Michael Cash <mikecash@buggerallspammers.com> wrote in message news:<3d9go0h2acjq7vsj5o6isfqnoaspe1q8n2@4ax.com>...

> And we wouldn't want our Japanese neighbors to regard us with
> deer-in-the-headlights expressions, so we should refrain from living
> in their midst. Might offend their tender sensibilities, ya know.
> 

I think Mike is right; I used to also make a point to take fliers from
people handing them out, even if they tried to ignore me. Raising a
fuss might upset a few people, but it's a fine line -- its kind of a
civic duty to push the envelope from time to time without overdoing
it; it helps Japan adjust to the fact that it is increasingly a mixed
population. Actually, it is amazing to me how many foreigners now live
in Japan -- I have lived in Japan off and on for 20+ years and it has
changed so much. I remember being in a large supermarket in Chiba last
year and noticing that all of the guys running the produce section
were Europeans, and the guy stocking one of the shelves was French.
This may sound mundane -- actually it is -- but 20 years ago it would
have been unheard of.

Actually, I think Japan is going to become an immigrant country over
the next 50 years, i.e. a significant fraction of its population
growth will come from immigration. This is because the population is
aging very quickly, Japan is facing labor shortages, and it needs tax
revenues from younger workers to support the aged. It is also
surrounded by countries with large populations of young people looking
for a better life, and the Japanese work ethic is not what it once was
-- there are lots of jobs that are there for the taking if you are
willing to get your hands dirty. It is happening already, and will
accelerate over the next few decades. The cultural impact of Japan
changing from a closed inward-looking culture to an immigrant culture
would be huge, but I think it may happen.