Japan in Crisis: Demographic Difficulties to Finagling the Fingerprinting of Foreigners

This paper examines the declining and aging population in Japan by looking at possible population scenarios for Japan in the near future as extrapolated from its current situation by UN and other research on Japanese demographics. The reasons for this current situation are then explored to see if the factors causing this situation can be modified to effect a positive change in Japan's demographic difficulties. After arguing that they cannot and therefore that mass immigration is inevitable for the maintenance of Japan's internal social and economic stability and manufacturing needs, the paper then moves on to how the Japanese government has approached this topic. This naturally brings up the "Partial Amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act" and the way it was presented to the Japanese public in response to Japan's looming demographic change. By looking behind the façade of the law's public anti-terror rationale this paper brings to light an entirely different motive for its implementation, that of monitoring and thereby controlling the large numbers of foreigners Japan must attract to deal with its demographic difficulties. Japanese culture, history and religion will be examined to see what effect these play in forming the Japanese views of the "other" and to what extent this view has driven the Immigration act compared with other concerns. The paper then finally looks at the economic and diplomatic consequences the U.S. suffered after they introduced a similar program (albeit for different reasons) to see what could lie in store for Japan. The conclusion is that this is an ill thought out law, made possible by Japanese views of foreigners and brought in under false pretences that could backfire and ultimately harm Japan's economic and diplomatic future by discouraging immigration to Japan, something it desperately needs to solve its population problems.