Immigration-related hostility has not changed
After tiny Monaco, Japan has the oldest population in the entire world. There are less births being recorded than ever before. It might lose a fifth of its current population by 2050.
Its opposition to immigration, however, has not changed. In contrast to the UK, where 15% of people are foreign-born, only about 3% of people in Japan are. Right-wing movements in Europe and America highlight it as a shining example of racial purity and social harmony.
But contrary to what those admirers may believe, Japan is not entirely monoethnic. The Ainu of Hokkaido, the southern Okinawans, half a million ethnic Koreans, and nearly a million Chinese are present.
Then there are Japanese children, including my own three, who have one foreign parent.
These bilingual children are referred to as “hafu,” which is a derogatory term that is common in this country. They include famous people and legendary athletes, like Naomi Osaka, a tennis player. They are revered in popular culture as being “more beautiful and talented.” But to be accepted is quite different from being idolized.
