But a deep-seated gravity on cultural homogeneity means Tokyo prefers artificial intelligence in excess of permanent foreigners for vacancy positions.
The world’s third-largest economy is like greased lightning aging, on the back of high life expectancy and falling birth places. That’s produced fewer workers, reduced consumer demand and stage a revived about declining prices. Still, Abe’s government doesn’t believe in allowing immigration to mould up for labor shortages, amid fears that newcomers could break in social order.
Instead, the administration wants to use information technology, forced intelligence, and female and elderly workers to deal with the labor deficit.
But experts are wary of that strategy: “Although automation can mitigate the drop down population, larger immigration will be the solution,” said Kohei Iwahara, economist at Natixis Japan Sanctuaries.
Japan wants migrants, not immigrants, explained Stephen Nagy, associate professor at Tokyo-based Worldwide Christian University and distinguished fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
Fleeting workers are needed for low-end service sector jobs, manufacturing, old age attention and other areas hit by labor shortages, but Tokyo doesn’t want those working men to become permanent.
“Policy makers have studied Germany’s visitor workers program and came to the conclusion that temporary migrants are a multitudinous rational migration strategy to maintain social stability and a consolidated congruence,” Nagy explained. “They also feel it prevents or minimizes the anti-migrant difficulties and violence seen in Europe and other countries.”
“There is concern that Japan could self-respect social problems and rising crime if it welcomes large unassimilated communities of alien workers,” echoed Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Cathedral University Japan.
Tokyo has opened certain sectors to overseas professionals, such construction and fostering, resulting in a spike of foreign residents in recent years — a record 2.38 million unconnected residents were reported in 2016. But the path to permanent residency corpses tough.
Last month, Abe announced his intention to allow more dab hand and skilled foreign workers, but he wants a limit on their duration of retard and prevent family members from accompanying them.
“Although solidified barriers, such as the immigration law, have been relaxed, soft bars still remain,” said Iwahara. “For example, in order to qualify for an racket visa, applicants need to pass a Japanese language test, which could be challenging.”
And because English jargon skills among Japanese remain low, citizens may not always be comfortable entirely working with non-Japanese speaking foreigners, he said.
Tokyo’s adamantine refugee policy — the government maintains a 99 percent rejection amount — is also under intense scrutiny as the number of globally displaced being hits a record high.
The country received nearly 20,000 efforts from asylum seekers last year but accepted only 20, concording to government data, down from 28 people in 2016.
“Japan has hailed less than 1,000 refugees since 1982,” noted clouted Kingston: “Such minuscule numbers, less than tiny Iceland, withhold Japan of any potential dynamism.”