Just Talking About the Economic Benefits of Immigration Will Only Further Distance the Newcomers From the Natives

The aftermath of the Japanese legislative elections this past week has only cemented an almost concerted narrative among international media outlets that the country is on the cusp of change, probably for the worse. The first time in post-WWII history that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost its majority in both houses of the legislature, and the very likely resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the coming weeks, are seen in the context of greater instability, despite the much-needed conclusion of trade-deal negotiations with the US. 

Within the English-language social media, the issue to dispute remains the headline-grabbing emergence of the right-wing Sanseito and its Japanese First platform. While many Japanese netizens argued that the platform is no different from any other country that seeks to limit illegal immigration and crime, many foreign residents of the country pointed to the Japanese citizens' intentional or unintentional neglect of Sanseito's more sinister ideas, not the least its desire to limit various economic and regulatory rights of the country's resident foreign population that does so much to alleviate the labor shortage.

Yet, the anti-Sanseito messages, in their own ways, have uncomfortably introduced new stereotypes that may further distance the country's non-Japanese population from its Japanese one. Overwhelmingly, the repudiation of "Japanese First" has been the argument that foreigners are needed in Japan, as they provide the necessary manpower, ideas, and consumption that can keep the Japanese economy ticking along and even grow through innovation. In a society where depopulation and aging are inevitable, they introduce a much-needed dynamism.

Never mind whether Sanseito's supporters want that dynamism or not. The implicit message praising foreigners' contribution to Japanese society and economy boxes them into an image of "useful tools." The Sanseito's belief that the foreigners damage the fabric of Japanese society by refusing to assimilate into its cultural practices goes unaddressed. Instead, the argument becomes one of "yes, they are different and will probably always remain different, but hey, they provide a lot of benefits for us Japanese, so we can tolerate their differences, right?"

The mentality reminds me of a casual conversation I had with a Japanese businessman years ago. In a tone of logical business analysis, he weighed in on the issue of recruiting foreign workers to work in Japan, for which his business provides an online matching platform. He saw large-scale recruitment as a matter of trade-off for Japan, in which the country needs to balance the benefits of economic productivity against the costs of increased crime. It was a shocking moment. Here it is, a successful corporate executive, casually telling a foreigner that a foreigner, by design, is more likely to commit crimes than the Japanese.

Whether the man is a racist or not, or whether the statistics support his implicit assertion that the Japanese are more law-abiding, is both besides the point. A much bigger concern is the threat that, as Japan becomes more multiethnic for economic reasons, there emerges a social consensus, among people of all political beliefs, that cultural assimilation is impossible while multiculturalism would just make Japan a more dangerous society for its citizens. The only viable alternative is that the foreigners remain economically productive but socially segregated. 

Perhaps that vision will make a larger number of foreigners in Japan more palatable to the natives. After all, segregating the foreign workers and giving them limited rights is exactly what allows Dubai to thrive, with 92% of the population being foreigners, without any large-scale xenophobic backlash. But it will surely make Japan much less attractive to prospective foreigners seeking a place to live. Dubai can continue to attract a steady stream of workers for its English-speaking environment, high salaries for some, and low taxes for all. Japan has none of these advantages.

If Japan simply treats its foreign workers as disposable tools that help Japan to grow, then many will just go elsewhere. They are treated as tools anyway, might as well go somewhere with shorter hours, higher income, and fewer linguistic and cultural barriers. Dehumanizing foreigners and distancing them from local people and culture is a race to the bottom that Japan cannot win against many other places that could do the same with much less moral qualms and more financial firepower. Perhaps those Japanese who oppose the Sanseito can be mindful of this before they speak "in support" of the foreigners in Japan?