If Japan is stuck, it's because of the old men in charge

Photo by 内閣官房内閣広報室

A dear friend of mine suggested that I write a response to this fascinating BBC News article, “Japan was the future but it’s stuck in the past” by Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. (If you haven’t read it already, please do.) Well, dear friend, be careful what you suggest to me in the group chat.

I want to be very clear about one thing: Though I’ve lived here for nearly 13 years, I am not positioning myself as – nor do I consider myself – an expert on Japan. I am a white male, which comes with a lot of privilege, even (especially?) living here, and I’m not so naïve as to think I’m more informed than anyone born and/or raised here. I’m sharing my perspective in the hopes of adding to a much larger, already-in-progress conversation.

I’ve been in Japan too long to be able to think about it solely from an outsider’s perspective. But I’m also not fully an insider either. I’ve cultivated something in between: the mindset of an immigrant (no, never call me an “expat”). So for a while, I circled around the points I wanted to try and make here, but kept getting stuck myself. Thankfully, my colleague Christian Wolfer, a director of the NPO Voice Up Japan, was willing to provide some much-needed perspective (thank you, Christian!). This incredibly informative piece by Noah Smith also provides a convincing counterargument to Wingfield-Hayes.

First, let me say that I really admire what Wingfield-Hayes is doing in his piece. He correctly identifies a lot of what’s great about life in Japan, while balancing the positive points with fair criticisms. But I think he’s playing a bit fast-and-loose with the historical and political factors, while simultaneously not working very hard to suggest solutions other than, “Japan should allow more immigration.”

Listen. Japan’s not going to suddenly allow widespread immigration. We can get as heated as we want about that, and claim that it isn’t acceptable for a world power in 2023. We can also get precious about it, and wonder whether and how mass immigration would alter Japan’s unique (and generally beloved (and carefully cultivated)) identity on the world stage.

There’s something we need to address before jumping straight to the immigration piece. Which, yes, obviously, if Japan wants to boost its population and bolster its economy, it desperately needs more immigrants. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida admitted earlier this week that Japan is "on the brink of being unable to maintain social functions.” Clearly, changes are required, not for Japan to continue being the Japan we know and love, but for it to continue functioning as a society – that’s pretty dire! And yet. It remains difficult to imagine Japan opening itself up to large-scale immigration (it is the anti-Canada), in ways that are so fraught politically that I almost don’t even really want to get into it here.

Long-term, it would be great to see Japan welcome more immigrants. I’m one, and so far, I think it’s been a pretty good and mutually beneficial relationship! I love Japan! I don’t want to live anywhere else. This is an amazing country, for all of the reasons everyone already knows, and lots of reasons that matter maybe only to me, personally.

But Japan isn’t ready for more immigrants. Not yet. And not (only) for racial/culturual “purity” reasons. The infrastructure just couldn’t handle it right now. There’s not nearly enough language support, for one thing. Let’s start with English – Japan currently ranks 80th in global English proficiency rankings – it’s nearly impossible to accomplish anything here that a responsible adult would need to accomplish in order to forge a life for themselves without either a) near-fluent Japanese language ability or b) someone they can rely on, full-time, who does have fluent Japanese language ability. Yes, even in Tokyo.

Here’s an essential question: Who are we talking about when we talk about Japan? Are we talking about the old men who are in charge politically, economically and educationally? Or are we talking about the un(der)represented parts of the population (i.e., literally everyone else)? Because it is difficult to talk about both at the same time and they are not the same. Wingfield-Hayes sort of dances up to this line of demarcation, but never quite addresses it directly. But I think this issue is central to Japan’s changing status on the world stage. This country is full of brilliant women, and queer people, and people who have lived here all their lives but cannot be identified as “Japanese.” But their voices are rarely, if ever, given a meaningful platform! Sure, they are sometimes granted celebrity status, but as we all know, celebrity rarely equates to having true power.

And that raises another point, kind of side-note: Who gets to claim the status of being “Japanese”? By contrast, who gets to claim the status of “American”? See the difference? You either accept people into your definition of nationhood, or you don’t. And if you don’t, then you either attempt to carve out a separate-but-equal space for the people living in your nation who don’t fit into the definition of nationhood, or you don’t.

Now, consider: Who is in charge of Japan’s political parties, large corporations and educational institutions? Old, conservative men. Yes, you can make similar arguments about other major economic powerhouse countries, but most of those countries (let’s leave China and Russia out of the conversation, please) are at least attempting to embrace change, and to invite more kinds of voices to participate in the conversations that matter.

By maintaining a high degree of privacy internationally (through language barriers, and barriers to access), while also keeping an outwardly friendly and cooperative demeanor, Japan’s former-samurai ruling class (which Wingfield-Hayes cheekily refers to the political elite as) is able to continue doing things its own way domestically. This includes ensuring that the same kinds of people keep getting the same seats at the same tables. You’d better believe the “soft power” Japan so expertly exports to the rest of the world is constructed at least partially to project a soft, cuddly, inviting (often female) image. No wonder so many weebs are disappointed by what they find when they come to visit.

Look, let’s say Japan suddenly decided to embrace a kind of cultural revolution and threw open its doors to the world. Who would benefit? Who would those kinds of changes serve? People who want to move to Japan would be happy. But people from outside Japan would bring with them ideals and values and ways of doing things that run counter to the entire ethos of “Japan.” What if only “skilled” immigrants were allowed in, after a thorough vetting process? Well, then the current ruling class could easily filter out those they deem “undesirable” (i.e., anyone who threatens the status quo too much). People who are allowed to come here solely for the economic gain of Japan and its corporations ultimately contribute to proving to the old men in charge that their strategies are in everyone’s best interests, and that they, therefore, should remain in charge.

Here is a simple but powerful question. What if the old men in charge decided to look inward, to this country’s own, home-grown population, for new ideas, and new ways of doing things, and then actually ceded some of their accumulated power?

That’s the place to start. And if you think that would be easy, remember: There’s, shall we say, a bit of work to be done.

Japan is the only G7 country that does not have legally guaranteed LGBTQ rights.  

Japan ranked 120 out of 156 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) Report 2021.

As recently as 2018, Tokyo Medical University admitted to manipulating entrance exams submitted by women in order to make it easier for men to be accepted to their programs instead.

So you look around and wonder at Japan’s economic stagnation and refusal to accept non-Japanese people in the same way as it accepts its own people, and wonder how immigration would potentially work. Well, first, what about imagining Japan taking serious steps toward empowering women? Empowering them to the extent that they feel able and comfortable and willing to have any children, let alone enough children to reverse the country’s drastic population decline? You’re not likely to want to reproduce if you’re stressed out about your own voice and needs going unheard and unmet, and feeling like your potential is limited simply because of your gender.

I have two half-Japanese (hafu (ハーフ)) children who I love more than anything. I have worked hard to create a space and the capacity for them to be able to explore both the culture of Japan, and the various cultures of the world (with a strong emphasis on English language). How completely fucking insane is it that in 2023, I genuinely have to worry about whether or not they will be accepted as full, functioning members of the society into which they were born, through the union of two loving and committed parents? But that’s where we are. And here’s the dilemma: If, in the future, it turns out that they can be accepted, that’s great! This a wonderful society to be a part of, and they will thrive, because this country has everything to offer them, and all other children. But if they can’t? Well, I guess that’s on me? Sorry, kids.

Several people in my life, both Japanese and not, have told me with complete certainty that I should absolutely raise my children in Canada (they’re dual citizens), because it will be better for them than Japan. But will that prove to be the case? Assuming so seems cynical to me, because it’s an admission that Japan cannot and will not change. Let’s not be cynical.

There are so many people here, in Japan right now – people who were born and raised here, and people who weren’t – who are working so hard to make Japan’s future bright. So if Japan’s going to change, let’s make sure it’s in response to those people’s needs first, and build from there.

Yes, it’s absolutely okay to love quirky, weird, unique Japan. But what’s worth preserving? Is it the soft-power cultural anime output that weirdos like me love? Is it the immaculately clean streets and flawlessly functioning infrastructure? Or is it the ability of the people being born here, and who will be born here in the future, and the people already contributing to society here, to express themselves honestly and on a global stage?

I hope the answer to this is obvious to everyone reading. There isn’t any mutual exclusivity at play. It’s possible to preserve all of the above.  

So yes, Japan should absolutely change. But not with a motivation to recapture its fleeting bubble era glory, or to replicate the immigration strategies of other nations (which are each incredibly complex and unique and necessary). Japan should change, for starters, so that its own women, and young people, and queer people, and everybody else that calls this place home, feel represented and empowered. Let’s work on that, while simultaneously preserving all the amazing and unique qualities we love about Japan, before it’s too late.