www.debito.org
Eric Johnston review of Sakanaka book "Nyuukan Senki"
NB from site editor: A review of a very important new book. Written
by Japan Times reporter Eric Johnston (and unpublished in the Japan Times, as it
is JT policy to review books that are billingual or English-language only), it incorporates
many of the themes of immigration into Japan we have covered in the past at www.debito.org. Freely forwardable, this
will be archived on my website at http://www.debito.org/publications.html#otherauthors
Arudou Debito in Sapporo
=============================-
Immigration Battle Diary (Nyukan Senki)
By Hidenori Sakanaka
Reviewed by
ERIC JOHNSTON
Special to www.debito.org
Released May 24, 2005
Freely Forwardable
In March 2001, just weeks before Junichiro Koizumi became Prime Minister to the squeals
of "Jun-chan" from (senile?) middle-aged women enthralled by his looks,
Japan's most notorious middle-aged political matron stopped off in Osaka to lend
her voice to the growing chorus of Koizumi supporters.
Makiko Tanaka was then the country's most popular politician, at least among members
of the public. But she knew she was hated in Nagata-cho, and was thus stumping for
Junichiro Koizumi in the upcoming LDP election, an election that would decide who
would get the dubious honor of replacing Prime Minister Mori.
Ms.Tanaka is loved by reporters for her sharp, barbed quotes and fiery populist rhetoric.
Rarely is she at a loss for words when speaking to assembled reporters, be they foreign
or Japanese. But although I was not trying, I managed to startle her into relative
silence.
It happened during a quick interview after her speech when, rather than the usual
questions about why she was supporting Koizumi, I asked about what discussions were
taking place in the Diet regarding the future of Japanese immigration and the integration
of foreigners into the workplace.
Ms.Tanaka had played a large role in helping many Japanese born in China during the
war years to return to Japan. So I figured that, with her reputation for being one
of the more internationally-minded Diet members, she would be able to respond at
length to what I thought was a simple question.
Instead, she looked at me with a surprised glance and said, "Nobody in the Diet
is really discussing the issue seriously or in detail. Which is exactly why we need
to start discussions." End of interview.
In the four years since, the issue of opening up Japan to foreign immigrants has
simmered just under the surface of the mainstream media. But despite United Nations'
reports that Japan may need 30 million foreigners by 2050 in order to maintain current
levels of economic prosperity, serious discussion of bringing in more foreigners
seems taboo.
Instead of thoughtful, reasoned public debate in the mainstream press, we get "educated"
business leaders (complete with advanced degrees from America's best universities)
arguing in business journals over whether or not it's best to bring in Brazilians
or Asians to do the hard, dirty work in the factories and service industries, and
expressing their fears that too many Brazilians will result in late-night samba parties
that will keep the neighbors awake, while too many Asians could lead to gang problems.
This is the sad and pathetic state of quasi-official "discussion" of future
immigration needs.
Until now, that is. In late April, one of bureaucratic officialdom's most interesting
and controversial people, Hidenori Sakanaka, published a work that will, hopefully,
take the issue of increased immigration out of the hands of moronic and self-interested
businessmen and place it squarely where it belongs --in the realm of public debate.
Sakanaka, until he retired in March, headed the Tokyo Immigration Bureau. He is a
life-long civil servant and a maverick who has seen the best, and worst, of Japan's
immigration policies over the past 30 years. An outspoken humanist who basically
favors more immigration, Sakanaka details his experiences and concerns in "Nyukan
Senki", and offers a scenario for what Japan might be like in 2050 with a more
open immigration policy.
While he does not name names, Sakanaka lashes out at the greed, stupidity and criminal
behavior of Japanese politicians, businesses, and his own immigration bureau for
their attitudes towards legal and illegal immigrants, their refusal to treat Japanese-Koreans
as citizens, and their turning of a blind eye to human trafficking.
It is clear Sakanaka despises the right-wing fueled paranoia and xenophobia towards
foreigners. It is also clear, however, that he understands the real concerns of ordinary
Japanese that lie behind the rhetoric, and that he has few illusions about the kinds
of problems and issues Japan would face if it decides to welcome millions of immigrants.
The foreign community in Japan, rightly, has passionate views of the immigration
debate and those views have many intellectual merits. Individuals often have their
own immigration stories, sometimes with happy endings, sometimes not. But Sakanaka
has been on the front lines, had his life threatened by yakuza thugs, and been reassigned
out of Tokyo by politicians getting rich off of human trafficking and illegal immigrant
labor when he refused their requests to ignore the problem. He is neither a well-meaning
but inexperienced human rights activist nor a corporate executive simply looking
at the bottom line. He's an insider, a man who reached the top of the heap, and he
has an authority on the issues that is unmatched anywhere in Japan.
While Sakanaka's experiences make for interesting reading, especially for those who
have always wondered about foreign crime in Japan, it is the last few chapters, which
offer alternate scenarios for life in Japan by 2050 and policy advice on how to integrate
immigrants into Japanese society by then, that really make this work stand out.
Fundamentally, Sakanaka argues, the issue before Japan is what kind of country it
wants to become by the middle of this century: a "big" country or a "small"
country. Becoming a Big Country means accepting, by 2050, roughly 20 million immigrants
in order to maintain current economic levels of prosperity. The alternative is to
become a Small Country, let the population drop to about 100 million, keep most foreigners
out, and use robots to do some of the work often done by immigrants elsewhere.
To achieve the goal of becoming a Big Country, Sakanaka advocates the establishment
of an Immigration Ministry, a separate government organ with full ministerial powers
that would be responsible for all aspects of Japan's immigration policy, as well
as the immigrants themselves once they have arrived and until they have obtained
Japanese citizenship. Sakanaka basically favors Japan becoming a Big Country, not
just for economic reasons but to serve as the "Canada of Asia", a multicultural,
multiethnic salad bowl of a country where people of all races and creeds can feel
comfortable.
The analysis is not perfect, and even Sakanaka the humanist falls into some racial
stereotyping traps. For example, he assumes that, by 2050, certain immigrants will
remain in certain positions they are often dominating now. In Sakanaka's Japan of
the future, Chinese and Indian immigrants are taking the lead in information technology
businesses while taxi drivers, busboys, and service industries are dominated by Southeast
Asians. Perhaps this will come to pass, and perhaps he simply wanted to present a
theoretical possibility that he thought readers could easily identify with. But a
slightly wider imagination would have allowed for the possibility of large professional
class of immigrant doctors, lawyers, and others. And, most damningly, Sakanaka has
little to say about the children of immigrants and what their role in Japanese society
might be.
Still, Sakanaka is an idealist. He is also an engaging writer. No academic jargon
or (for the most part) sentences that sound as if they were written by Kasumigaseki
bureaucrats. His book will serve as a primer to anybody interested in immigration
issues, and how Japan might adopt an enlightened, progressive, and, above all, humane,
immigration policy in the years to come.
So, despite the flaws, this book needs to be read by as many people as possible,
and soon, for it's thoughtful analysis and reasonable suggestions. An English language
version would be greatly appreciated, but appears not to be forthcoming anytime soon.
This is sad. For the immigration debate, in my opinion, is rapidly becoming hijacked
by the corporate world, which, if they get their way, will simply dictate to politicians
and bureaucrats behind closed doors what kind of an immigration policy serves their
narrow interests, rather than the interests of the nation.
Human rights groups and other experts including, yes, immigration officials, are
being shut out of these back-room debates when they try to join. But, sadly, many
don't even try, seemingly believing that if they just hold enough symposiums with
like-minded souls, the problems, current and future, will get resolved.
As Sakanaka shows, they are dreaming, and all responsible residents of Japan, no
matter what their passport says, as well as the international community would do
well to consider the merits of his arguments and proposals.
================================
"Nyukan Senki" (Kodansha Inc 2005, 254 pages, ISBN 4062128527) is now available
at major bookstores. Amazon.co.jp site:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4062128527/qid%3D1116904873/249-3282749-7323532
Eric invites informed commentary at <japantimes-osa@sannet.ne.jp>
REVIEW ENDS