Onishi Norimitsu has a good article on the Kawakamimura leafy vegetable pickers this morning. Unfortunately, his sensationalist New York editors just could not restrain themselves.
The Asahi Shimbun/International Herald Tribune version of Onishi's article has the headline "Chinese workers are a sign of change in aging Japan."
The New York Times version of the same article? Well, what did you expect?
Tart me up!
Though I did not make note of it, Isabel Reynolds also submitted a good article on recent trends in immigration a while back in response to the arrival of the first contingent of Indonesian nurses.
I once heard, oh I guess a few years back now it was, a prediction of Europe in the year 2050 as being a continent of elderly women, living in dark forests, cared for by young Muslims.
Japan will be much the same, I guess. Indeed, it is likely to arrive at that destination first.
Britain also has a problem of lack of casual labour to pick crops. It's not so much population decline as the low wages paid to casual labourers.
ReplyDeleteBritain's population decline has been reduced by the influx of many young people from other European Union countries such as Poland. However, there are signs they want to return home having worked here a few years to save money and improve their language skills.
The UK is more open to immigration than Japan, because of the EU treaties, and because English is widely taught in Europe. Japan does not have these advantages.
"I once heard, oh I guess a few years back now it was, a prediction of Europe in the year 2050 as being a continent of elderly women, living in dark forests, cared for by young Muslims."
ReplyDeleteSomebody, please write the novel!