Comments on: Why does Japan need more foreigners again?

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:48:11 +0000

I remember seeing a Lawson in Shanghai in early 2003. Not sure if 7/11 is there, but they’re ubiquitous in Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, etc.

By: Aceface

Aceface — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:57:44 +0000

They are all head office staffs.Don’t know whether they ever worked in the field though.But it seems Lawson is pretty serious about hiring foreigners for the future senior posts.Ofcourse,management is probably thinking about their overseas branches too.

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:48:51 +0000

Interesting that 1/3 of Lawson’s new corporate hires are foreigners. Of course this is the head office staff right? I wonder if all of them worked part time in actual Lawson stores while they were studying?

By: Aceface

Aceface — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:32:45 +0000

By: Mulboyne

Mulboyne — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:34:11 +0000

FYI:

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/houdou/2008/09/h0908-3.html

By: Mulboyne

Mulboyne — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:59:08 +0000

“Japan is actively seeking more foreigners, especially the tourist type.”

One good ruse would be if you could somehow convince tourists to double up as guest workers…

http://blog.japanican.com/en/rice/2008/0831_Tome_Rice_Harvesting_Tour_523.html

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:21:48 +0000

Now that I think about it, “Why does Japan need more foreigners?” and, “Why does Japan need more immigrants?” are not the same question.

Japan is actively seeking more foreigners, especially the tourist type.

By: Aceface

Aceface — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:15:17 +0000

“Aceface, do you mean financially empty handed as in the jobs did not pay enough to cover cost of living, or empty handed due to some sort of non-payment of wages from employers? Or empty handed as in they got so rich they could hire someone to carry everything for them?”

All I can say is these Mongolians didn’t have any life plans or what to do after they got back.So they have very loose control with their money.And Brazillian immigrant who has problem in Japan fits this category.(Those who has concrete plans go back to Brazil as soon as they’ve raised enough money and start their own business and not even think for a second of staying in Japan).

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:20:45 +0000

Yeah, the old days of immigration were very different. All 8 of my great-grandparents took steamers from Europe to New York around 100 years ago, and I’m pretty sure that not a single one of them ever went back for a visit. Of course, if the Holocaust hadn’t happened they might have had something to go back TO visit once they were old and airplanes were affordable as a rare luxury.

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:25:14 +0000

I don’t know if steamers are a good comparison (although I would be curious to know the old numbers too).

My thinking is that the trip isn’t a one-time investment any more: immigrants these days generally expect to go home and see their relatives on a fairly regular basis. This used to be pretty cheap. For the last couple of years one could travel between the US and the Philippines for perhaps $700 or $800. Now it’s more like $1500 and there isn’t much sign of a decrease on the horizon. When you’re going to work in a fairly low-paying job, that cost must be part of the consideration.