How The Love of Japan by Foreigners and Their Necessity in Being Here Can Aid Japan in Dealing with Them
What Japan is going to face is the uncomfortable (at first) reality, that people from other countries will significantly help Japan escape–if not save Japan from–a low birth-rate, a sagging economy and having to have unwanted children and doing unwanted work in undesirable jobs; and while it is entirely understandable why even some liberal-minded and kind people in any population grow tired of large foreigner immigration, even when many appreciate foreign culture, differences in people and learning about others–because, what sometimes happens is, it looks like your native world is changing too fast; the styles, attitudes and demeaner coming in seems alien, common second languages are difficult to navigate for the foreigner and local, and the national can feel like a stranger in his own land; and your country begins to look and feel unfamiliar and you may uncomfortably feel as if you have to comply, even adopt, what you are seeing…. the truth is… immigration is the reality and the way forward.
Immigration is that which opens minds, far more than books and video can–especially for those who cannot travel to all the countries wherefrom the emigrant originates–or for whom partaking of foreign media is not an option or interest. Immigration settles differences, broadens world views and includes us in the rest of the world–which, today, isolation from means a loss of competitiveness and understanding. Why not welcome the world when it comes to your door, and–with open arms, instead of a handshake (or–in this case a bow) and a “good luck, you.” The path away from this greeting is the one that leads to what is happening in the United States: a welcome and rejection with suspicion. This is a bad look and will ruin the good will shared with you.
All Japan needs to do to avoid the above is what the Republicans, in large numbers–in the United States–have failed to do, and that is this: Remember that people–for the most part, come to your country, because they love your country–or appreciate it (or–in the very least, need it and need you)–which locals can–with justice and fairness– exploit, for better relationships among us–by making it easier for the immigrant, instead of harder… making him or her feel welcome and appreciated; instead, as in many countries, making the mistake of doing only what one must, to appear compliant with world views on legal behavior, generosity, magnanimity, etc.
The challenge is particularly hard for Japan, for several reasons: Japan is a sought after destination for many in the world, but the Japanese might try to remember, it is not high on the list of best places to work or live, but rather, it is simply desirable by an ideosyncratic population who love her culture, and it is the closest thing to the West and local cultures for people from nearby nations, who want to escape the lack of development, oppportunity and freedom in their own countries. This puts Japan in a particularly good position to turn that necessity and passion felt by foreigners, and that love of Japan, to good use in making these people feel weelcome–and the burden of dealing with them lighter and easier.
Another, particularly relevant reason that Japan has a harder time with foreigners, is due the fact that the Japanese are a singular people, in a way; similar to other Asian societies, Japan’s is often considered the most refined, in many aspects, and the Japanese people particularly reserved, so the very presence of louder, more socially free, colorful and less reserved populations can be jarring, disturbing to the Japanese–but… again– appelaing to the love and necessity of the immigrant, the Japanese can help these people assimilate much better than it does, which might encourage better interactions and bahavior on the part of the newcomer.
Japan’s answer is working holiday visas and a fair criminal justice system, I gather (I have not researched this andhave actually heard horror stories about the criminal justice system as well as good narratives too), and Japan offers work–however:
Japan makes immigrating hard in many other ways. One cannot easily obtain phone service without a visa–if at all; this makes settling here very diffcult and expensive. Job-search and social media maintenance is almost impossible in this case, unless one never loses a password or is locked out of a phone.
Foreigner-friendly real estate is actually a thing, because many are not friendly to foreigners moving in to their neighborhood; this is not a sustainable reality.
Many compnaies are not required by law to sponsor new-hires; a new-hire is expected to already have a visa in many cases, provided by another entity. While it is helpful that Japan allows departure from a job without loss of visa, and the visa can be renewed under the auspiccs of another company, it is–to this writer–a kind of slap in the face to return, for example–after 5 years of lving in Japan, prior to having gone to one’s native country–and then, upponreturn to Japan, have to start the visa process all over again, only to find most of the jobs available require a visa before being hired. I–for exapmple–get no credit for having been a law-abiding resident and teacher for 5 years. So companies need not invest in a new employee by law beyond making a contributoin to social security and health payments (if the employer and employee agree the employee will not cover this outlay him or herself) and to unemployment insurence. Comapnies can depend on other companies, which, if thougt about completely, only serves the employer and also puts him or her at risk. People often leave companies because the situation did not work out, and yet, the problem employer goes scott free (especially when “a black company” and so does the a problem employee, who is then ired without question into that–by another company (are referneces checked in Japan?). What is being said, here, is companies do not have to do their diligence; how does that serve them or the employee?
In addition to these visa and hiring issues, companies in Japan demand an unusually long probationary period. Combined with what was mentioned above, it appears that they want a revolving door, so as not to develop a long-term commitment to employees.
Japan could offer a better system. Resumes could be more carefully examined for particular details, references checked — instead of looking for mere benchmark achievements, like a degree–experience could be taken into consideration more seriously, and in the case of teachers, for example–whereas it is legal (and highly sensible) to allow legal hiring of candidates possessing certified experience in lieu of a degree, such could actually promoted instead of ignored–ostensibly because Immigration looks for that, specifically, which, in many cases proves nothing in relation to the skills needed, unless the degree in question shows relationship to the prospective position applied for, and even then, it does not prove skill or ability. Many teachers with degrees don’t know the first thing about teaching. This writer has taught ESL for 28 years, holds certificates of experience from Japan and Korea and has earned a TEFL/TESOL certificate, yet schools will turn me down again and again and again–going on 4 years now. But they will hire someone with an art or chemistry degree–a degree in anything–instead. Pardon my directness; let’s bypass the pleasantries and euphemisms and call this what it is–as clearly as it should be called; this is stupid–unless other motives are behind hiring in ESL… in Japan….
Finally, if Japan is worried about the diluting of her culture, the illegal nature of some methods of remaining in the country, of the disturbance made by foreign people who know no better or haven’t been educated to care–she should welcome these people and assist their acclimation to this very wonderful society, country and culture–beyond means of etiquette and legal compliance with international norms; Japan could offer breaks, programs, a welcome mat, actually. This will not satisfy xenophobes, but these people do not deserve satisfaction; as xenophobic citizens of Japan, they only earn and deserve a law-abiding foreign population; that is all, not second-class residency and distrust or difficulty for the new-comer who is here to live a better life and to support the local economy–celebrate and enjoy the culture and contribute to it. A greater appreciation of that could be the orientation of Japan–if Japan wanted to be as smart and kind as her reputation touts.
I love Japan, and actually love all people; personally, I wish Japan loved me as much. And I think many foreigners feel the same. I know, coming from a country where it used to be that foreigners were the point of a free and open society, but where a noisy and violent minority has asserted unfair power and prejudice over immigrants causes me shame, I do not want Japan to become this kind of dark shadow in the world. The Japanese and their land of the rising sun could be a light in the world, now, for the Japanese people are too civil for what they may become, if they follow the evil and selfish trend in the world–most obviously led by my country. Shine on Japan–don’t go dark or remain in the shadows.
Carl Atteniese
Nerima, Tokyo
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