Politicians Consider Replacing Japanese People

Isabel Reynolds writes for Reuters:

“With more than a quarter of Japanese expected to be aged over 65 by 2015, the country faces serious economic consequences, including labour shortages that could weigh on GDP.`

“A group of ruling party politicians see immigration as a possible solution and have presented Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda with a radical new proposal that seeks to have immigrants make up 10 per cent of the population in 50 years` time. Government figures show the workforce is on course to shrink by eight million in the next 10 years.”[Japan gets serious about immigration, August 09, 2008]

Now, of course, what could be considered instead are immediate economic incentives that would make it easier for young Japanese to have families. Sweden has done that-and has a higher birth rate than Italy–which hasn`t followed that path.

That won`t solve the immediate problem–but it would create the possibility of a longer term stabilization.