Japanese divided on whether foreigners are good influence

[Evo_Lee]

This is really a post to be commented by us guys over here...

I believe they want to have more foreigners come to Japan, but somehow even if the laws change making it easier for foreigners to enter. Understandably the culture and system still divides us from them, we'll never feel fully comfortable.

IIRC Koizumi quoted earlier in the year saying he wanted more exposure for Japan, and will/has injected millions into promoting the the tourism industry...by making things such as signs and maps in English more readily available on public transports. But I always felt there were already alot of tourist visiting Japan already. You will noticed Koizumi's short inflight video upon arriving to Japan.

Japanese divided on whether foreigners are good influence

WASHINGTON (AP) The Japanese are evenly split over whether foreigners are a good influence on their society, according to an Associated Press poll on immigration attitudes.

Forty-four percent of respondents said immigrants are a good influence on their country -- but the exact same percentage called immigrants a bad influence, researchers said.

The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 Japanese residents, conducted from May 7 to 9, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents -- 74 percent -- said they believe foreigners take the jobs that Japanese nationals don't want. Fifty-eight percent said it is better for the country to have a variety of people with different religions, while 37 percent said a population that shares the same customs and traditions is better.

There are 2 million foreigners living in Japan -- a minuscule number in a country with 127 million people. The largest group are Koreans, many of them descendants of laborers taken there during Japan's 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

The second-largest group is from China, and the third group of immigrants is from Brazil, many of them descendants of Japanese immigrants.

Foreigners, particularly those from other countries in Asia or developing countries, face discrimination in employment and housing, and there have been incidents in which they have been barred from certain shops, bathhouses or bars.

Authorities and media reports suggest illegal aliens are behind a recent crime surge, but statistics show foreigners commit crimes at about the same rate as Japanese.

The Japan Times: May 27, 2004

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getart...n20040527a3.htm

[Rezz]

Man, I'm over it... I mean, there seems to be these Japanese that are fully behind "globalization" and the like, they can't get enough of foreign influence, yet then theres Japanese that want us all to get on a plane and fly the fcuk out...

I do remember Koizumi talking about promoting Japan as a top tourist destination, but at the same time my mum-in-law Michiko was muttering under her breath saying "we don't need that kind of industry..." Is she right?

To be honest, I couldn't imagine any more tourists walking around Japan than what already is right now... it just wouldn't be *proper* as a cultural thing, as in, it hasn't happened by now, so it'll probably won't happen... who knows?

[Demon Dave]

Basically, the reason the Japanese government is behind tourism is because it brings money into the country, sustains an entire industry and that's always a good thing. Of course, ideally most of them would prefer it if foreigners:

come, spend their money and then leave

in that order and preferrably sooner rather than later. :)

[DaiOni]

tourism = mega-bucks and jobs - obviously an all-round winner

as for attitudes, well it's very hard to quantify/qualify those sorts of things - the 50/50 gaijin status above is a waste of time. I mean, think about how 'we' (in general - not any of us specifically) view various types of 'foreigners' in our own countries.

Let's take a look at a short sample (in japan):

* The koreans - traditionally regarded in a way many stereotypically regard 'the irish'

* The chinese - have had terrible press recently, they're either triads, or, as uni students - evil criminal masterminds and rapists

* The brazillians - third rate foreigners, good as sweat shop fodder - doing the dirty work in construction and factories

* The 'white' english teacher invasion - all they're after are the women

* Indonesians, indians, etc - see 'the brazillians', perhaps a slightly higher profile as some hold more 'white collar'-ish positions (the indians in particular)

* The 'hip hop' guys from africa who hang out in front of shops in every urban centre - god knows how they're regarded! (I'd love to know)

etc etc etc - such a wide spread, I think a blanket 'I hate all foreigners' is a relatively rare attitude, though I'd certainly believe that a large silent majority questions the need for us.

In my opinion, globilisation, to the japanese, is a means to an end, and most likely not a case of trying to open up a closed, 'homogenous' society

Personally, I don't really care, as long as I continue to be treated well and enjoy a lifestyle greater than I've previously been accustomed too.

[Rezz]

* The 'hip hop' guys from africa who hang out in front of shops in every urban centre - god knows how they're regarded! (I'd love to know).

Hehehe, me too. I've actually gone up and asked those guys for directions before (thinking that they were ex-US Marines or something) and they reply in this god awful Japanese/French dialect... and I'm like WTF??? You were just acting like an LA gangsta in front of those Japanese girlies, and now you can't speak English? Tools...

[DaiOni]

most are from places like nigeria, chad, ivory coast, etc - hilarious, really

[Evo_Lee]

Hehehe, me too. I've actually gone up and asked those guys for directions before (thinking that they were ex-US Marines or something) and they reply in this god awful Japanese/French dialect... and I'm like WTF??? You were just acting like an LA gangsta in front of those Japanese girlies, and now you can't speak English? Tools...

LOL we were just having this conversation the other night.

So should we start talking like Eminen (sp)?

[Demon Dave]

Hahaa - you get those guys too They must have a nationwide network of hip hop shops throughout Japan

[funkymonkey]

My uncle's one of them white collar indian workers, he was invited to go lecture at a japanese university on Physics and while he was there offered a job by Mitsubishi (not the car branch) so that's what he does now.

I hope to follow in his footsteps

it was calculated that japan raised around $2000 in revenue per ticket sold to a foreigner on average. Which is pretty amazing, esp since the same figure for australia is only $520. God bless informative in-flight brochures.