Japan is right to rethink its immigration approach

THE WORLD can’t get enough of Japan.

- By Gearoid Reidy

The feeling isn’t exactly mutual.Amid a surge in arrivals of both migrants and tourists, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made rethinking the agenda around foreign nationals one of her top priorities. A full plan will be announced this month, set to include stricter conditions for permanent residency and citizenship, pricier visa renewals, a tougher review of property purchases, and a higher departure charge.

Since the issue first reared its head in last year’s elections, when a fringe party espousing “Japanese First” policies captured headlines, there have been cries that a country that once shut itself off to the outside world for centuries is retreating to xenophobia.

But Takaichi’s approach, far from cutting Japan off, is a necessary step to a future in which foreign labor will only become more important. By acknowledging now the reality of public unease over change, and formalizing systems that are far too ad-hoc, the country can avoid the divisive aboutfaces on immigration that have caused ructions in many Western countries.