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International Journal of
Population Studies Population aging and immigration in Japan

is considered to increase the positive association. This contractors and dispatched to production lines, according
study examines how demographic change measured to the Ministry of Justice. When an increasing number
by population composition by age group is related to of Brazilian Nikkeijin began to come to Japan in the early
population change in immigration in Japan by applying 1990’s, most of them were temporary guest workers who
econometric methods for the period 1975 – 2019. stayed in Japan for a few years and returned to their
country of origin (Goto, 2007).
In the past few decades, the age distribution of the
population of Japanese nationals (thereafter Japan’s Following the revised law of 1990, the Japan
population) has shifted considerably with more people International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO)
reaching advanced ages than ever before. In the future, the program was founded in 1991. JITCO (2023) explains
share of the population aged 65 and over (65+) is expected that JITCO’s main purpose is to promote the acceptance
to increase from 28.9% in 2021 to 38.1% in 2060 according of foreign nationals, such as technical intern trainees and
to recent demographic projections by the Statistics Bureau foreigners with specified skills and to contribute to the
of Japan (2022). This change leads to a reduction in the development of the international economic community.
share of the working age population and a supply shortage In April 2019, Japan amended the immigration control
of qualified workers. The government is struggling to law, reflecting a major shift in Japan’s immigration policy.
balance its own deeply conservative views on immigration Under the act, lower-skilled and semi-skilled foreign
with the need for new and younger workers (CNN, 2018). workers are opened to enter Japan for a maximum period
In 2018, Japan’s law makers approved a bill to introduce of 5 years. It is expected to attract around 345,000 workers
new visa categories for foreign workers to address the in the next 5 years (Immigration Services Agency, Japan,
shrinking workforce. 2019; Nippon.com, 2019).
Immigration is considered to be preventing declines Most recently, on April 21, 2023, the Japan’s government
in the working age population. However, determining an has introduced a new and simplified system for granting
optimal immigration policy is complex because economic, visas to highly skilled professional foreign workers. The
cultural, and security pressures all compete for political aim of this new policy is to attract more overseas talents
consideration (Congressional Research Service, 2009). to Japan by offering preferential treatment for those
To the question of how Japan should open its domestic who meet certain conditions, such as having a master’s
labor market to foreign workers, former prime minister degree and annual income of at least 20 million yen (USD
Koizumi responded that the “If [the foreign labor] exceeds 150,000) (Corporate Immigration Partners, 2023; Ministry
a certain level, it is bound to cause a clash. It is necessary of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 2023).
to consider measures to prevent it and then admit foreign
workers as necessary. Just because there is a labor shortage 1.2. Literature review
does not mean we should readily allow [foreign workers] 1.2.1. Population aging and demographic transition
to come in” (Kashiwazaki & Akaha, 2006, p. 1). To devise The rapid aging population in Japan has resulted in an
an immigration policy under the conditions of population increase in the number of persons near the retirement
aging, it is important to know how different dimensions age, a decline in labor force participation, and an increase
of population composition affect immigration. This study in labor shortage. Therefore, immigration is considered
addresses this issue. To my knowledge, this study is the first to be preventing declines in the working age population.
empirical analysis to examine the relationship between A report from the United Nations (2000) noted that
population composition by age group and immigration in immigration is needed to prevent declines in the working
Japan. age population in Japan.

1.1. A brief description of Japan’s immigration and Wilbur Zelinsky (1971) proposed that the hypothesis
governance of the mobility transition that states the type of migration
In response to population aging and the decline in labor depends on its development level and its society type. It is
force population, Japan’s government has introduced linked to the demographic transition theory. Demographic
numerous policies and practices to increase more change has a profound effect on society, and increasing the
foreign workers. In the early 1990s, the number of South immigrant population is one response to these changes.
American Nikkeijin (Japanese origin) in Japan rose sharply, It is difficult to explain Japan’s immigration without
encouraged by the Revised Immigration Control Law of introducing demographic transition.
1990. The majority of Nikkeijin workers are employed in The demographic transition theory was presented by
the manufacturing sector. They are employed by labor Warren Thompson, Adolphe Laudry, Frank Notestein, and

Volume 9 Issue 1 (2023) 19 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.407