Thumbs Up!Yes, it’s true. I have accomplished one of the goals I set out to do when I started working in Japan. I have convinced a native Japanese citizen with a bias against foreigners that immigration is a good thing and should be better promoted to the general public.

It started out innocent enough, too. I had the opportunity to discuss the topic with a Japanese person at my work, and we both knew that it was going to be a hot topic of discussion. Knowing ahead of time of what was to come, the anticipation was killing me long before the opportunity arose to actually make my case, or hear the other side. That said, when 6:15 finally rolled around, I was more than ready to jump into the fire and prove that every law-abiding foreign resident of Japan (and, by extension, any other country) has a right to live and work in any country they choose, so long as they follow the law.

The conversation went a little something like this:

Me: “There are 2.1-million foreign residents living in Japan. Is this a good thing, or should immigration be closed and foreigners sent home?”
JP: “Yes. Immigration is a terrible thing!”
Me: “Oh? Should I go back to Canada, then?”
JP: “No, you can stay.”
Me: “But I’m an immigrant. I want to live in this country for the rest of my life.”
JP: *blink* “You do?”
Me: “Yes. I do. Why is immigration such a bad thing in Japan?”
JP: “Because immigrants don’t pay tax.”

We don’t? When did this start? I’ve been paying tax off every paycheque and on every purchase since landing in Nagoya last August! Prefectural taxes. Federal taxes. Shakkai-Hokken. I pay them all! There is no special exemptions for gaijin in the Taxation Law.

After correcting this misconception, though, came the second reason immigration is bad in Japan: foreign crime.

Oh, this poor Japanese person … I ripped into that statement with a passion, quoting specific figures from my research in February and emphasizing the unfortunate circumstance in Japan’s criminal statistics where offenses are not differentiated from crimes. Concrete examples of Japanese crime rates, trends and histories were brought out as ammunition, as was the ridiculous crime rate found within the upper echelons of this nation’s government.

She never stood a chance but, unlike most natives I chat with in Japan, this woman enjoyed a good debate. “What about the destruction of our culture?” she argued.

Do the Japanese seriously think their rich culture and unique festivals are at risk from foreign influence? Well … in a word: yes. However, this reason, like the two before it, is little more than an over-hyped “problem” reported on late night talk shows hosted by ultra-conservative xenophobes with bad wigs. It’s true that Western culture has drastically changed the landscape in Japan since the 1950’s, but this is not solely the fault of foreign influence.

Western culture was strongly promoted by the media following the Second World War at the request of the Japanese government who, in turn, were requested by the United States as part of the ‘Modernization of Japan.’ Much like the Romans, though, the U.S. never asked the Japanese to give up their traditions, festivals or cultural identity. The goal was to develop a cultural synergy similar to what was found in Hong Kong at the time. The fact that so many people quickly embraced much of the Western habits and ideologies is just a testament to the Japanese desire to assimilate other cultures and ideas into their own.

Heck, it’s happened quite often in the past, too.

Need I go on? The Japanese weren’t forced to buy Gucci bags, Pravda boots and Calvin Klein underwear. They made that choice themselves, quickly integrating their own styles and fashion preferences with these over-priced products.

I’m not going to take sides on whether the Westernization of Japan was good or bad, though, as my opinion is just that. An opinion. The goal of the day’s debate was to present facts which would prove the importance of immigration to the future stability and sustainability of Japan as a nation.

The Clincher

Although the last argument was a little weak, the tide turned when we started talking about retirement.

Me: “Will you receive a pension that you can live on when you retire?”
JP: “Yes.”
Me: “Are you sure?”
JP: “Maybe.”
Me: “You know the government is conveniently losing payment records for people approaching retirement age, right? Have you also heard about the plans to raise consumption tax to 12% by 2015 and merge the provisional gasoline tax with the general coffers to supplement the failing pension system? Even with raised taxes, how will the government collect enough money in 20 years when 44% of the population will be claiming a pension and only 38% of the population will be working?”
JP: “Umm….”
Me: “Japan needs us. Japan needs to open its doors to bring in 10 times the number of foreigners to work in all the empty factories and office buildings, while also paying taxes and feeding Japan’s failed pension fund. Without foreigners, you will have a very short retirement.”

I wish I could have taken a picture as the dawn of realization came over my opponent. She knew all these facts about taxation and the pension system already, but never put all the pieces together. And who can blame her? The media sure as heck won’t tell the general public that their pensions aren’t coming, push for a more open immigration system or a fast-tracking of employed people wanting their work visas renewed.

After it was all said and done, all she could say was “you’re right.” Two words I rarely hear when discussing politics with Japanese people.

A Bitter-Sweet Victory

Although I “won” the debate, it didn’t feel like much of a victory. The problem of misinformation and half-complete ideas is an everyday occurrence in various forms of media and, even though I succeeded in validating my presence in this country to a native resident, there are still millions of others that believe the borders should be closed and foreigners closely monitored.

Hopefully one day the message will be shared, saying that Japan truly welcomes their foreign workers and residents but, unless there is a drastic change in the federal government, this isn’t likely to happen.

Have you ever been asked to justify the reason you moved to a new country? What kind of things do discuss with the other person?