It seems a lot of readers are of the opinion that Japan needs an influx of immigrant workers or it will perish. I think "become extinct" is how one reader put it. I admit to not having the economic background to fully comprehend the declining population issue, but it would seem to me that countries like Norway, with a workforce of just over 2 million, still manage to enjoy among the highest standards of living in the world. I doubt they have much of an influx of immigration amid a small racial-cultural minority of Lapps.
I guess what the Japanese government and, by extension, Japanese people are hoping for by holding off on opening the floodgates to immigration is achieving something along the lines of what is obviously working in Scandinavia. The social harmony that is lacking in other parts of Europe and America will certainly come at a price as Japanese will have to shoulder a heavy tax burden for a generation. But it seems to be a price they're willing to pay to preserve their culture. Besides, perhaps a generation of increased taxation and less excess is exactly what's needed in Japan.
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