第８６回 WORKSHOP報告（７月１９日） / 参加者７３名
（１：後半マテリアル作成者からの説明です）
（２：後半マテリアル作成者のＡさんからプレゼンがありました）
（３：ディスカッションが行われています）
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
《 今回のworkshop 》
○workshop参加人数：７３名（うち新人の方：１４名）
○【前半】：” Why do people watch sports games?”というテーマでディスカッション
○【後半】：”General situations of immigrants living in Japan”というテーマでディスカッション
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
＜英語サークル E’s club 第８６回workshopのご案内＞
みなさまこんばんは、E’s club幹事のＫです。
７月１９日（土）開催の第８６回workshopの詳細をお送りいたします。
前半のマテリアルは私Ｋが作成し、後半のマテリアルはＡさんにご作成いただきました。
今回は”general situations of immigrants living in Japan”に関するディスカッションを行います。
[今週のマテリアル]
＜FIRST HALF＞
今回のFIRST HALFはＫが作成いたしました。
マテリアルの作成をもたもたとしているうちにワールドカップも終わってしましましたが、みなさま試合はご覧になりましたでしょうか。
私はスポーツ観戦が好きです。時間を削って観戦に熱中することもありますし、試合結果には一喜一憂します。
でも、なんでそんなに熱くなるんでしょうね。正直自分でもよく分かりません。
そんなわけで、今回は「ひとはなぜスポーツを観るのか？」というテーマでディスカッションしていただこうと思います。
【Agenda】
Why do people watch sports games?
【Questions】
1. Did you watch Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and/or World Cup in Brazil?
If so, introduce the best match for you to your group members.
If not, who is the most enthusiastic sports fan around you?
2. Which do you like better, playing sports or watching games?
If you like playing, which sport are you best at?
If you like watching, which sport do you like to watch?
3. Why do you think enthusiastic sports fans sometimes cause troubles over the results of the sports games?
4. It is said that the economic effect of 2002 World Cup was hundreds or thousands of millions of yen.
Why some sports games have major economic effects?
5. Why do people watch sports games?
＜LATTER HALF＞
Introduction
Nowadays, you see many foreigners in Osaka, such as in Namba and Nihonbashi shopping malls.
Many foreigners are attracted to Japanese traditional culture, history, animation, fashions.
Not a few foreigners start to learn Japanese because of their interests in these Japanese cultures.
Currently I am working at a public Japanese high school which accepts foreign students.
I teach Japanese to those foreign students. Most of them came from China, Korea, Philippines and Thailand.
Today, I would like to put lights on the situations concerning Japanese language education, overview general situations of immigrants living in Japan, and share some ideas concerning advantages and disadvantages of surrounding them.
Discussions:
1. Although Japan has tried to accept foreign nurses from Philippines or Vietnam, it still leaves language difficulties. Do you agree to the project of accepting foreign nurses?
If YES, do you think the number of Japanese nurse will decrease?
If NO, can you suggest any other solutions?
2. Do you think Japan is an easy country for foreigners to live in? Give some reasons and examples to support your ideas.
3. According to the news of murdering the 7-year girl, do you feel any sympathy towards the murderer because he, as a foreigner, who felt isolated from a Japanese society.
Why was he isolated from the society? Give some ideas the reasons or any other examples similar to this case. How can we solve any problems that foreigners face?
4. According to the article, “Immigration reform: Could this be Abe’s new growth strategy?”, what problems can we solve by accepting foreign worker? What problems are left behind or occur?
5. According to the article, it says that some Americans believe immigrants are a burden on their country because they take our jobs, housing and health care.
On the other hand, others believe immigrants take low paying jobs Americans don’t want, so they strengthen the country. Which idea do you agree? And why?
＜LATTER HALF＞(続き)
☆安部内閣の取り組み
Immigration reform: Could this be Abe’s new growth strategy?
by Jeff Kingston
Special To The Japan Times
May 19, 2013
The politics of immigration in Japan involve anxieties about national identity and worries about crime. Looking at other countries with large numbers of immigrants, the Japanese government has said “no thanks.” There are, however, strong economic reasons for Japan to let down the drawbridges.
Advocates point to Japan’s shrinking population, impending labor shortages, and the need for more taxpayers to keep the national medical and pension schemes solvent without considerably upping individuals’ contributions.
Critics fear that too many foreigners living in their midst will rip asunder the fabric of society and endanger what they cherish about Japan. But not all opponents are xenophobes; some argue that until Japan can ensure foreigners’ rights and provide equal opportunity it should not being putting out the welcome mat.
As of 2012, 24 percent of Japan’s population, numbering about 30 million, is over 65 years of age, and this will reach 40 percent by 2055. More importantly, the number of workers supporting each retiree is shrinking, from 10 in 1950 to 3.6 in 2000 and 1.9 by 2025. And there are fewer replacements in sight.
Who is going to pay sufficient taxes to fund retirees’ pensions and medical care? And who will take care of all these elderly people as they grow frail? Until now, female relatives have done most of the heavy lifting, but a third of these caregivers report giving up their job in order to do so, representing a significant loss of household income and derailed careers. On top of that, many spouses are getting too old for the job.
About one-half of family caregivers are age 60 or over, meaning that much of elderly care is in the hands of the elderly. Currently, care managers decide on how much national insurance-funded professional assistance the elderly get at home, but it is supplementary. Given that primary caregivers are usually female relatives, the declining number of middle-aged women combined with the rapid growth in the number of over-65s in the population suggests the limits of this model.
The major implication is a serious shortage of nurses and caregivers, with estimates in the hundreds of thousands. The annual turnover rate for caregivers is more than 20 percent, and some 500,000 Japanese with licenses have given up working in the field; clearly many workers feel it is not a desirable calling.
So who will take on these difficult, low-paid jobs? The answer might come from overseas, but there is a tight global market as aging societies elsewhere are also competing for the same limited pool of caregiving professionals – and many offer a better deal than this country.
Japan has initiated tiny pilot programs with Indonesia and the Philippines, but the acceptance and retention criteria are set so high that the programs are designed to fail. The difficulties of mastering written Japanese, stringent qualification exams, and the prospect of being sent home for failure to pass exams will hamper Japan’s efforts to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of foreign caregivers. Hence such programs offer little immediate relief to the existing acute shortages.
As of 2011, 63 out of the original 104 nurses who came from Indonesia in 2008 had returned home, citing language and other problems. Reportedly, they were discouraged by restrictions preventing them from administering some treatments, such as drips and injections, that they had been licensed to administer in Indonesia. Instead, they are assigned tasks that do not require professional training, such as bathing patients and table setting.
In 2012, only 47 of 415 non-Japanese candidates passed the nursing exam. Nursing homes estimate that its costs \30 million to train and employ a nurse over the four-year initial visa, meaning that vast investments in human resources are being squandered. Things have got so bad that this year the government decided to give nurses and caregivers from both countries an extra year to prepare for their exams. But this is an inadequate, band-aid for a program that needs more fundamental surgery; a microcosm of the overall policy challenges presented by immigration.
The doubling of the number of foreign residents in Japan over the past two decades, to 2.2 million, has raised anxieties among Japanese about the future of their country, national identity and how to manage the influx – even though this represents less than 2 percent of the population.
While Japan as a monoethnic, homogeneous nation persists in the collective imagination, that perception is being confronted with some jarring signs of transformation evident in increasing numbers of international marriages and permanent-residency visas over the past two decades. Ironically, recent studies suggest that in rural areas foreign wives have played a key role in preserving traditions, taking over roles that fewer Japanese women choose to assume.
Alas, public discourse is dominated by widespread misconceptions that foreigners are crime-prone – despite national crime statistics proving they are not a menace to society.
Back in the early 1980s, Japan accepted more than 10,000 Indochinese refugees, and they have done well and contributed to the communities where they live. It’s an unheralded success that bears repeating. The United Nations estimates that to stabilize Japan’s population and avoid the consequences of a declining and aging population, immigration needs to rise to 650,000 a year. That, though, just won’t happen.
But even if on a smaller scale, expanding immigration could boost Japan’s capacity to innovate and create new wealth, bringing an infusion of new ideas, language and cultural skills, global networks and entrepreneurial spirit.
The recent influx of Chinese since the 1990s demonstrates just how valuable immigrants can be, as these people have leveraged their transnational networks to facilitate and contribute to burgeoning trade and investment links. Many come as students and remain because they can get good jobs and start profitable businesses. Since 2007, Chinese have become Japan’s largest foreign resident population (more than 600,000), while an additional 100,000 have become Japanese citizens.
In certain sectors facing a shortage of skilled workers, such as IT, the government has initiated a new points system that targets foreigners with desired skills, achievements and level of income. But this fast-track permanent-resident visa program is small, involving only about 2,000 people a year who are already working in Japan.
By way of comparison, the United States – with a population more than double Japan’s – lets in 225,000 foreigners with special skills every year because there is recognition that talented foreigners are contributing to innovation, and immigrant entrepreneurs are creating job-generating businesses.
Indeed, The Economist recently reported that immigrants or their children founded 40 percent of Fortune 500 firms and were responsible for 25 percent of all high-tech startups in the U.S.
A senior Cabinet office vice-minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government recently mentioned increasing the numbers of foreign engineers and other skilled workers by annual increments of 100,000 by easing criteria. In terms of growth strategies, the potential benefits of attracting resourceful immigrants are significant, since – just as in the U.S. – they could be engines of innovation and employment. Migrants tend to have high aspirations and are willing to work hard to achieve them; to the extent they prosper they could help rejuvenate the overall economy.
Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Fast Retailing (Uniqlo), supports immigration as a way to tap into the rising Asian story and make Japan more dynamic. But nurturing and mobilizing immigration’s potential in Japan means creating a more hospitable and appealing environment – and that’s an agenda still in search of a constituency.
☆7歳の女の子殺害
Man charged over murder of 7-year-old girl in 2005
Japan Today Jun. 04, 2014 – 12:20PM JST
Tochigi prefectural police said Tuesday that they have charged a 32-year-old man with the murder of a 7-year-old girl in December 2005.
The suspect, identified as Takuya Katsumata, was arrested in January for dealing in fake brand-name goods. Police said that in April, he started making statements hinting at his involvement in the murder of Yuki Yoshida, Fuji TV reported.
Police told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon that they found videos and images of young girls, including Yoshida, on his computer.
Yoshida went missing while on her way home from school in Imaichi (which became part of Nikko in 2006) on Dec 1, 2005. Her naked body was found the next day in a forest about 65 kilometers away. She had been stabbed about 10 times.
Police said they followed up on more than 3,673 leads in the case and a reward of 5 million yen was offered. Police said that Katsumata, who lived two kilometers away from Yoshida’s home, was considered a suspect early on in the investigation because his car had been seen on the road where Yoshida was last seen. But police were not able to establish a case against him.
Fuji TV quoted police as saying that Katsumata has admitted to killing the girl and told them that he only met her for the first time on the day he killed her. He told police he threw her clothes and satchel away.
Police said Katsumata has so far given no motive but said he wished to “apologize to Yuki.”
Katsumata, who was unemployed when he was arrested, used to sell antiques at flea markets, Fuji TV reported.
☆外国人看護士
Symposium on CROSS-BORDER MOVEMENT OF NATURAL PERSONS:
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and acceptance of foreign workers
Summary Report
I. Outline of the Symposium
A symposium on ‘Cross-Border Movement of Natural Persons: Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
and acceptance of foreign workers’ was held on July 27, 2004 at U Thant International Conference Hall,
United Nations University. This symposium was organized by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and drew more than 300 people.
II. Opening Remarks
Mr. Kenichiro Sasae, Director-General of Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Strong interests were expressed by partner countries in the area of ‘cross-border movement of natural
persons’ at the negotiating tables for Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). In accepting foreign
workers, we need to be reminded of the significant impact it will bring to our economic lives and
beyond. The aim of this symposium is to raise the major issues and arguments which can serve as the
basis for further debate on acceptance of cross-border movement. I hope to hear lively discussions
covering issues such as revitalization of the Japanese economy, the merits/demerits of accepting foreign
workers, and the perspectives of sending countries.
III. Session I: EPA and Movement of Natural Persons – how should Japan respond?
Moderator: Mr. Kenichiro Sasae
Summaries of the Presentations by Panelists
Mr. Kiyoaki Shimagami, Chairperson of Taskforce for Promotion of EPA, Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation)/Senior Adviser, Toshiba Corporation
South East Asia became a region with strong economic power and continues to maintain great potential,
thus providing an important economic base for Japan. We hope that the conclusion of EPAs with South
East Asian countries will serve to further facilitate the mobility of goods, services, persons and
investments.
Facilitating the cross-border movement of natural persons is important for many reasons. Foreign
workers contribute to the generation of a dynamic, multicultural and diversified environment necessary
for revitalizing the Japanese economy. Similarly, the recruitment of skilled and highly skilled
professionals has truly become globalized, and corporations and companies need qualified persons
regardless of their nationality. Furthermore, facilitating the mobility of persons may serve to find
solutions to Japan’s aging population and strengthen Japan’s partnership with South East Asia. As the
first step to achieve these goals, deregulation of immigration policies is requested by the Nippon
Keidanren to facilitate international intra-company transfers and human resource outsourcing practices.
Mr. Yasutaka Suga, Executive Director of Department of Working Conditions, Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation)
Conclusion of EPAs may result in revisions and changes to be made to the national structure, social
system and livelihood of Japanese citizens. Concerns over how these changes may affect the well-being
of the workers of sending and receiving countries should rise. A thorough examination of the ‘negative
consequences’ should take place before pursuing short-term economic merits.
The issue of ‘movement of natural persons’ needs to be examined from the standpoint to enable
sustainable development of both sending and receiving countries. This requires medium- and long-term
perspectives and is different from the short-term view which is based on temporary labour shortage.
There are various costs associated with the influx of foreign workers, including the pressure placed on
local employment, health and education services, and cultural frictions arising from differences. There is
a risk that foreign workers would be marginalized to the bottom of an increasingly segmented Japanese
labour market. Attention needs to be paid to the unresolved domestic employment challenges faced by
over 3 million unemployed, recent graduates without jobs, and casual/temporary workers. Therefore,
acceptance of foreign workers should be tolerated only for skilled workers. The trade union also
maintains that this issue should be decided based on the principle of national consensus and a thorough
consideration of the domestic employment situation.
Mr. Brunson McKinley, Director General of IOM
In recent years, there is a revival of interest in employment-related migration among European nations.
Countries such as the UK, Germany and Ireland are opening their doors once again to foreign migrants.
Some trends in European labour migration policies may be worthy of attention. First of all, it is clear
that labour migration policies and comprehensive migration management are increasingly becoming
integrated as exemplified by the new immigration law of Germany which encompasses issues of labour
migration, border management, and integration of migrants. Secondly, dramatic diversification in the
types of labour migration schemes is taking place to recruit migrants of various skills and origins.
Bilateral labour agreements are by far the most common types of agreements. Identification of suitable
labour migration schemes beneficial and suitable for both sending and receiving countries is achievable
only through dialogue. Among all the benefits enjoyed by sending countries, the importance of migrant
remittance needs to be stressed. In many sending countries, the amount of remittance often exceeds that
of foreign direct investment or overseas development aid. The way to maximize the use of remittance
for social and economic development needs to be explored.
Mr. Tomas Achacoso, Former Administrator of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
From my experience, the problem is not the absence of good policies but rather the lack of attention to
the details of how labour-sending countries respond to the manner in which these policies are
implemented. Japan needs to ensure that its domestic system is attuned not just to its internal operation
and requirements but also to the realities of the sending countries.
Summaries of Panel Discussion and Q&A
・Merits in accepting foreign workers include provision of human resources that cannot be met
locally, securing of financial resources for social securities including pension, and contribution
to the development of labour-sending countries through skill transfer and workers’ remittance.
・Demerits in accepting foreign workers include the risk of marginalizing foreign workers to the
bottom of an increasingly segmented labour market in Japan. To avoid this risk, measures to
improve the existing working environment are indispensable.
・EPA negotiation touches upon the issue of acceptance of foreign workers from the standpoint of
human resource exchange. This does not mean that EPA negotiation is the occasion to negotiate
the nation’s immigration policy. On a separate occasion, a discussion needs to take place to
debate the potential schemes if foreign workers are accepted on a regular basis. Through these
types of discussion, we seek consensus on a comprehensive migration policy.
・Research is needed to identify the trends in labour shortage by region and sector. Cooperation
from regional governments may be required to achieve this goal.
・Globalization of crime is in progress as the cross-border movement of persons is on the rise.
International cooperation among law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities is vital,
especially in the areas of human trafficking and smuggling.
・It is important to provide skills training to develop the desired human resources domestically,
while pursuing orderly immigration of foreign workers under the EPA framework.
IV. Session II: Panel Discussion on Acceptance of Skilled Workers
Moderator: Mr. Makoto Ebina, Research Fellow of Mizuho Research Institute Ltd.
Summaries of the Presentations by Panelists
Dr. Yutaka Kajiwara, AHP Network/President of Itakura Hospital
In order to contribute to the human resource development of the youth in South East Asia, Asian Human
Power (AHP) Network has been running a training assistance programme for Vietnamese nurses since
1994. This programme aims for Vietnamese youth to obtain nursing licenses and carry out training
internships in Japan. Training and support are provided for acquiring Japanese language ability,
enrolling in Japanese nursing schools, and carrying out training internships in Japan. In the first trial
phase of our programme, none of our candidates passed the entrance examination for nursing schools.
The record has gradually improved, and a total of 38 Vietnamese nurses have been borne through our
programme so far.
Some of the issues that have arisen from our programme may be relevant in relation to the discussion on
the acceptance of foreign nurses. Under the current immigration system, there is no visa category that
allows foreigners with Japanese nursing licenses to work in Japan. Having graduated from nursing
schools and completed the four-year training period in Japan, our Vietnamese nurses have no option but
to return home.
Dr. Keiko Okaya, Executive Director of Japanese Nursing Association
Globalization is taking place in the world of nursing. The Nursing Association is not against the
provision to enable foreign nurses to work in Japan. That said, if the purpose of allowing foreign nurses
in Japan is primarily to fill the domestic shortage of nurses, we do not feel comfortable with such a
measure and insist that it is not a solution to the root-causes of the problems. Statistically, there is no
absolute shortage of nurses in Japan as the total number of registered nurses is sufficient to fill the needs
expressed. The shortage is taking place in certain regions or in particular categories of hospitals.
Domestic measures to alleviate this mismatch are awaited.
The Nursing Association requests that the foreign nurses who come to work in Japan pass the National
Nursing License Examination and obtain the license, have sufficient level of language ability, and
receive wages and benefits equal to those of Japanese nurses. We are opposed to the mutual recognition
of nursing licenses.
Mr. Mamoru Ougida, Managing Director of Asahi Sun Clean Co., Ltd./Manager of Japan Home Care Service Providers Association
Personally speaking, it may be difficult for foreign caregivers to work in Japan at this moment,
considering the age group of customers and risks for potential miscommunication at the workplace. In
recent years, however, the situation is gradually changing as the competition is increasing among care
providers. Recruitment and retention of caregivers is a challenge for many care providers. Although
there are over 20,000 home-helper license holders in Japan, not all of them are working in this area. The
retention rate of caregivers is low. One of the ways in which foreign caregivers may be allowed to work
in Japan without raising concern is to require them to obtain Japan’s Care Helper Certificate and Care
Worker Certificate, and have them work among the team of Japanese staff.
With regard to the shortage of nurses, it is an issue for us because some elements of care work indeed
require attendance of the nurse. Care providers are facing tremendous difficulties in recruiting and
retaining nurses. Our company hires nurses through a placement agency which is very costly.
Mr. Nilim Baruah, Head of Labour Migration Service, IOM
The shortage of nurses is increasingly pronounced in industrialized countries. Foreign nurses are often
filling the gap. For them, it is the means to improve skills and benefits through higher wages. In the UK,
there are over 42,000 foreign-trained nurses, representing 8% of the total number of registrations.
Countries such as Ireland, Australia, Netherlands, South Africa, and the US also depend on foreign
nurses.
The system of admitting nurses differ significantly among host countries in terms of recruitment practice,
skill recognition, and registration. For example, some countries practice mutual recognition of nurse
licenses with or without the credentials from skill/nursing organizations, while others require candidates
to pass national nurse examinations. Taking the middle ground, other countries accept foreign nurses as
trainees and recognize their skills based on performance. Migration of nurses should not bring adverse
effects to the health system of the country of origin. Establishing ethical guidelines for recruitment may
help alleviate such incidents.
Summaries of Panel Discussion and Q&A
・There are different interpretations of the future prospect of the supply and demand of nurses in Japan. The total number of registered nurses seems to be sufficient to meet the demand nationwide, while individual hospitals and clinics are suffering from shortages. There is a mismatch in the system which is generating this gap.
・Both nursing and care giving require a sufficient level of Japanese language ability in order to communicate thoroughly. Generally speaking, we have been skeptical about a foreigner’s ability to acquire the Japanese language. This is becoming no longer true, and there are foreigners whose level of Japanese is sufficient for carrying our their tasks in Japan.
・Taiwan and Germany actively recruit foreign workers in the areas of nursing and care giving. To
achieve sustainable welfare service, the examples of other countries should be referred to and
taken into consideration.
Panel Discussion II: Institutional Framework for Receiving Foreign Workers
Moderator: Prof. Kazuaki Tezuka, Chiba University
Summaries of the Presentations by Panelists
Mr. Yasuyuki Kitawaki, Mayor of Hamamatsu City
The revision made to the Immigration Control And Refugee Recognition Act in 1990 allowed people
with Japanese ancestry (nikkeijin) to reside and work in Japan. This amendment led to the rapid increase
in the Japanese-Brazilian population in Hamamatsu City. We are debating today whether or not Japan
should accept foreign workers, but Hamamatsu City is already facing problems with how to
accommodate foreign residents who represent 4% of the city’s total population. From our survey, it is
clear that Japanese-Brazilians are settling down in Japan rather than returning home country. It is also
clear that many of them do not have health insurance due to their unstable employment status. Education
for the children of foreign residents remains insufficient. The children have free access to public
educational institutions, but this open door policy does not seem to be enough to provide meaningful
education for them. The time has come for us to begin tackling these challenges. Otherwise, the
conclusion of EPAs and their consequences would leave some elements of uncertainty in the Japanese
society.
Mr. Nobutaka Shinomiya, Deputy Director General of Immigration Bureau, Ministry of Justice
It is clear that cross-border movement of persons will continue into the foreseeable feature. This trend
poses the question of how our social and national system should respond to the phenomena, especially in
the areas of diplomacy and maintenance of public order and security.
In Japan, there are 220,000 visa over-stayers and an estimated 30,000 foreigners who entered our
country illegally. The existence of foreigners with irregular status, from the standpoint of social stability
and public security, is urging us to take measures to prevent any unwanted consequences. Under the
current immigration laws, permits issued for foreign nationals can be divided into two categories: one
related to the social status of the person (ex. spouse of Japanese national) and the other related to the
categories of activities engaged (ex. study, training, and employment). Any activity and employment of
foreigners in Japan must be subject to the rules designated to each status/category. The Immigration
Bureau alone cannot provide comprehensive support for foreign nationals. We would like to do this in
collaboration with other ministries and agencies. With regard to the issue of human trafficking, the
Ministry of Justice is currently undertaking a survey to understand the extent of the problem. Together
with the government, we are working to improve the protection provided for the victims of trafficking
and expedite the persecution of traffickers. For refugee recognition procedure, we are in the process of
improving transparency in the determination process in accordance with the revised Immigration
Control and Refugee Recognition Act.
Mr. Singtong Lapisatepun, Counsellor of Royal Thai Embassy, Tokyo
A recent public opinion survey result clearly shows the ambivalent feelings that Japanese people have
toward the issue of foreign workers. While the majority express ‘fears and concerns’ with regard to
foreign workers, a similar proportion also accepts or reluctantly acknowledges Japan’s increasing need
for foreign workers. A new perspective that looks at the reason why foreign workers continue to come to
Japan despite the absence of legal channels is much awaited. A measure must be introduced to deal with
the foreign workers who are already here in Japan. The Technical Trainee System is reportedly used as a
way to recruit manual workers. Trainees receive little allowance, and some trainees flee to take up
illegal but well-paid jobs. Incidents of crime committed by foreigners often draw public attention in
Japan. The current immigration system compels many foreign workers to go ‘underground’, which may
make them more susceptible to crime. Crime would rarely take place if there is a system in place to
allow foreign workers of a variety of skill levels to work in Japan through regular channels.
Mr. Yorio Tanimura, Director of Migration Management Services Department, IOM
In the year 2000, there were 175 million migrants in the world. In other words, one in every 35 persons
is a migrant. A large number of labour receiving countries focus on how to manage the flow rather than
stem the movement of people. It is not very realistic to presume that Japan will do without accepting
foreign workers in the coming decades. Japan needs to shift its focus from merits and demerits of labour
migration to a practical focus on cost and benefit analysis of migration. The former looks at the issue
merely from the scope of whether or not to accept foreign workers, while the latter examines the
economic, social and cultural costs related to migration. Needless to say, Japan’s migration must take
into account how its policy will affect the countries of origins of migrant workers. The global labour
market for skilled workers is becoming increasingly competitive. Only by making the country a
promising destination country for migrants is it possible for Japan to attract competitive and highly
skilled foreign workers.
Summaries of Panel Discussion and Q&A
・There is concern that accepting foreign workers may lead to a deterioration in public order and
security. At present, foreigners account for 2.3% of all crimes committed in Japan. We have to
evaluate this situation and come up with possible responses to address this issue.
・Faced with a labour shortage, the challenge for the first generation is to try to examine the
situation and come up with possible solutions. It is the second generation who will be hit hard
by the consequences. Before it is too late, we have to commit ourselves to discuss the issue of
declining population and related issues such as the national pension scheme.
・The Overseas Exchange Panel is an advisory body to the Foreign Minister. The Panel has been
conducting a series of discussions on the acceptance of foreigners. A report of the discussions is
expected to become available in October 2004.
V. Closing Remarks
Mr. Kenichiro Sasae, Director-General of Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The issue concerning the acceptance of foreign workers goes beyond the framework of EPA. It is an
issue which is strongly linked to our vision for the future of our country. Thorough examination of the
country’s future direction, global trends and costs/benefits of migration are essential in formulating our
responses. Meanwhile, we are encouraged to create an adequate domestic condition and environment
for foreign workers already residing in Japan and for those who will be accepted in the future.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140605p2a00m0na005000c.html
Vehicle similar to child murder suspect’s car seen in security camera footage
UTSUNOMIYA — A man under arrest on suspicion of murdering a 7-year-old girl in 2005 owned a car similar to one seen in security camera footage recorded at around the same time he supposedly passed a route from Tochigi Prefecture to Ibaraki Prefecture where he allegedly abandoned the girl’s body, investigative sources said.
According to a joint investigation team of the Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectural police forces, Takuya Katsumata, 32, who is suspected of kidnapping and killing Yuki Yoshida in December 2005, owned a white sedan that resembled one seen near the area where Yuki went missing on Dec. 1. Katsumata has already disposed of the vehicle.
Katsumata told investigators that he took Yuki in his car and went to Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, where her body was found on Dec. 2. Police examined security camera footage recorded at the time Katsumata had passed a route to the city and detected what appears to be his car.
Katsumata said he abandoned the girl’s body in the middle of the night. Police suspect that he dumped the corpse sometime between late in the night of Dec. 1 and the predawn hours of the next day to avoid being seen. In the area where the girl’s body was found, a sedan of unknown color was seen sometime between 11:40 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. on the day the girl went missing. The investigation team suspects that the sedan may have belonged to the suspect and is looking into details.
While the suspect has admitted to kidnapping and killing the girl, he has been changing stories about the place of the murder and other details.
Meanwhile, investigative sources said Katsumata might have been looking for a school-age girl he could abduct and drove around the area at the time children went home from school. Investigators believe that Yuki happened to catch Katsumata’s attention while she was walking home alone.
Yuki had headed home from school with her friend, but the pair separated as they took different directions. The route Yuki took was a quiet street and nobody saw her being kidnapped by Katsumata.
Yuki’s family usually picked her up from school, but was not able to make it that day. Katsumata is believed to be familiar with the site where the girl was kidnapped and have known what time school ended as he was an alumnus.
As Katsumata has told investigators that he did not know the victim, they believe the victim was chosen randomly. He reportedly said he had the urge to kidnap Yuki when he saw her.
Katsumata surfaced as a suspect several months after the incident as the investigation team received information about a “suspicious man who hardly comes out of his house.” At the time of the murder, Katsumata was living by himself in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, a neighboring city of Imaichi (a part of today’s Nikko) where Yuki lived. His neighbor at the time remembers him as a quiet person.
Katsumata originally came from Taiwan. After separating from his Taiwanese father, he came to Tochigi to live with his mother who had come to Japan before Katsumata graduated from elementary school. His former elementary school classmates said Katsumata stopped showing up at school as he had difficulty understanding Japanese. He returned to Taiwan afterwards, leaving his mother in Tochigi, but his grandmother in Taiwan made him go back to Japan as she saw him spending his days only playing video games and watching TV shows.
His mother remarried in Japan, but Katsumata did not get along with his stepfather. After the mother let Katsumata live by himself when he was in junior high school, he stopped going to classes. Katsumata transferred to another school in Utsunomiya when he was a third-year junior high school student, but he was sleeping in a classroom and usually spent time at a school nurse’s office, according to his former classmate.
Katsumata did not enroll in a high school and started selling fake brand goods with his mother from the time he was 18 years old.
On June 5, the joint investigation team sent Katsumata to public prosecutors. Katsumata left the Imaichi Police Station from the rear entrance and entered a police van after casting a glance at media crews.
Investigators said Katsumata has admitted to abandoning the victim’s body in a forest in Hitachiomiya, but he would not be charged with dumping the corpse as the statute of limitations for the crime of three years has passed.
June 05, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
**********************************************
私たちと一緒に英語コミュニケーション能力を鍛えませんか？
ご興味を持たれた方は、
入会申込フォーム
https://english-speaking-club.com/cms/?page_id=93
よりお申し込みください。お待ちしています！
***********************************************************
| 01 | E's clubとは･ごあいさつ |
| 02 | サークルの８つのウリ |
| 03 | 学習会の流れ |
| 04 | レベルについて |
| 05 | スタッフ紹介・参加者の声 |
| 06 | 開催報告･過去の題材 |
| 07 | FAQ・会則 |
