On August 14, Yayoi took her last breath during Obon week. The time of the year Japanese celebrate the return of ancestors from the astral to the physical plain. In a strange way, she was in good company.

Somehow she made it to the age of 97. No small feat considering the abusive childhood she experienced and the depression and anxiety that trauma painted into her life. Multiple stays in mental health institutions and absolutely not fitting into Japanese society. In Japanese there is a phrase "出る杭は打たれる" (deru kugi wa utareru) - the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. It doesn't sound great, but the idea is to promote social harmony. To think of the group rather than the individual. You can see how this can be a positive and a negative.

I feel like Yayoi experienced just enough of the not so good end of that, and then just side-stepped it completely. Literally bought a ticket and left. It's much easier to do when you are outside of the country and those societal rules no longer apply. And that is where she flourished and grew and gained the confidence to return and exist on her own absolute terms.

I think the first piece I ever saw was at the Mori Arts Museum eons ago. It was one of her Infinity Rooms and it felt like you had your own personal Hubble Telescope, peering, sinking, floating into the deep far outer reaches of space. I can barely remember all the other pieces on display. They were also created by talented artists and worthy of inclusion in that joint exhibition. But. They weren't that Infinity Room.

Seeing her pumpkins on Naoshima Island brought me such joy. I can't explain why. Not logically. But there is something wonderfully whimsical and wonderfully right about placing a striking yellow and black pumpkin against the backdrop of an ever changing blue ocean and blue sky. A few years back there was a huge typhoon that whipped through there and someone had not brought the pumpkin in. That's right. They bring the pumpkin in during bad weather. Someone ended up having a very bad day. The pumpkin went missing. It made national news. My colleagues and I were aghast. "My God! Not the pumpkin!!!!!" was the standard response.

After the storm, a friend who lives on the island went down to see what the situation was. They sent me two photos. One was the empty platform. And the 2nd was the pumpkin rolling around in the ocean further down the beach. It's kinda weird to say, but seeing the pumpkin rolling around in the ocean was infinitely stranger than seeing one on a platform in the sea. It was definitely a "the universe is out of whack" moment.

They had ran out of spare pumpkins. Yes. They had spare pumpkins. This was also a revelation. It took them a while to make a new pumpkin but finally the universe was restored to its usual equilibrium. And we breathed a sigh of relief. In a chaotic world, at least this had been rectified.

Kusama did a collaboration with Louis Vuitton a few years ago. This gave her a much more public face in Japan. Finally. She is well appreciated overseas but the average Japanese would probably not recognise her name. All throughout Tokyo there were random, whimsical installations of her work. And my absolute favourite was the complete takeover of Shibuya. All of the screens and poles used for advertising were taken over with images of her and her dots. It was fabulous and I wish that was a more permanent or at least regular fixture. This gem, appreciated as she should be, for who she is and her incredible talent - the nail that thankfully side-stepped the hammer.

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It’s hotter than a volcano that’s consumed a large bag of Ghost Chillies in Tokyo right now. This means it’s also Gallery And Museum O’clock. So I caught up with an excellent friend and went to see the Ron Mueck exhibition at Roppongi Hills.

Wow.

That’s my review. It was powerful. One of the bigger pieces was staged in such a way that it was revealed to you as you rounded a corner, the woman’s gaze directed straight at you. Judging you. Or is she? Because step into the room and her gaze focuses elsewhere. On someone or something else. Completely disengaged from you. When you stand on the other side of her, she’s a million mental miles away. Lost in the past or the future, but not the present.

The happy couple sharing an intimate whispered moment. Or is it? As you look into the woman’s eyes you can perceive that she has been crying or is about to. A small ring of fear trying to be covered up, to be controlled so as to avoid escalation, or be revealed. As you walk around the back, you see the vice-like grip of the man’s hand. The veins and muscles raised, indicating the strength he is using and the pain he is causing. To dominate. To control. And you know that this woman, like so many others, is likely to end up as a number. A statistic. A valuable, meaningful life forgotten. Politicians clamor for an Inquiry and ignore the recommendations. Women and children continue to die. The numbers continue to grow.

The young woman. Ah that really did remind me and my friend of how awkward those teenage years were. This piece was a remake of an earlier one. I don't know why but I'm guessing that the technology and materials have improved over the years and this version is what Mueck wanted all those years ago.

The man in the boat. Where is he off to? What is he scrutinizing? I hope he has sunscreen. I’m not absolutely sure what this piece means. There are many ways to see it and I think everyone has a very individual response to it. I feel like without oars, you can't decide where you are going. You can only decide so much of what happens in your life. The rest is where the current takes you.

He is overlooking a 20 minute long queue to see one piece. Maybe he's thinking of joining it. Does he have time? Is it worth it? We sneaked a look at it and yes, it is a really cool piece, but I queue so much in Tokyo, I only do it when I absolutely have to.

The tiredness of a new parent. So tired after so much disrupted sleep. Keeping it all together. Getting on with the shopping. Mueck saw this woman on the streets of London, and that moment stuck with him. I think we can all relate to this. Even if we haven’t been a new parent.

The skulls. A room full of them. It made me think of all sorts of things. Catacombs. The Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic. The Killing Fields in Cambodia. And as an Australian, all the remains of First Nations folks that were taken, burgled, robbed, stolen only to lie in a far off land away from kin and country, lined up neatly in a specimen drawer. Humanity and dignity removed utterly. Waiting patiently for someone to do the right thing and return them to Country. To home. Mueck is also Australian. I wonder if that was also on his mind when he created this.

The room of skulls made me talk to my friend about the series “Stuff The British Stole”. He’s also seen it. If you haven’t, you can find this outstanding series on the ABC’s iView, the Uk’s Channel 4 and wherever you find well-researched and well-presented documentaries.

My friend said he felt strange as he walked through the British Museum. Room after room of beautious, incredible things. All belonged to some other country, some other culture. That it was really something to see the pride in showing of all the burgled objects. No guilt. No remorse. Glad to accept the entrance fee and why not stop by the gift shop where none of the proceeds are passed along.

It’s a very thought provoking exhibition and the talent required to create these pieces is honestly mind blowing. Every angle you view the pieces reveals another part of the story. If that isn't a metaphor for how to approach life, then I don't know what is.

There is a documentary screening on rotation that you should watch if you go. No interviews. Just Ron and his talented assistants working away in the workshop. Their day-to-day creating. It's fascinating. Because you do wonder how these pieces are made. What the process is. What the construction is.

Go see it.

Top Tip: Book an advance ticket online to save waiting in a queue or being unable to enter when you want.

https://www.mori.art.museum/en/exhibitions/ronmueck/

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I’m happy living in Japan. I made a job I love. I thought I’d probably retire here. That I wouldn’t have an issue with continuing to get a Visa.

But that’s changed recently. The current government has decided to tighten the rules and requirements to not only get a visa for the first time, but also to continue to receive one. It feels like every week, they find a new requirement to add. It feels like the bar is getting higher and higher. Out of reach of even the most talented pole vaulter.

It reminds me of when AirBNB started operating in Japan. It was a new kind of lodging and so there were no specific laws in place to govern it. Those laws were needed. Absolutely. But what happened was that those in power started to create lists of requirements and standards that eventually became largely impossible to meet for the majority of providers. There was a collapse. Right before the Olympics when there really weren’t enough hotels to support the numbers of people coming in.

There was genuine surprise that people were not applying for the new licenses. And so slowly, to the regulators credit, the regulations were wound back a little bit. And then when applications still did not significantly increase, they were relaxed a little more. And a little more. And a little more.

But the industry had collapsed.

It could rebuild, and it did, but it took time. It certainly had not been rebuilt in time for the Olympics. I guess that pandemic had at least one positive, if unexpected, outcome.

I’m also reminded of the Edo era, in around 1630 when the Shogunate decided to slowly close the country to the outside world. There were security concerns about the threat of Catholicism. Honestly pretty reasonable considering what the introduction of Buddhism did. It’s not so much about religion itself, but the people who use it. And how they use it. Sound familiar? There were concerns about the technological gap that existed with metal foundry’s producing cannons, in particular the really large ones. Japan for all of its mastery had not yet worked out how to process the metal required to make them. And no one who had mastered that technology seemed to be too keen on showing them how to do it. So also a very reasonable concern.

But completely cutting the country off from the rest of the world ultimately left Japan in a very vulnerable situation. By the time the Black Ships rolled in, Japan had become a technological backwater. She was in a far more destabilised position.

Because when you close yourself off, you stagnate. There’s a metaphor for life in general in there. Who knew that geo-politics could overlap with your own personal life like that? Trade and interaction with other civilisations is what helps you not just maintain the status quo but to grow.

So I see some history repeating itself here. The timing could not be worse for Japan.

“Japan’s total population has fallen to 123.05 million, according to preliminary data from the 2025 national census, down by around 3.09 million from the previous such survey conducted five years earlier.

The nation’s population has now shrunk for three censuses in a row — beginning with the 2015 survey when it fell for the first time since the government started conducting a census in 1920. With the latest data, Japan’s headcount plummeted by 2.5%, marking the most dramatic decline on record and accelerating from a 0.7% drop recorded in 2020.”

May 29, 2026 Yukana Ikenoue for The Japan Times

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05/29/japan/japan-population-largest-decline/

With deaths outpacing births, what is needed is a couple (ok...more than a couple) of things:

Encouraging long-term residents to stay. Don’t make it so hard to stay.

Long term residents have made a choice to live here. They understand the unspoken social contract. They have started families. They have started businesses. They contribute not just to the economy, but also to the community. They also often support new immigrants, helping them understand that unspoken social contract. Helping them navigate a new life in a new country.

Tighten that Business Manager Visa a little bit.

But just a little bit. Add in a face-to-face interview. Add in a few more checks to make sure the person applying is legitimate. Japan needs entrepreneurs. It doesn’t need stagnation.

Make the regulations reasonable. Make them match what a person born in Japan is expected to do.

Honestly there were enough hoops to jump through before the recent changes. Increases in visa fees are problematic. As a long term resident, the taxes I pay should cover the immigration system. If they need to be increased, make the amount in line with what the average resident earns. Not based on what the average American or Australian earns. They have far more robust economies than ours.

Be mindful of the message you are sending not just to immigrants and residents, but to the world.

Tourism is a serious industry. It brought in ¥9.5 trillion (around $95 billion) in 2025. I work in tourism and guests have mentioned the recent attitudes. The government’s “strong message” really does send a strong message. Don’t shoot yourself in the left foot, just to save the right.

Make childcare free. Support people who wish to have children. Invest in your future.

I don’t think I need to add anything here. This is just common sense. Ok. Maybe I do need to. Because the LDP seems to be missing this one. Unsurprising really considering the lack of diversity in their party. Studies have shown that both women and men feel that even though they would like to marry and have children, it is financially beyond them. Women in particular are concerned that they will not be able to continue their career after having a child.

July 29, 2024 - Tim Hornyak for The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/19/japan-asks-young-people-views-marriage-population-crisis

August 24, 2024 - Yuko Shimada for The Mainichi

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240823/p2a/00m/0li/026000c

And one more:

Increase gender equity.

Japanese women get the short end of the stick. Remove that glass ceiling. Encourage women to take up positions of power. Make it easy for that to happen. Give them equal pay. Allow them to advance. Remove the idea that they are solely responsible for everyone.

“Japan ranked 118th out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, maintaining the same position as last year — the lowest among Group of Seven countries.

The Swiss think tank’s annual report, released Thursday, evaluates gender parity across four categories: education, health, political empowerment and economic participation. Complete equality between men and women would be recorded as a 100% score.”

June 12, 2025 - Jessica Speed for The Japan Times

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/12/japan/society/wef-gender-equality-report/

When you advance the rights of women, to meet what men take for granted - not more and not less, just exactly the same - you also end up increasing the rights of men. You dismantle the expectations that men feel that they have to carry. Toxic masculinity, which serves absolutely no-one, goes out of favour pretty quick when you see other options. When you are allowed to live differently.

“In 2025, a total of 19,097 people died by suicide across Japan, of which 13,117 were male.”

February 24, 2026 - Yuki Kawano for The Asahi Shimbun

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16339083

Women make up 51.22% of the population in Japan. A slight majority. Not unusual. That 51.22% of the population is routinely ignored. Promotions in general go to their male counterparts. Ideas that would increase company growth are not listened to or valued.

I’m speaking from personal experience here having worked for a few long-established traditional companies. The “glass ceiling” is not made of glass in Japan. It’s clearly marked. I worked with highly intelligent women who were a golden asset that was never used.

So many missed economic opportunities.

I’ve also worked with highly intelligent men who deserved their promotions. And I’ve also worked with sub par ones who did not deserve their promotions. The only reason they advanced was because of their gender and the length of time they had been in the company.

Now our current Prime Minister is female. What is she doing? Pulling the ladder up behind her. To be fair, to get where she is today, she had to fit in. She’s essentially made herself part of the 90% male contingent of the LDP. The Old Boys Club. And to remain in power she must continue to play that role. To not upset the cart.

Another missed economic opportunity.

Anyway, what is in my future? Here in Japan? Do I stay and see what happens? Or do I leave and reinvent myself? Again?

This has probably been a sobering read so I’m including a nice photo to try and balance it all out. I took this in the Aizu Wakamatsu part of Fukushima Prefecture a couple of years back. It was stunning. Mountains and valleys. Mist curling in and out. It was at the very beginning of Autumn and here and there were hints of warm colour. I can imagine the sheer outrageous beauty of it all in the middle of Autumn. I don’t know how anyone gets any work done up there. The beauty of it all is distracting. Not good at meditating or living in the present? Head to Aizu Wakamatsu.

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She has a Spousal Visa and recently applied for a PR (permanent residency) visa but her application was rejected. This means that if the unthinkable happens, that her husband passes away, her Spousal Visa is cancelled.

You are given a mere 6 months, in amongst a sea of deep grief, to arrange a different visa. As a new single parent, it’s likely you would have to find work with a company that would sponsor your visa. Sponsoring a visa requires a lot of paperwork and jumping through hoops. If that is something a company does on a regular basis, then it’s not so hard. You have the routine down pat. It’s unlikely in my friend’s case, that she would be able to remain in the town she and her family have created a life in.

There is a good chance she would have to leave Japan. With her son. Her husband is devastated.

Japan has a declining birth rate. 45 of Japan's 47 prefectures saw their populations fall, with the most dramatic losses in Hokkaido (-239,000), Shizuoka (-164,000), and Hyogo (-141,000). - May 29, 2026 Japan Times. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05/29/japan/japan-population-largest-decline/

Another friend of mine runs his own company here in Tokyo. He’s worked really hard, and from humble beginnings, he has created a service that benefits his clients. The industry he is in actually benefits everyone in Japan. Everyone in the world. It’s an eco-friendly product that, as client numbers increase, lowers carbon emissions.

It’s impressive what he has achieved. He’s also a lovely human, a valued member of his community. He employs a few people, a mix of Foreign Residents and Japanese. These employees pay into the taxation, health, and pension system. Their wages are spent raising families, supporting the local grocery store, looking after elderly parents. You can fill in the rest. They do what you and I do. Support an economy.

He is on a Business Manager visa. The LDP recently made the requirements for this Visa more difficult. The single biggest hurdle is the increase in the required capital. It went from ¥5,000,000 (around $50,0000) to ¥30,000,000 (around $300,000). The BM visa was created to encourage start-ups but I don’t know many start-ups that have ¥30,000,000 lying around. Even if you did, the interest you would earn from the bank is negligible. It’s not a good investment strategy.

There was a small group of people who found a loophole in this visa and mined it for all it was worth. Not the best to be honest. But I do wonder what their contributions to the taxation, health, and pension systems were. To the local economy. It’s not like they got the visa and then sponged off everyone. That’s not possible. This visa did need some more guardrails. Someone I know suggested something as simple as a face-to-face interview.

So what happens to my friend? The guy who employs people and provides a much needed service? I don’t know. Worse case scenario is that he closes a business that benefits residents, the employees must find new work, and he leaves the country. He starts again elsewhere. Employing people elsewhere. Contributing to another economy.

And Japan loses.

“60% of Japanese households find life ‘difficult’ due to price hikes” - August 10, 2024 Asahi Shimbun. I can’t find the article I want but this is pretty close. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15340581

Last year I took part in a feedback tour up in Sakuho, Nagano. They are hoping to increase tourism out there. I met a whole bunch of super lovely people who shared their stories with us and welcomed us in. It’s beautiful countryside! Well off-the-beaten-track and a decent option if you’re looking to experience a much deeper side of Japan. In amongst mossy forests, sake breweries, and breath taking mountain ranges, we stopped by a farm produce distribution centre. It was really interesting! We saw where some of what ends up on our dinner tables comes from. Again, we met good people who, in the middle of a busy, physically demanding working day, were happy to share their knowledge and time with us.

We also had the pleasure of meeting a young chap from the village at the bottom of the hill who recently took over the farm from his Dad. They grow a variety of cabbages in rich volcanic soil. We were gifted one each. It was tricky to get home on the train but worth it. That was cabbage was good!

A couple of years back he hired 3 fellas from Thailand. He would have hired locally if he could, but with the declining population especially in rural areas, that just wasn’t an option.

He said they are great to work with. Really lovely and they get the job done. He couldn’t continue his family’s farm without them. They are now valued members of the village at the bottom of the hill. He said they were in the process of applying for the PR visa for them so they could stay permanently.

I hope they have been successful. Because if they haven’t, they now have to earn ¥400,000 a month and have a fluency level of N2. My Japanese friends have seen that N2 test and they have all said that they would be unable to answer some of the questions correctly.

What farm hand earns ¥400,000 a month? That’s a lot of cabbages. What farm hand needs an N2 proficiency level to pick cabbages? You do need to learn the language but what level is really required? Surely making sure farms can continue producing food is more important? Importing cabbages from overseas is not a better option.

Japan's agricultural workforce is continuing to decline. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the number of core agricultural workers, whose main job is farming, decreased from approximately 1.76 million in 2015 to about 1.02 million in 2025, sliding roughly 40% over the decade. By age group, nearly 70% are 65 or older. Meanwhile, the number of foreign technical interns and specified skilled workers in agriculture reached about 61,000 as of the end of 2024, and the figure has increased annually. - Feb 4, 2026 - The Mainichi. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260203/p2a/00m/0li/008000c

Every Sunday, since 2020, the staff of a local Indian restaurant wake up early and start making food. They do this without pay and they cover some of the costs of the food. Other volunteers come in and pack the food into bento boxes. During the week, other volunteers coordinate food bank runs, source rice for the bentos, create ways for people to donate extra food and cover the costs of the bentos. Others find clothing and toiletries. Others find ways to support people to get work.

The donations are brought to a set location and handed out at the same time every Sunday. Around 100 people come to receive food. Sadly not everyone gets a bento. Sadder still, is that the organisation knows that there is a much greater need in the community. That there are more than 100 people out there who are struggling to make ends meet. That there are many more people who don’t eat 3 times a day.

What started out as a response to one housing insecure folks request for food after not having eaten for 3 days, has become a much bigger operation with a more diverse range of clients.

Pensioners who worked hard their whole life. Single parents. Low income earners. People in their early 20’s. People who have an intellectual or developmental disability. People who have a home but not enough food.

The volunteers are mostly Foreign Residents. Folks from all around the world and all walks of life. The only real commonality is that they care about the community that they live in. What happens when one or more are denied PR? Or there is an impossible change in their current visa? Or the message of we don’t want you becomes too much? Why continue to invest in a country that does not offer you security?

Who will feed those people? Who will support them? I would say the forgotten people but I think the LDP never forgot them. Because they have never cared for them or thought about them in the first place.

“Roughly 4,000 people sleep in Tokyo’s internet cafés every night. The data hasn’t been updated in nearly a decade.” - July 28, 2026

https://medium.com/@Yuki_JapaneseTraveling/tokyos-invisible-homeless-a-housing-crisis-hiding-in-plain-sight-cd360fe43937

I can tell you now, 4000 people is not even close to the actual number of humans who have been swept under the carpet. And yes, I am pissed off.

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I have used AI to translate this into Japanese. It’s probably going to be a bit weird in parts.

私の友人に、日本に引っ越してきた女性がいます。

日本で素敵な男性と出会い、恋をして、結婚しました。
今では、二人の間には息子さんがいます。優しい二人から生まれたその子は、本当に素晴らしい子です。

家族3人は、大都会の喧騒から離れた、のどかな田舎で暮らしています。
地域の中でも、家族みんなが大切な存在として受け入れられています。

彼女は現在、配偶者ビザで日本に住んでいます。

最近、永住許可を申請しました。
でも、残念ながら不許可になりました。

つまり、もし考えたくもないことが起きて、万が一ご主人が亡くなった場合、彼女の配偶者ビザは維持できなくなります。

最愛の人を失ったばかりで、深い悲しみの中にいるにもかかわらず、そこからわずか6か月の間に、別の在留資格を取得しなければならないのです。

幼い子どもを抱えた新しいシングルマザーとして、生活を続けるためには、おそらく自分の在留資格をサポートしてくれる会社を探して、そこで働かなければならないでしょう。

外国人を雇用して在留資格をサポートするには、たくさんの書類や手続きがあります。

そうした手続きを普段から行っている会社なら、まだ対応しやすいかもしれません。
何度も経験しているので、何をすればいいのかわかっています。

でも、彼女の場合、それが今住んでいる町でできるとは限りません。

これまで家族で築いてきた生活を、すべて置いていかなければならなくなる可能性があります。

そして、最悪の場合、日本を離れなければならない。

息子さんを連れて。

日本では、出生数の減少と人口減少が続いています。

2026年5月29日付のJapan Timesによると、47都道府県のうち45都道府県で人口が減少しました。

特に減少幅が大きかったのは、北海道で約23万9,000人、静岡県で約16万4,000人、兵庫県で約14万1,000人の減少でした。

出典：Japan Times
記事はこちら

人口が減っている。
特に地方では、人がいなくなっている。

それなのに、日本で家族を作り、地域の一員として暮らしている人が、もし一人で子どもを育てることになったら、日本に残ることが難しくなる。

これって、本当に日本にとって良いことなのでしょうか。

もう一人、私の友人に、東京で自分の会社を経営している人がいます。

彼も、本当に一生懸命やってきました。

決して恵まれたスタートではありませんでした。
それでも、一から頑張って、自分のサービスを作り上げました。

そして、その仕事は彼のクライアントだけではなく、日本に住む人たち、さらには世界中の人たちにとってもプラスになるものです。

環境にも配慮された製品で、利用する人が増えれば増えるほど、二酸化炭素の排出量を減らすことにつながります。

ここまで自分の力で築き上げてきたことは、本当にすごいと思います。

そして、彼自身もとても素敵な人です。
地域の中でも大切な存在です。

会社では、外国人と日本人、両方のスタッフを何人か雇っています。

その人たちは働いて、税金を納め、健康保険や年金にもお金を払っています。

そして、もらった給料で家族を養い、近所のスーパーで買い物をし、高齢になった親を支えたりしています。

その先に何があるのかは、皆さんにも想像できると思います。

私たちと同じことをしているんです。

地域で暮らし、働き、お金を使い、税金を納める。

つまり、経済を支えているんです。

彼は「経営・管理」の在留資格で日本に住んでいます。

そして最近、自民党によって、この在留資格の要件が大幅に厳しくなりました。

その中でも、特に大きなハードルになっているのが、必要とされる資本金の引き上げです。

これまでの500万円から、3,000万円になりました。

もともと経営・管理ビザは、日本での起業を促すために作られた制度です。

でも、3,000万円を用意できるスタートアップ企業が、いったいどれくらいあるのでしょうか。

「これから日本で事業を始めたい」という人が、最初から3,000万円を持っていることを期待するのは、現実的なのでしょうか。

仮に3,000万円を用意できたとしても、それを銀行に預けて得られる利息はごくわずかです。

投資として考えても、あまり良い選択とは言えません。

もちろん、この制度の抜け穴を見つけて、できる限り利用していた一部の人たちがいたことも知っています。

正直、それは良いことではありません。

このビザには、もう少しきちんとしたルールやチェックが必要だったのだと思います。

でも、私はふと思います。

そういう人たちは、日本の税金や健康保険、年金制度にどれだけ貢献していたのでしょうか。

地域経済には？

だからといって、「ビザを取って、そのまま日本に寄りかかって暮らしていた」というわけではありません。

そんなことは、そもそも簡単にはできません。

制度を悪用する人がいたのなら、そこには対策が必要です。

でも、制度そのものを必要としている人まで、一緒に締め出してしまう必要があるのでしょうか。

私の知っている人は、もっとシンプルな方法でもよかったのではないかと言っていました。

例えば、実際に本人と会って話をする。

それだけでも、ある程度のことはわかるのではないか、と。

では、私の友人はどうなるのでしょう。

人を雇っている人です。

日本で必要とされているサービスを提供している人です。

自分で会社を立ち上げ、雇用を生み、税金を払い、地域経済にも貢献している人です。

それでも、これからどうなるのか、私にはわかりません。

最悪の場合、地域の人たちに必要とされている会社を閉じることになるかもしれません。

そこで働いている人たちは、新しい仕事を探さなければなりません。

そして彼自身は、日本を離れることになるかもしれません。

別の国で、また一からやり直す。

そこでまた人を雇う。

そして、今度は別の国の経済に貢献する。

日本は、それを失うことになります。

「物価高で生活が『苦しい』と感じる日本の世帯が60％」

2024年8月10日付の朝日新聞の記事です。

探していた記事そのものは見つけられませんでしたが、内容としてはこちらがかなり近いものです。

朝日新聞の記事

昨年、私は長野県佐久穂町で行われた、観光に関するフィードバックツアーに参加しました。

佐久穂町では、これから観光客をもっと増やしていきたいと考えています。

そこで私は、本当に素敵な人たちにたくさん出会いました。

皆さんが自分たちの暮らしや地域について話してくださり、私たちを温かく迎えてくださいました。

とても美しい場所です。

まだ観光地としてはあまり知られていない、いわゆる「オフ・ザ・ビートン・トラック」の場所。

日本の、もっと深い部分を体験したい人にとっては、とても良い場所だと思います。

苔むした森。
酒蔵。
息をのむような山々。

そんな場所を巡る中で、私たちは農産物の集荷・販売施設にも立ち寄りました。

とても興味深かったです。

普段、私たちが食卓で食べているものが、どこから来ているのか。

その一端を見ることができました。

そして、ここでも素敵な人たちに出会いました。

皆さん、とても忙しく、体力も必要な仕事をしていました。

それでも、私たちのために時間を作り、自分たちの知識や経験を惜しみなく話してくださいました。

そして、山のふもとの集落に住む若い男性にもお会いしました。

彼は最近、お父さんから家族の農業を引き継いだばかりでした。

火山灰を含む豊かな土壌で、いろいろな種類のキャベツを育てています。

なんと、私たちは一人一玉ずつキャベツをいただきました。

電車で持って帰るのは、なかなか大変でした。

でも、持って帰った甲斐がありました。

あのキャベツ、本当に美味しかった！

数年前、彼はタイから3人の男性を雇いました。

できることなら地元の人を雇いたかったそうです。

でも、特に地方では人口が減り続けていて、そもそも働いてくれる人を地元だけで見つけることが難しくなっています。

だから、外国人を雇うことになりました。

彼は、その3人と働くのはとても良いと言っていました。

みんな本当にいい人で、仕事もしっかりしてくれる。

彼らがいなければ、家族から受け継いだ農業を続けることはできなかったそうです。

今では、その3人は山のふもとの集落にとって、大切な一員になっています。

そして彼は、3人が日本に長く住み続けられるよう、永住許可の申請を進めているところだと話していました。

どうか、無事に許可されていてほしいと思います。

なぜなら、もしそうでなければ、今度は月収40万円を稼ぎ、日本語能力N2レベルを取得しなければならないからです。

私の日本人の友人たちも、そのN2の試験問題を見ています。

そして、何人もこう言っています。

「これ、自分だったら答えられない問題もあるよ」と。

農業で働く人が、月40万円を稼ぐのは普通なのでしょうか？

それだけの給料を払うためには、いったい何玉のキャベツを売らなければならないのでしょう。

そして、キャベツを収穫するために、本当にN2レベルの日本語が必要なのでしょうか？

もちろん、日本で働く以上、日本語を学ぶことは大切です。

そこに異論はありません。

でも、実際の仕事に必要なのは、どの程度の日本語なのでしょうか。

農家がこれからも農業を続けられること。

日本の食料を作り続けられること。

そちらのほうが大切なのではないでしょうか。

海外からキャベツを輸入することが、本当により良い選択肢なのでしょうか。

日本の農業従事者は、減少し続けています。

農林水産省によると、農業を主な仕事とする基幹的農業従事者は、2015年の約176万人から、2025年には約102万人まで減少しました。

10年間で、およそ40％も減っています。

そして、その約70％が65歳以上です。

一方で、農業分野で働く外国人技能実習生と特定技能外国人は、2024年末時点で約6万1,000人に達しています。

こちらは毎年増えています。

2026年2月4日付の毎日新聞より。

毎日新聞の記事

毎週日曜日。

2020年からずっと、地元のインド料理店のスタッフは早朝に起きて、食事を作っています。

無償です。

しかも、食材費の一部まで負担してくれています。

別のボランティアたちは集まって、できあがった料理をお弁当箱に詰めます。

平日の間には、また別のボランティアたちがフードバンクの活動を調整したり、お弁当用のお米を集めたり、余った食品を寄付してもらう方法を考えたり、お弁当を作るための費用をどうやって集めるかを考えたりしています。

衣類や生活用品を探してくれる人もいます。

仕事を探している人を支える方法を探してくれる人もいます。

そして毎週日曜日、集まった食料や衣類などが決められた場所に運ばれ、同じ時間に配られます。

毎週、約100人が食料を受け取りに来ます。

残念ながら、全員にお弁当を渡すことはできません。

そして、もっとつらいのは、活動している人たちが「本当はもっとたくさんの人が助けを必要としている」ことを知っていることです。

100人どころではありません。

毎日の生活を維持するだけで精一杯の人が、もっとたくさんいます。

1日3食、十分に食べられていない人も、もっとたくさんいます。

この活動の始まりは、3日間何も食べていなかった、住まいを失った一人の人からの「食べ物をもらえませんか」というお願いでした。

それが今では、ずっと大きな活動になりました。

支援を必要としている人たちも、以前よりずっと多様になっています。

一生懸命働いてきた年金生活者。

ひとり親。

低所得で働いている人。

20代前半の若者。

知的障害や発達障害のある人。

家はあるけれど、食べるものを買う余裕がない人。

そして、ボランティアのほとんどは外国人住民です。

世界中のさまざまな国から来た人たち。

いろいろな仕事をして、いろいろな人生を歩んできた人たちです。

そんな人たちに共通していることは、ただ一つ。

自分たちが暮らしている地域を大切に思っていることです。

では、その中の一人、あるいは何人もの人が永住許可を得られなかったら、どうなるのでしょう。

今持っている在留資格を維持することが難しくなるような制度変更があったら？

「日本はあなたを必要としていません」というメッセージが、あまりにも大きくなってしまったら？

安心して暮らせる場所を与えてくれない国に、なぜこれからも時間や労力を使い続けるのでしょうか。

なぜ、自分の人生をそこに投資し続けるのでしょうか。

そのとき、誰がこの人たちに食べ物を届けるのでしょう。

誰が支えるのでしょう。

「忘れられた人たち」と言おうかと思いました。

でも、私はそうは思いません。

自民党は、彼らのことを忘れていたわけではないと思うからです。

そもそも、最初から彼らのことを気にかけていなかったのではないでしょうか。

考えてすらいなかったのではないでしょうか。

「東京では毎晩、およそ4,000人がインターネットカフェで夜を過ごしている。そのデータは、ほぼ10年間更新されていない。」

2026年7月28日

記事はこちら

今、はっきり言っておきます。

4,000人なんて、実際には到底それだけではありません。

社会の中から見えないものにされてしまった人たちは、もっとたくさんいます。

表から見えないところに押しやられてしまった人たち。

存在していないかのように扱われている人たち。

私は、その現実に本当に腹が立っています。

I called this Tokyo Tales because that is where I am based and so most of my writing is centred around that lived experience.

Although to tell the truth, I do not know how much longer I will be able to stay. A recent change in government has seen policies that can be described best as “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”. It’s extremely frustrating and heartbreaking and so I’m going to be writing a lot about that.

There will also be stories about all the good people I meet, probably some about the not so great people I meet, the beautiful places I have traveled to, and random musings.

Let the games begin!

If you’d like to Buy Me A Coffee, follow this link:

https://square.link/u/h2ZQ28x0