③Now Japan is confronted by a dilemma; with the population aging and the birthrate falling, there's a growing shortage of young, able-bodied people to take care of the nation's old, infirm citizens. Moreover, there are fewer and fewer tax-paying workers but more and more retired people receiving pensions from the government. If something isn't done to fix this imbalance, there will eventually be neither enough tax revenue nor enough labor to provide for the needs of a graying society. Some analysts say that there's only one option: to allow -no, to encourage large-scale immigration to Japan from other countries. And that idea has caused a lot of concern.
④There are of course practical problems involved in bringing a big number of foreigners here, but the number one obstacle surely is overcoming popular prejudice. Unlike countries such as Australia and Canada, Japan has never experienced a major wave of immigration (of foreigners, that is; we're not counting the sudden return of Japanese from Manchuria and other Asian colonies after the Imperial Army’s defeat in World War Ⅱ). For some, it's a frightening prospect. "They 're not like us," these people whisper among themselves. "They can't speak Japanese. They don't understand our ways. They don't know how to appreciate cherry blossoms. They forget to take off their shoes when they come inside. They cause problems for us."
