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Over 40% of Japan's municipalities at risk of vanishing, study finds (japantimes.co.jp)
6 points by mikhael 8 months ago | hide | past | favorite | 7 comments



I've read in multiple places that Japan has been historically very hostile to immigration. Is this still true? Seems like the plummeting native birth rate and climate-induced mass migration might be a situation where one problem can help solve another.


"After the demise of the multi-ethnic Empire of Japan in 1945, successive governments had forged a single Japanese identity by advocating monoculturalism and denying the existence of more than one ethnic group in Japan. [...] the notion of ethnic homogeneity was so ingrained in Japan, to which the former Prime Minister Taro Aso (1940-), in 2020, notably claimed in an election campaign speech that “No other country but this one has lasted for as long as 2,000 years with one language, one ethnic group and one dynasty”." [1]

They have a long history of "Aryan-like" master race theory [2].

Why would the Japanese want to trade in their distinctiveness and positive societal attributes for dubious gain? It endangers the fabric of society.

Where has mass migration been a net benefit for a larger country in recent times? Europe has been "culturally enriched", which puts even more pressure on the already strained welfare-, medical-, education- and housing-system, lessening the quality for all. There has been an increase in savage violence, such as gang rapes and brutal attacks, as well as organized crime, terrorism and epic fraud the institutions are not equipped to handle. Outrageous sums of tax payer money is used to pay off foreign countries, so that they throttle the influx of migrants somewhat, which also makes Europe vulnerable to blackmail by those countries. The people do not want (incompatible or malicious) foreigners. The governments are incompetent in letting in only the good ones and getting rid of the bad ones.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_of_Japan#Notion_...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_Japan#History


to which the former Prime Minister Taro Aso (1940-), in 2020, notably claimed in an election campaign speech that “No other country but this one has lasted for as long as 2,000 years with one language, one ethnic group and one dynasty”." [1]

Yeah, and so what? What was so special about this? Taro is the one trying to qualify this as something positive.

The only reason Japan even exists today is because the US let it exist. Japan was destroyed after WW2. The US rebuilt it. Now with less guidance from the US, it's destroying itself again. If racist homogeneous Japan was so great, why did it get so smashed?

I personally think the culture is still trying to get over this humiliation. I don't think they will ever get over it honestly.

Aso is such a dinosaur.

There are more Indians working in Kombinis now than ever, and that's going to only get worse. Maybe if they had a more progressive and slow moving immigration policy 20 years ago, they would've had better ways to integrate these people and protect their culture. But yeah, "who would've thought the population would go backwards, how would Aso have planned for it?" lol


...I love Japanese culture, I just think it could be better by being more open minded.


Very true. Sometimes I think they’d rather disappear than become less “Japanese”.


I wonder if this isn't partly a reaction to the abysmal manner in which members of the Japanese diaspora were treated in host countries (e.g., US internment during WWII).


“Graceful sunsetting”




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