The main difference Ronin is Japan doesn't have any immigration policy as such. There is no annual intake of immigrants be they skilled, refugees or whatever. There is a very distinct difference between countries like the UK, Australia and Japan in that sense. Japan is I think the only developed nation in the world that does not have an official immigration policy in place. So it's ridiculous trying to say that Japan is essentially the same as the west in terms of immigration, it is not.
This from the Japan Times
Quote:
Although the Democratic Party of Japan said in 2008, when it was the main opposition force, that it favored eventually bringing in 10 million foreign laborers, its 2009 platform for the Lower House election made no mention of the issue or any possible numbers of foreign laborers in the future.
Sakanaka noted the economic crisis of the past two years has dampened enthusiasm not only in Japan but around the world for expanded immigration, while adding that the country doesn't really have a choice, given its declining population.
"The only way for Japan to survive is to become part of this Pacific economic zone. America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are the leading immigration nations in the Pacific region, and Japan should use the opportunity presented by the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement to join these traditional immigration powers," he said.
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So there is definitely awareness of the issue but as usual here actually getting change to occur seems to take an eternity...
I understand your ideas on environmental sustainability and that a smaller population wouldn't be a bad thing for this country but an immigration policy taking in a couple of hundred thousand foreign workers each year isn't going to stop the decline but it will help address the issue of the aging population which if nothing is done soon will cripple this country economically in the years to come.
And frankly saying something like 'They just want to keep their country to themselves' seems to me to be a very xenophobic attitude if not an exact definition.