Japan’s economy needs foreign workers, not the nationalist approach pushed by its new leader

<https://theconversation.com/japans-economy-needs-foreign-workers-not-the-nationalist-approach-pushed-by-its-new-leader-267417>

"Sanae Takaichi has made history by becoming Japan’s first female prime
minister. However, this was hardly a win for feminist or progressive politics.

Takaichi is a right-wing ultraconservative whose policy positions derive from
traditionalist perspectives on the role of women, Japanese history and society
more broadly.

She has the same anti-immigrant positions as conservatives and right-wing
populists the world over, defending “national identity and traditional values”,
while emphasising the importance of strong economic growth.

Far from solving Japan’s economic problems, however, policies that restrict
immigration tend to cause labour shortages and inflation.

Japan is the canary in the coalmine for many developed countries suffering a
demographic crisis due to falling birth rates. Japan’s population has declined
for 16 consecutive years.

Unless Takaichi adopts a more pragmatic approach on immigration, her tenure
could be one of economic stasis and relative decline."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics