In 2023, Japan broke two world records that it did not want to break.
Every May, the Ministry of General Affairs of Japan releases the total number of people under the age of 15. As of April 2023, the number of young people under the age of 15 in Japan is 14.35 million, accounting for 11.5% of the total population. This is not only the lowest level in Japanese history, but also a 42 year consecutive decline since 1982.
Every September, the Ministry of General Affairs of Japan releases the total number of elderly people aged 65 and above. As of August 2023, the total number of elderly people aged 65 and above in Japan is 36.23 million, accounting for 29.1% of the total population. Once again breaking the historical record of the country, it continues to hold the world number one position.
It is not difficult to see how severe the problem of declining birth rates and aging population is in Japanese society just from paper numbers. Interestingly, even with such a shortage of children and people, Japan still finds it difficult to change its complex attitude towards immigration. It has not implemented very open immigration policies like some countries in the United States or Europe. Instead, strict restrictions and management are imposed on the entry and residence of foreigners.
In fact, Japan is still a closed society in terms of immigration issues. Besides visa policies such as "specific skills", it is still very difficult for foreigners to enter Japan for work. Even the simplest study visa has strict age restrictions and is being tightened year by year. African black people who want to obtain a residence permit in Japan need to go through a series of thresholds such as language proficiency, formal employment, and IQ testing, and the process is very difficult.
Interestingly, Japanese society welcomes immigrants from China very much and actively introduces high-end talents from China every year. According to statistics from the authoritative Japanese economic magazine Diamond Weekly, the number of Chinese in Japan has exceeded 1 million in 2022, accounting for one tenth of China's total outbound immigration and one fourth of Japan's total immigration.
On one hand, there is a cautious attitude of rejecting foreign immigrants, and on the other hand, there is an urgent need to absorb Chinese immigrants. This contradictory attitude has also raised people's questions: why did Japan resist foreign immigrants but accept a large number of Chinese immigrants? In fact, there is a fierce battle of "grabbing people" between China and Japan. In this article, let's take a look at this issue.
The Great War of Chinese and Japanese People's Robbery
In recent years, the competition for talent between China and Japan has become increasingly fierce.
Japan is the world's third-largest economy, with significant advantages in industries such as automobiles, steel, machine tools, shipbuilding, electronics, and robotics. However, behind its glory lies a serious population crisis and technological innovation crisis. The lack of young people and newborns, coupled with a highly aging social structure, has led to enormous social security pressure and sluggish long-term economic growth in Japan.
Although Japan has conservative immigration policies, it has a special fondness for Chinese people. According to reports, a considerable portion of the high-end talents introduced by Japan every year come from China. It is not appropriate to provide a detailed list here to prevent negative publicity, but Japan's urgent desire to attract outstanding talents from China to fill its population and technology gaps is an undeniable fact.
According to data as of the end of 2022, the number of long-term residents among foreign residents in Japan is 2.78 million, accounting for 2.2% of the total population. Among this group of people, the proportion of Chinese people is the highest, reaching 761000, accounting for about a quarter of Japan's total immigration, followed by Japanese Vietnamese and Koreans, with 489000 and 159000 respectively.
On the other hand, rapidly developing China is also eager for high-end talents from Japan. Even many Japanese national treasures have been introduced. The most famous one is Fujishima Zhao, the father of photocatalysis, who not only joined Shanghai Institute of Technology full-time, but also cultivated more than 30 outstanding Chinese disciples, including three academicians of the CAS Member, creating a story of "one door, three academicians". In addition, Shinmi Yamanaka, a stem cell biologist and a Nobel Prize winner, is also a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In recent years, Japan's economy has been slowing down, and its support for scientific research has become inadequate. It can only concentrate on supporting projects that earn quick money with precision. However, China's investment in scientific research is 2-3 times that of Japan, and nothing can be poor in scientific research. When it comes to top scientists, China's main focus is on "moats!"! The essence of technological competition is talent competition. Nowadays, a large number of Japanese scientists are flocking to China to work and have taken up China's rice bowl, engaging in borderless scientific research.
Exclusive Japanese culture
Modern Japan quickly transformed into a world power through the Meiji Restoration, and after World War II, technology developed rapidly again, achieving a large number of technological achievements and becoming a famous "Nobel cradle". It was once a model for China to learn from. But unlike the West, Japanese people also attach great importance to the purity of their nation.
The most famous is that the Japanese royal family has always maintained the tradition of close relatives getting married in order to maintain their so-called "divine" nature. It was not until the 1990s that it was completely abolished. It should be noted that at that time, China had already undergone reform and opening up, and it was almost well-known that close relatives did not marry. Even Western royal families abandoned this bad habit.
Carefully savoring Japanese culture, you will find that Japan is eager to erect walls and form barriers to its own culture. For domestic people, it is seeking a unique sense of belonging. For foreigners, it means rejecting the culture of another country. Japanese anime, technology, games, and cars all have distinct borders with foreign countries, which is why some people always say that Japanese people click on the wrong technology tree.
But many cultures in Japan are also of the same origin as China, although through its efforts, it has indeed developed some of its own characteristics, which is in sharp contrast to South Korea, which only likes plagiarism and registration. Compared to South Korea, which gradually plagiarizes but is assimilated, Japan seems to have something more. It is precisely this unique ethnic characteristic that blocks out Western or many foreign cultures abroad.
It is difficult to exclude Chinese culture
It is interesting that Chinese culture is vast and profound, and can actually accommodate these differences in Japan very well. For Japan's "cultural stubbornness", many aspects naturally form an accessible understanding, which is also the main reason why China has become an "exception". Chinese and Japanese cultures are almost homologous. If it weren't for the intervention of modern Western powers, Japan may still be a fan of Chinese culture to this day.
Why is it said to be almost homologous? Essentially, since the Han Dynasty, as a tribute vassal state of China for thousands of years, Japan has had a considerable amount of cultural customs originating from China and constantly evolving during its dissemination. But ultimately, there is still a very deep similarity. On the contrary, it does not have strong barriers like Chinese and Western cultures. So Japanese culture wants to integrate into the West, just like Russian culture wants to integrate into China. The opposite is true for this sentence, I won't delve into it to avoid harmony.
The strong inheritance and assimilation ability of Chinese culture is undoubtedly the strongest in the world. It is difficult for Japan to truly reject Chinese culture because once rejected, it will lead to serious self contradiction. Once fully recognized, it will soon merge with Chinese culture. In addition, with Japan's unique history of being colonized and seeking confidence after World War II, Japan is actually the best vassal state in the Chinese cultural circle, compared to many countries that destroy their own cultural heritage and cut off cultural gaps in the Second Sino Japanese War.
Many people may say that under the current situation in Asia, many countries do not recognize Chinese culture at all, nor do they recognize themselves as part of the Chinese cultural circle. I just want to say that culture and politics are not completely related. Some things cannot be denied by will. Besides, do you really think they don't understand? If one day we really collapse, believe it or not, countless young people from the Chinese cultural circle will come forward to compete for orthodoxy? Far from China, Japan, and South Korea, even Southeast Asia and Mongolia will come forward to argue. This kind of thing has happened more than once in history.
Why did Chinese immigrants become an exception to Japan?
Japan's enthusiasm for absorbing high-level talents from China has a historical lineage. In modern times, many Chinese people with lofty ideals returned from studying abroad in Japan. China and Japan are close neighbors and have had cultural exchanges since ancient times, with strong economic complementarity between the two countries. And allowing Chinese talents to join Japan, they also have their own careful thinking.
Firstly, in today's aging population with fewer children in Japan, it urgently needs talents to improve its technological strength and enhance its international competitiveness, especially in the face of the strong rise of Chinese technology. The addition of national talents will help Japan maintain its influence in East Asia and the world in the high-tech industry.
Secondly, introducing senior Chinese talents can deepen their understanding of China. Knowing oneself and oneself is more conducive to responding to China's rise, especially since many of the introduced individuals are potential collaborators. These people have an impact in their respective fields and can assimilate with those around them, thereby having a significant impact in certain areas. For example, some textbook settings cannot be elaborated on in depth. But education is often the longest and most destructive part of war.
Finally, if public opinion management is done well, it can also take the opportunity to promote the image of China and wash away the essence of aggression. These considerations are all reasons why Japan has included Chinese immigrants as an exception. Actually, objectively speaking, if a Chinese person must immigrate, then Japan is definitely on the candidate list.
In terms of learning costs, cultural differences, convenience, and importance, Japan has sufficient competitiveness compared to the West because of its geographical proximity and cultural homogeneity. Chinese people can quickly integrate into Japan without worrying about excessive exclusion and discrimination. In terms of income, as a developed country, Japan's average hourly wage is two to three times that of China, with proximity to home, low costs, and high income. Coupled with relatively loose policies, it is not difficult to imagine that Chinese people make up the majority of Japanese immigrants.
However, we still need to be aware of this. Although Japan may welcome Chinese talents on the surface, its limited mindedness and lack of culture often lead to a lack of trust and exclusivity at critical moments. It's okay to communicate and learn, but if you're gambling on wealth, you have to think twice before making a move.
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