is China's air and seaborne pollution that is exacerbating Japan's environmental problems, not the other way around. Or don't the Chinese know that the prevailing wind and sea currents travel from west to east?

Don't forget he has to pay for the broken window, as well.

It isn't just beer. What about the ludicrously high price of butter? Now Japanese producers here say they can't keep up with demand and there's shortage. Why don't they import it from New Zealand and other producing countries such as Ireland?

If I was Turkish I'd be embarrassed by this clown.

“...after drinking delicious coffee, you want to smoke tobacco”, says Sekiguchi. After reading that comment I want to punch the geriatric on his insensitive nose.

With that voluminous hairdo she'll have trouble getting through the stage door here.

This reminds me of Beachy Head on the south coast of England. Sadly, a few years ago a Japanese-English couple jumped with their disabled son. There's a special phone box there run by the Samaritans, a volunteer counselling organisation. Is it active in Japan?

It's bad PR for Japan at a time when it needs as much international support on weightier issues it can get.

There are so many inconsistencies in this report that it's difficult to know where to begin...

I'm a European, Kyushubill and I've lived in Japan for decades. All Europe countries bitterly regret their reckless policies of allowing mass immigration. It wasn't meant to be that way; Germany, for instance, invited in "gastarbeiter" thinking they would go home after their contracts expired but lo and behold most of them stayed put and didn't return to their countries when Germany's economy went into recesssion. As you point out, Japan's bureaucracy isn't the most competent so it is unlikely to do a good job in this regard. Better to downsize the economy to match the declining population. At least then the country will still be their's.

Harrington-san, China wasn't a topic of the article granted but my comment was about food quality, raised on this forum. Japanese consumers are willing to pay a premium for food produced by Japanese farmers. They trust it as safe and of high quality. Due to several incidents of contamination, Chinese agricultural products are generally shunned. Price isn't everything in an advanced country, especially when it comes to food and many Japanese (my wife, for one) are worried (rightly or wrongly depending on the case) that implementation of TPP will result in lowered standards re pesticides, hormone use in beef (a concern shared by European consumers about US beef), etc.

Here's an alternative explanation from your sour, cynical opinion JoshuYaki. He's got more dough than you can ever dream of having so he isn't doing it for the money. He just loves performing and playing his music. Maybe he even has some nostalgia for his Beatles days. What's more, plenty of people, young and old want to see and hear him live. You wouldn't have made such negative comments, would you, about Louis Armstrong or Ella Fitzgerald who continued performing to the end.

Howard Stern's right. I'd add that, most importantly, Japanese agriculture is superior to polluted Chinese food. Even Chinese consumers agree on that.

Mass immigration? Don't do it Japan (unless you want to commit cultural suicide).