The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) E-Letter

1 August 2017, Vol. 10, No. 4

http://www.gfj.jp/e/

Greetings,

"The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) E-Letter" is delivered electronically bimonthly, free of charge, to the readers in the world interested in Japanese thinking on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs by the Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), a private membership organization in Japan for policy-oriented international exchanges.

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"GFJ Commentary" presents views of members and friends of GFJ on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The view expressed herein is the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.




       Inspired by an article "Who is leading Japan's migration policies?" by Ms. Masako KURANISHI posted on "Giron-Hyakushutsu" on April 12th, I would like to make a remark which reads; the Japanese government should be particularly cautious as to opening the door to immigrants of Chinese and (both North and South) Korean nationals.

       Despite the proximity as well as the history of annexation and war in the past, the number of Chinese and Korean immigrants living in Japan is considerably larger in comparison to that of the other nationals. Indeed, the Chinese immigrants in Japan amounted to 695,522 and the Korean counterpart 453,096 in 2016. These numbers are significantly larger than the number of foreigners but Chinese and Korean nationals living in Japan.

       As it was the case in the annexation of Crimea where Moscow found the justification of its act in "a right to protect Russian nationals in Ukraine," it is not implausible that China would one day breach the integrity of Japan, claiming "a right to protect Chinese nationals in Japan."

       Provided that international cooperation to respond to refugee crisis and the lack of work force due to population aging combined with decreasing birthrate inevitably require admitting immigrants, we need to consider letting those of non-Chinese and non-Korean nationals in first.

       Japan has also some ASEAN countries around, leaving aside the three countries, China, South and North Korea. If Japan will have to open the door to immigrants, the country should start receiving those from Philippine and Vietnam, both of which are ASEAN member countries, for example. It must be noted that this article is a sole reflection of my own thoughts and does not speak of what I stand on as myself belong to The Japan Forum on International Relations.

(This is an English translation of the article written by ITO Masanori, Senior Research Fellow at The Japan Forum on International Relations, which originally appeared on the e-forum "Giron-Hyakushutsu (Hundred Views in Full Perspective)" of GFJ on April 12, 2017, and was posted on "GFJ Commentary" as no.73 on June 15, 2017.)




For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the latest of which are as follows, please refer to: http://www.gfj.jp/e/commentary.htm

No.72: "Nuclear issue of North Korea"
        by Jun. M. YAMAZAKI, Risk Management Consultant
        (29 March 2017)

No.71: "On Social Darwinism of Today"
        by KURANISHI Masako, Political Scientist
        (23 February 2017)

No.70: "Internationalization of the Renminbi"
        By SANADA Yukimitsu, College Faculty Member
        (19 December 2016)

No.69: "A Feedback to the Trilateral Dialogue of China, Japan and South Korea"
        by IKEO Aiko, Professor, Waseda University
        (31 October 2016)

No.68: "Shadow of Mr. Soros Behind the Helicopter Money Debates in Japan"
        by TAMURA Hideo, Journalist
        (31 August 2016)

No.67: "Can The Path Really Teach About the Good Life?"
        by KURANISHI Masako, Political Scientist
        (28 June 2016)



"GFJ Updates" introduces to you the latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ.


"The Japan-ASEAN Dialogue" on "Changing Regional Order in the Asia-Pacific and Japan-ASEAN Cooperation" Held

The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) organized "The Japan-ASEAN Dialogue" on "Changing Regional Order in the Asia-Pacific and Japan-ASEAN Cooperation" in Tokyo on June 30, 2017, under the co-sponsorship by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, The University of Social Sciences and Humanities at Vietnam National University (VNU-USSH), and The Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR).

This "Dialogue" was attended by 69 participants including such eminent experts on the theme as follows:

Japanese side: KAMIYA Matake (Prof., National Defense Academy of Japan / Academic Governor, GFJ / Director and Superior Research Fellow, JFIR), NAKANISHI Hiroshi (Prof., Kyoto Univ.), KATO Yoichi (Senior Research Fellow, Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation), HOSOYA Yuichi (Prof., Keio Univ.), HASHIMOTO Hiroshi (President, GFJ and JFIR), OBA Mie (Prof., Tokyo Univ. of Science), SAHASHI Ryo (Assoc. Prof., Kanagawa Univ.), and SATO Koichi (Prof. College of Liberal Arts, J.F. Oberlin Univ.).

ASEAN side: TAN See Seng (Prof., RSIS), Aries A. ARUGAY (Assoc. Prof., The Univ. of Philippines Diliman), Thomas Benjamin DANIEL (Analyst, Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia), Bui Thanh NAM (Assoc. Prof., VNU-USSH), Iis GINDARSAH (Researcher, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia), and Kavi CHONGKITTAVORN (Senior Fellow, The Institute of Security and International Studies, Thailand).

Lively discussions were held in the two Sessions of "International Environment of the Asia-Pacific in Transition" and "Prospects for the Japan-ASEAN Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific."

For the Conference Papers distributed at the "Dialogue," please refer to;
http://www.gfj.jp/e/dialogue/20170630_cpe.pdf