Bektemir Berdimurodov
Sessions
According to IMF statistics, Japan's nominal GDP per capita has fallen to 38th place (2024). Aside from the ranking, the fact that the figure has not increased for over 30 years and has been declining in recent years is a bigger problem. Japan's relative decline in economic power is leading to a loss of confidence in the structure of Japanese society and among the Japanese people, bringing about various changes. One of the biggest changes is how we interact with foreigners.
For many years, Japan and the Japanese people have had a strong sense of confidence in their title of "advanced nation," and have believed that they are superior in every way, especially to other Asian countries. However, this is an illusion, and Japan and the Japanese people, who have neglected to change, are likely to perceive diversity as "fear." What lies ahead is a new "攘夷"(JYOU-I, expulsion of foreigners) policy in the 21st century, and a further decline in Japan's international status.
In this session, researchers in their 30s to 60s with extensive knowledge of Asian countries will discuss the vulnerability of Japanese society from various perspectives, including community, education, information, and law, and consider the role of law and society.
Is Japanese society open to foreigners? Like many other countries, Japan is experiencing a rapid decline in the birthrate and an aging population, and the Japanese government is actively trying to accept foreign workers. However, various legal barriers make this difficult. The 2023 amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act will make the already difficult process of refugee recognition even more difficult, and there has been a noticeable delay in measures against "illegal employment." In particular, human rights violations in detention facilities run by the Immigration Services Agency are well known, and the problem of "provisional release," which prohibits people from working, is also serious.
What is the background behind Japan's policy of this kind? Also, will these problems be overcome? In this report, I would like to examine some concrete examples and shed light on the structure of Japanese society that is so harsh on foreigners, particularly from the perspective of the legal system.