by Sayaka Kuroiwa

Today’s Japan

Today, Japan has become an ageing society gradually, and the number of children in Japan has been decreasing. Actually, I studied the population of Japan is 130,000,000, but today’s junior high school students study it 120,000,000. Japan facing the problem, some social scientists insist that Japan should accept more migrants. If Japan do so, how our society will be changed? And what should we do?

Japanese Society

Japan has one of the most unique cultures in the world. But Japanese people themselves don’t find it. And many of them often think of their society as single-culture one. Nevertheless there are many cultures in Japan even now. For example, there have been many living Koreans and Chinese in Japan for long time. And discrimination against them has remained strongly.

But, recently, Korean and Chinese culture and many tourists come to Japan. Especially Korean singers, actors and actresses are very popular among young people. So, young Japanese people come to accept new cultures.

Transnational Migrants

Now there are some transnational migrants who maintain strong, regular ties to their homelands and organize accept of their lives across national borders. Why do they so? I think one of the reasons is that they come to find their culture clearly by touching a new other culture. I regard that affirmatively. At least, I think it is not wrong, however, it is a fact that they can’t fit into their new surroundings completely.

My Opinion

I think that migrants need not forget their culture, and they may keep their culture and accept only pleased new culture. But I think they should be interested in new cultures. Then, Japan should be ready to receive new cultures. I suggest that education system must be changed the first. Japanese children who have flexible thinking should study that there are many kind of cultures in the world. This is a peaceful way to accept other cultures and other countries’ people.

Reference
Matsumoto Kenichi. 2002. Minnzoku to kokka. PHPsinnsyo.