Japan's record crime wave: three Sri Lankans rob a 73-year-old man
Three Sri Lankan men assault an elderly man in Japan. Is Japanese public safety declining due to immigration? An analysis of the debate on racial homogeneity, the Yakuza and more.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Immigration and crime in Japan: the myth of safety is crumbling
Three men of Sri Lankan origin tied up and robbed a 73-year-old man in Japan, an incident that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. The event, recorded and shared online, has sparked a debate about the limits of Japanese public safety and the price of immigration.
The social trust theory
One line of analysis holds that societies like Japan's, built on racial homogeneity and interpersonal trust, are especially vulnerable to the introduction of discordant elements. The comparison is with Switzerland, another high-trust country that also experiences problems with immigration. The metaphor of the milk and cheese box left on the mountain illustrates how a single person who ignores the rules can bring down the whole system. In Japan, 98% racial homogeneity is said to have enabled an informal social control that is now cracking.
The economic factor and the Yakuza
Against this view, others argue that the pressure of global capitalism is the real cause: an ageing population and the need for cheap labour are forcing Japan to open its borders de facto, even though they remain restrictive de jure. The Yakuza, traditionally nationalist, are now said to be involved in drug trafficking and irregular immigration. Testimony points to drug dealers of African origin already operating in troubled areas of Tokyo, something non-existent ten years ago. The plan to import temporary workers —who end up staying— appears to be playing out as designed.
Two views of the future
On one side are those who believe Japan will react with the toughness that defines it, using its legal system and capacity for social control to curb crime. On the other, those who think the damage is already done and that the unstoppable wave of migration will end Japan's exception, as has peine in other homogeneous societies.
The open question is whether Japan can maintain its social model while global capitalism demands it open its doors. The incident involving the 73-year-old man is just the tip of the iceberg.
Related forum discussions
Three men of Sri Lankan origin tied up and robbed a 73-year-old man in Japan, an incident that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. The event, recorded and shared online, has sparked a debate about the limits of Japanese public safety and the price of immigration.
The social trust theory
One line of analysis holds that societies like Japan's, built on racial homogeneity and interpersonal trust, are especially vulnerable to the introduction of discordant elements. The comparison is with Switzerland, another high-trust country that also experiences problems with immigration. The metaphor of the milk and cheese box left on the mountain illustrates how a single person who ignores the rules can bring down the whole system. In Japan, 98% racial homogeneity is said to have enabled an informal social control that is now cracking.
The economic factor and the Yakuza
Against this view, others argue that the pressure of global capitalism is the real cause: an ageing population and the need for cheap labour are forcing Japan to open its borders de facto, even though they remain restrictive de jure. The Yakuza, traditionally nationalist, are now said to be involved in drug trafficking and irregular immigration. Testimony points to drug dealers of African origin already operating in troubled areas of Tokyo, something non-existent ten years ago. The plan to import temporary workers —who end up staying— appears to be playing out as designed.
Two views of the future
On one side are those who believe Japan will react with the toughness that defines it, using its legal system and capacity for social control to curb crime. On the other, those who think the damage is already done and that the unstoppable wave of migration will end Japan's exception, as has peine in other homogeneous societies.
The open question is whether Japan can maintain its social model while global capitalism demands it open its doors. The incident involving the 73-year-old man is just the tip of the iceberg.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (28 replies).
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