Newsletter
We send out weekly newsletters to our members about announcements, event information, and what YGCC is reading blog. You can find our past blog below.
Please subscribe to our newsletter now to keep track of the latest content!
What YGCC is Reading #573
When “Japanese First” Threatens Japan’s Future
Japan’s aging population and labor shortages have made foreign workers essential to its economy, particularly in industrial hubs like Toyota City, where 5% of residents are immigrants from 76 countries. However, rising anti-immigrant sentiment, fueled by the far-right Sanseito party, now threatens this dependence. Founded just five years ago, Sanseito captured 15 of 248 upper house seats in 2024, campaigning on “Japanese First” slogans. Despite a shrinking population (down 900,000 in 2024) and record foreign residency growth (+350,000), opposition to immigration is mounting. Immigrants, such as Vietnamese and Brazilian factory workers, face cultural isolation and limited citizenship opportunities; non-Japanese comprise only 3% of Japan’s population. The government plans to replace its criticized “technical trainee” program by 2027 with a system offering potential long-term residency. Without foreign labor, sectors like elder care, with four vacancies per applicant, could collapse, underscoring Japan’s dilemma between demographic necessity and nationalist resistance.
-
How will the 2027 abolition of the trainee program reshape Japan’s labor market composition?
-
Should Japanese corporations invest in overseas training or automation to offset domestic labor shortages?
Read more from Bloomberg.
Image adapted from Bloomberg.