The
article discusses the changes occurring in Tokyo in preparation for the
upcoming 2020 Olympics, specifically in terms of making it more accessible to
foreigners. Some examples discussed in the piece include foreign-language-inclusive
signs, smartphone-based payment systems, and, interestingly, increased
regulations on smoking.
I
think this story is interesting as it relates to Japan’s history as an isolated
nation. Of course, in the modern day and age, Japan is a global player, having the
third largest economy in the world. Japanese culture has spread far across the
globe, with Pokemon and Hello Kitty being the two highest-grossing media
franchises of all time. This is certainly a far cry from the period of
isolation under the Sakoku policy. Despite these changes, Japan is still quite
the homogenous and traditional nation. According to an article written at the beginning
of 2018, foreign nationals living in Japan made up about 98% of the Japanese
population. Indeed, even prime minister Shinzo Abe is known as a Japanese
nationalist, even being heavily involved in historical revisionism in his
pre-prime minister days. This is to say that Japan retains its own identity in
an increasingly globalized world. Herein lies something important about the
article: Japan’s attempts to make Tokyo more foreigner-accessible is an arena
in which we can see these traditions changing.
The
Olympics bring together countries from all over the world. It is perhaps
partially the spirit of camaraderie created by sports that pushes Japan to make
these changes. However, these changes are also a function of the times. Perhaps
they even bode well for Japan’s famous birth rate crisis. This other article I read
claims that “Ultimately, Japan will only survive and prosper if it alters its
deep-seated prejudice against immigration,” (Cortazzi). In a world in which countries
must increasingly work together to prosper, perhaps the Olympics can set a
trend in the right direction for Japan’s immigration policy.
No comments:
Post a Comment