{"id":15465,"date":"2019-01-07T12:38:06","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T22:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=15465"},"modified":"2019-01-16T12:01:56","modified_gmt":"2019-01-16T22:01:56","slug":"surprising-survey-results-from-pew-research-center-japan-supportive-of-immigration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=15465","title":{"rendered":"Surprising survey results from Pew Research Center: Japan supportive of “immigration”"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Hello Blog. Some weeks ago Debito.org Reader FB sent along a link to an article<\/a> which noted: “Spain and <\/em>Japan were among the most open to the idea of increased immigration, with 28% and 23% of their respective populations supporting more immigration<\/em><\/strong>. Japan, known for its isolationist policies and historically low immigration numbers, is facing a dire economic threat \u2014\u00a0<\/em>its population is getting older<\/em><\/a>” (bold emphasis added). It cited a recent worldwide Pew Research Global Attitudes Survey of 27 countries on international migration of labor etc., which can be found as a pdf here<\/a> and a report here<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I was incredulous. I’ve written before how Japan’s policymakers, even its demographic scientists<\/a>, view the word “immigration” (imin<\/em>) as a taboo term and topic of discussion. So I wondered if there had been some finagling of the question’s translation, as in, using the term gaikokujin<\/em> (foreigner) instead of imin<\/em>–because imin<\/em> itself would be clumsy in construction as a disembodied term unlinked to people (i.e., there is as yet no popularized word iminsha<\/em> for immigrant<\/em>). Likewise, there is no official “immigration\u00a0policy” (imin seisaku<\/em>) in Japan either to convert newcomers into permanent residents and citizens.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So I wrote to Pew directly:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

From:\u00a0“Debito Arudou”
Subject:\u00a0Question about your recent Global Attitudes survey
Date:\u00a0December 11, 2018
To:\u00a0info@pewresearch.org<\/strong><\/p>\r\n


To Whom It May Concern,<\/strong>
I [have] a question about your recently-released Global Attitudes survey.
http:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2018\/12\/10\/many-worldwide-oppose-more-migration-both-into-and-out-of-their-countries\/#more-309372<\/a>
Regarding the Japanese response to Q52:<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

Q52. In your opinion, should we allow more immigrants to move to our country, fewer immigrants, or about the same as we do now?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

Could you please send me the text of this question as rendered in the original Japanese? I can read Japanese text.
Thank you very much. Sincerely,\u00a0Debito Arudou<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I received the following answer:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

From:\u00a0Pew Research Center <info@pewresearch.org>
Subject:\u00a0RE: Question about your recent Global Attitudes survey
Date:\u00a0December 11, 2018
To:\u00a0“Debito Arudou” <\/strong>
Hi Debito,\u00a0\u00a0Thank you for reaching out. The original Japanese text is below:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n[emphases added in boldface, highlighting imin no kazu<\/em>, or immigration numbers]<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Q52<\/strong><\/td>\r\nIn your opinion, should we allow more immigrants to move to our country, fewer immigrants, or about the same as we do now?<\/td>\r\nQ52\u00a0\u65e5\u672c\u306b\u53d7\u3051\u5165\u308c\u308b\u79fb\u6c11\u306e\u6570\u3092\u5897\u3084\u3059\u3079\u304d\u3001\u79fb\u6c11\u306e\u6570\u3092\u6e1b\u3089\u3059\u3079\u304d<\/strong>\u3001\u307e\u305f\u306f\u73fe\u72b6\u3092\u7dad\u6301\u3059\u3079\u304d\u3001\u306e\u3069\u308c\u3060\u3068\u601d\u308f\u308c\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
1<\/td>\r\nMore<\/td>\r\n1.\u5897\u3084\u3059\u3079\u304d<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2<\/td>\r\nFewer<\/td>\r\n2.\u6e1b\u3089\u3059\u3079\u304d<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
3<\/td>\r\nAbout the same<\/td>\r\n3.\u73fe\u72b6\u3092\u7dad\u6301\u3059\u3079\u304d<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
4<\/td>\r\nNo immigrants at all (DO NOT READ)<\/td>\r\n4.\u00a0\u79fb\u6c11\u306f\u307e\u3063\u305f\u304f\u3044\u306a\u3044<\/strong>\uff08\u8aad\u307f\u4e0a\u3052\u306a\u3044\uff09<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
8<\/td>\r\nDon\u2019t know (DO NOT READ)<\/td>\r\n8.\u308f\u304b\u3089\u306a\u3044\uff08\u8aad\u307f\u4e0a\u3052\u306a\u3044\uff09<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
9<\/td>\r\nRefused (DO NOT READ)<\/td>\r\n9.\u00a0\u56de\u7b54\u62d2\u5426\uff08\u8aad\u307f\u4e0a\u3052\u306a\u3044\uff09<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n

Please let us know if you have any questions.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0Best, [HT],\u00a0Pew Research Center\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

COMMENT:<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Well, if that’s the exact text Pew read over the phone to the Japanese respondents, I can’t doubt it. But I’ve never seen the word imin<\/em> used in this context in Japan, moreover asked of more than a thousand respondents, as per the methodology of the Global Attitudes Survey:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Courtesy: http:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/methodology\/international-survey-research\/international-methodology\/<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

More surprising were the responses from the Japanese surveyed:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Courtesy <\/em>http:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2018\/12\/10\/many-worldwide-oppose-more-migration-both-into-and-out-of-their-countries\/#more-309372<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Just gawk at those numbers. Japan has the lowest “Few Immigrants\/None” and the highest “About the same number of Immigrants\/More” combined of all the countries surveyed!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Again, the diehard skeptic in me wants to poke holes in this survey, especially given the constant duplicity of the MOJ<\/a> and the GOJ towards NJ in general, <\/a>especially when it comes<\/a> to surveying the<\/a> general public<\/a>. But this is Pew, and they are among the most rigorous of international surveyors we’ve got. Given that they used the term “immigration numbers” (not just the “temporary-foreign-labor-on-revolving-door-visas<\/a>” connotation that a mere term like gaikokujin<\/em> would have allowed), this is on the surface quite promising.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Next stage, an actual Immigration Ministry<\/strong> (Imin Shou<\/em>), which I believe may also someday be in the cards. The Immigration Bureau is being upgraded to an actual Agency (<\/a>Cho<\/a><\/em>)<\/a>, one step below a Ministry, come April.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Thoughts? Dr. Debito Arudou<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Books, eBooks, and more from Dr. Debito Arudou (click on icon): \"Guidebookcover.jpg\"<\/a>\"japaneseonlyebookcovertext\"<\/a>\"Handbook<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"sourstrawberriesavatar\"<\/a>\"debitopodcastthumb\"<\/a>\"FodorsJapan2014cover\"<\/a> UPDATES ON TWITTER: arudoudebito DEBITO.ORG PODCASTS on iTunes, subscribe free “LIKE” US on Facebook at http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/debitoorg<\/a> https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embeddedrcsmJapan<\/a> http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/handbookimmigrants<\/a> https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JapaneseOnlyTheBook<\/a> https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BookInAppropriate<\/a> If you like what you read and discuss on Debito.org, please consider helping us stop hackers and defray maintenance costs with a little donation via my webhoster: \"Donate<\/a> All donations go towards website costs only. Thanks for your support!<\/i> Do you like what you read on Debito.org? \u00a0Want to help keep the archive active and support Debito.org’s activities? \u00a0Please consider donating a little something. \u00a0More details here<\/a>. Or even click on an ad below.<\/em><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some weeks ago Debito.org Reader FB sent along a link to an article which noted: “Spain and Japan were among the most open to the idea of increased immigration, with 28% and 23% of their respective populations supporting more.” It cited a recent worldwide Pew Research Global Attitudes Survey of 27 countries on international migration of labor.<\/p>\n

I was incredulous. I’ve written before how Japan’s policymakers, even its demographic scientists, view the word “immigration” (imin) as a taboo term and topic of discussion. So I wondered if there had been some finagling of the question’s translation. So I wrote to Pew directly and got this answer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,22,34,35,5,12,14,16,13,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-embedded-racism","category-cultural-issue","category-exclusionism","category-good-news","category-human-rights","category-immigration-assimilation","category-japanese-politics","category-labor-issues","category-media","category-unsustainable-japanese-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15465"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15491,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15465\/revisions\/15491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}