Urm, how did my thread become about illegal immigrants to other countries?
Anyway, to clarify I never thought the issue was limited to Japan.
I am not sure what the illegal immigrant situation is in Japan, especially of westerners which if we are honest is where the majority of the people I am talking about here post from.
However comparing it to the U.K I don't think that many would go as far as to live rough to try sneak into Japan, or anything related to what we see at calais. Far more will be the visa overstayers who go with every intention of coming back then meet someone, or get caught up in a course/illegal job and decide to stay for that. I don't think very many "I must, must, must get to Japan and work as xyz" people sit planning how to sneak into Japan.
This would be far too difficult and force them to face reality that Japan is not a magical wonderland where all your dreams and everything you can't do at home will come true if you just get there and it is definately possible to get your dream job
I guess, without sounding too arrogant, it is my understanding that many people who would "do anything" to get to Britain are because they see our welfare system as one that will look after them well, or it as a place to get more money for the same work, and other such reasons. They see England as the dream-land for these reasons, and that is understandable in many ways.
I know there must be some, but I don't get the feeling that there are groups of Britian-o-philes who want to come here to be the next JLS, make episodes of teletubbies, star on the Jeremy Kyle show, look at a pic of cheryl cole in the newspaper and whatever else is seen as British.
Of course there are Japanese and other nationality teens who love these things, my pen pal is obsessed with McFly and Lily Allen but she would never just decide the best thing to do is pack up and move here as it will be fabulous amazing to be in the same country as them, let alone think she could be the next big pop star.
Yet there seem to be many Japanophiles who want to go because of J-Rock, manga/anime and idols. They think if they just get to that place they can break into that industry, or even that eing in the same place as that will be fantastic.
Some even think this about more traditional things such as shrines and being surrounded by the "mysterious symbols that means things like hope, peace and tiger" to me this is no better or worse, it is still a strange mixing of things you like/find aesthetically pleasing and appreciate with reasonable life goals.
Other than certain otaku/nerd interests being ever-so-slightly more accepted or at least less harshly attacked in terms of bullying, for most who post here I cannot see why they are so desperate for Japan-or-bust.
I guess this is just the place they come for others to tell them that it is a wonderful place and an amazing dream and if they work hard enough they will be a uber successful manga-artist or otherwise live happy ever after in the magical land of the rising sun and it will be so much nicer than anywhere else.
I don't believe in giving people false hope.
