[Blog]Immigration Cannot Be Reduced to --Good or Bad--

2026-05-11

This article raises an important question regarding immigration policy. It argues that immigration should not be discussed only from the perspective of economic efficiency or liberal ideals, but also from the perspective of the burdens experienced by local communities and working-class citizens. Immigration can help address labor shortages and bring diversity to society, but it also changes schools, workplaces, housing markets, and local communities. Therefore, immigration policy cannot be understood through a simplistic binary of “accept” versus “reject.” The real issue is who benefits and who bears the costs.

Japan Is Beginning to Experience the Same Structural Tensions

Japan is now facing similar dynamics. Due to severe labor shortages, the country has expanded the acceptance of foreign workers through programs such as the Specified Skilled Worker system, the transition from the Technical Intern Training Program to the new Employment for Skill Development framework, and broader acceptance of international students and foreign labor in sectors such as caregiving, food service, and construction. However, discussions surrounding immigration expansion often emphasize the needs of employers and the economy, while paying insufficient attention to the burdens placed on Japanese workers, local governments, schools, medical institutions, and regional communities.

Foreign Nationals Are Not Merely Labor

If foreign nationals are viewed only as “supplementary labor,” immigration systems may appear successful in the short term. However, foreign nationals are not merely workers; they are also residents and members of society. Employment alone is not enough. People also require housing, education, healthcare, childcare, and community relationships. Immigration policy does not end when a company hires a worker and immigration authorities grant residence status. The more difficult question is who will support the infrastructure necessary for long-term social integration.

Unequal Burden Distribution Creates Distrust

Public backlash against immigration does not necessarily arise solely from hostility toward foreigners themselves. In many cases, distrust emerges because immigration systems fail to explain how burdens are distributed. Businesses gain access to labor. The national economy gains workforce stability. Yet local schools must provide language support, municipalities must establish consultation systems, and workers may feel pressure on wages and working conditions. When these burdens are not openly recognized, people begin asking why their communities alone are carrying the costs of immigration policy.

The First Lesson for Japan: Immigration Policy Cannot Be Separated from Regional Policy

The first major lesson for Japan is that immigration policy cannot be treated merely as an immigration control issue. Designing residence statuses alone does not create coexistence. Policies regarding the number of foreign workers, labor demand by industry, and visa requirements must be integrated with regional policies involving Japanese-language education, social consultation services, labor protection, childcare, and healthcare access. If immigration policy is disconnected from local governance, education policy, and labor policy, the burden will inevitably accumulate in institutional gaps.

The Second Lesson: Do Not Ignore Structural Low Wages

One of the important points raised in the article is that immigration often supports low-wage economic structures. Japan faces a similar risk. Foreign labor is frequently discussed as a solution to labor shortages, yet without addressing the underlying issues of low wages, excessive working hours, and limited career development, immigration may simply delay necessary structural reforms. The real objective should not be to secure cheap labor from abroad, but to create sustainable working environments where both Japanese and foreign workers can continue working with dignity.

The Third Lesson: Move Beyond the Assimilation vs. Multiculturalism Debate

Immigration debates often become polarized between two positions: demanding strict conformity to Japanese norms or promoting abstract multiculturalism. However, the more important issue is not whether society should prioritize assimilation or diversity. The true challenge is how to institutionalize social participation. If Japanese language ability is necessary, then systems must provide sufficient opportunities, time, and financial support for language learning. If social rules are important, then they must be explained clearly and consistently. Demanding integration without providing institutional support turns integration into exclusion.

The Fourth Lesson: Immigration Alone Cannot Solve Demographic Decline

Some argue that immigration expansion is necessary to address Japan’s aging population and declining birthrate. While immigration may partially mitigate labor shortages, it is not a comprehensive demographic solution. Immigrants themselves also age and eventually become participants in social welfare, healthcare, and pension systems. Therefore, immigration should be viewed as one component within a broader strategy that includes productivity improvement, labor condition reform, domestic workforce development, and regional infrastructure investment.

The Fifth Lesson: Explainability Is Essential

Perhaps the most important issue for Japan is explainability. Why is foreign labor necessary in a specific sector? Why is a particular number of workers being accepted? What burdens will local communities bear, and who will finance the support systems? What rights and responsibilities will foreign nationals have? Without answering these questions, expanding immigration systems will only deepen social polarization. Public trust is built not merely through policy outcomes, but through transparent explanations regarding the goals, limitations, and consequences of policy decisions.

The Conclusion from the Perspective of the Balanced Coexistence Model

From the perspective of the Balanced Coexistence Model, the objective of immigration policy is neither unconditional expansion nor simple exclusion. The key issue is how to balance the interests and burdens shared by the state, businesses, local communities, and foreign nationals themselves. If labor demand alone is prioritized, distrust within society will grow. If control alone is emphasized, the rights and stability of foreign residents will deteriorate. If diversity is celebrated without addressing practical burdens, coexistence will remain superficial. Japan therefore needs an integrated framework combining acceptance, management, support, integration, and institutional explainability.

What Japan Must Avoid

Japan should avoid repeating the mistakes observed in parts of Europe and North America. In many countries, governments first expanded immigration in response to economic demand while postponing discussions about social costs. Then, once public dissatisfaction intensified, policies suddenly shifted toward restriction and enforcement. Such “pendulum politics” undermine predictability for foreign nationals, employers, and local communities alike. Japan must instead estimate social burdens in advance, establish support structures beforehand, and clearly explain the purpose and limits of immigration policy from the outset.

Conclusion

Is immigration good or bad? There is no simple answer. Immigration can strengthen society if institutions are designed properly, but it can also deepen distrust and division if governance fails. What Japan needs is not emotional polarization, but a realistic understanding of both the benefits and the burdens created by immigration. If foreign nationals are needed as workers, then systems supporting them as residents are equally necessary. If coexistence is expected from local communities, those communities cannot be left alone to absorb all the costs. Ultimately, the success of immigration policy depends not on the number of people accepted, but on whether society can design a sustainable balance among all stakeholders.