Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: Nowhere to go

Hello from Tokyo. Recent remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden saying Japan is "xenophobic" and doesn't want immigrants have prompted the Japanese government to hit back, saying his comments were not based on an accurate understanding. But the fact remains that foreign residents account for just over 2% of Japan's total population, far less than in major Western countries such as the U.S. and Germany.

That said, the number of foreign workers here is surging against the backdrop of a serious labor shortage. Recent data indicates the figure is outpacing government estimates. Workers from Myanmar were one of the fastest-growing such groups in Japan in 2023, with the number rising nearly 50% from the previous year. Indeed, the Tokyo college district of Takadanobaba is now dubbed Little Yangon due to the many restaurants and shops opened by people from the Southeast Asian country.

This trend is understandable given the ongoing turmoil in Myanmar. Many workers simply do not want to go back home. Despite the increase, it is rare in Tokyo to encounter members of the Rohingya ethnic group, who claim roots in Myanmar dating back to the seventh century but are nevertheless widely considered interlopers there and denied citizenship. Tokyo, which has historically maintained close ties with the Myanmar government, has not actively accepted them as refugees.

An exception is the city of Tatebayashi, located some 70 kilometers north of Tokyo, where about 300 Rohingya are said to be living. According to a local newspaper article, they began settling there about 30 years ago and have gradually integrated into the community. They are now even involved in activities to support Rohingya refugee camps overseas.

Such camps are mainly located in Bangladesh, where most refugees arrived on foot and in makeshift boats in August 2017, fleeing a brutal campaign by Myanmar's military that the U.S. has called genocide. This week's Big Story looks at the world's biggest refugee camp -- located in Cox's Bazar and home to nearly a million refugees -- and examines in detail the situation facing the Rohingya people living there, which remains uncertain despite some improvements in conditions.

Myanmar was one of the main topics at the Future of Asia conference that Nikkei hosted in Tokyo last week and which brought together political and business luminaries from across the region. Our Asia Insight feature reviews the leaders' discussions at the forum on various issues, including Myanmar. The magazine also includes a detailed recap of the conference for those who couldn't attend.

Ethnic tensions are hardly unique to Myanmar. In the French South Pacific territory of New Caledonia -- whose depiction in the 1984 Japanese film "The Island Closest to Heaven" made it a popular destination for Japanese tourists -- there has long been friction between the indigenous population and European immigrants. The recent turmoil there, triggered by a change in French government policy, could spell further trouble for the territory's nickel industry, according to the Business Spotlight in this week's magazine.

Last but not least, have you started thinking about your summer vacation plans? According to an article in the Life & Arts section of this week's magazine, the number of people looking for "cooler holidays" has skyrocketed, possibly due to global warming, and the author highlights many "coolcations" for Asian travelers. This is not a new concept for Japanese people, who refer to summer resorts as hishochi, which literally means "a place to escape the heat."

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Shin Nakayama

Editor-in-chief, Nikkei Asia

Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @ShinNakayama_NA