LyrArc Article Gist
In the earlier history of Japan when Japan was still a poor agricultural country, these Japanese left for Brazil to work in the coffee plantations there. Because Japan's aging population meant foreign workers were helpful to ease shortages, especially for the hard and difficult jobs left for for foreigh workers, special work visas were issued to the descendents of these emigrants. Now an estimated 366,000 Brazilians and Peruvians live in Japan. Jiro Kawasaki, an LDP leader and lawmaker, has set up an emergency program of cash payments -$3000 for airfares and $2000 per recipient- to send these South Americans of Japanese descent home, on the condition that they sign papers never to return. Many of these people are agonizing over the decision especially the one that makes return impossible. The idea is to relieve pressure on labor markets as exports have dropped by 46% and unemployment is rising. However Japan has faced labor shortages in thepast, and these people have aJapanese heritage, which makes this policy in immigration averse Japan controversial. In Britain there have been protests as companies hired foreign workers when British workers were unemployed. It appears that this trend is happening even in immigration friendly countries.