The Tragic Shrinking of Japan
A solution presents itself as the world unites in celebration of Japanese culture
I just finished watching a youtube video that’s been trending for the last day.
Titled, “Why Japan is Shrinking Fast,” the video lays out in some detail the crisis now presented in modern Japan.
With a combination of ever-lowering birth rates and ever-increasing numbers of retired citizens, Japan’s economy is headed for a cliff.
If things continue as they are, Japan as we know it will be forced to change, letting go of its ancient policies and opening its borders like the rest of the world.
The loss of Japan’s well-preserved culture would truly be a tragedy. Policies for thousands of years have kept Japan isolated from the world. In the Modern day, Japan is envied for its art and beautiful natural resources.
The people of Japan express themselves in ways entirely unique to the rest of the world. Their art, history, and culture are regularly exported in many different forms, all beautiful and authentic to Japan.
What solution would leave Japanese culture intact?
Many countries have sacrificed their cultures to bring in resources and immigration, laying foundations for booming economies.
Japan has avoided this obvious solution and yet has produced a powerful economy ranking the 3rd largest in the world. They have found their own solutions, it seems.
Bringing new cultures into your country is beautiful in its own right. We are all people of the world. But it would be hard to see Japan losing its sovereignty, forfeiting the wishes of so many generations of proud Japanese that came before.
I think the solution can be found in the problem.
Isolation wreaks havoc on an economy in the modern day. How can the lonely Island nation of Japan be celebrated in a way that fuels the Japanese economy?
I would argue that Japan’s greatest resource is its culture. It’s easy to monetize something that people value, and people love Japan all across the world.
Among other solutions, I would argue for expanding tourism.
There is proof of this in Japanese art being regularly exported across the world. Architecture, Cartoons (Anime), Pottery, Gardening (and Bonsai), to name a few. All of these arts have been greatly influenced by Japan’s isolated culture and fueled the country’s booming economy.
By inviting tourists to explore their uniquely preserved culture they can make their isolation an advantage instead of a disadvantage.
Tourism brings money, creating jobs for young people that can trickle up to the elderly through the economy. This takes the pressure off young people making work easier and more lucrative so that the prospect of raising a family becomes sustainable and exciting.
The elderly and retired are a library of cultural history in Japan. Involving them in the development of recording and expressing Japan’s unique culture and history would breathe life, pride, and purpose into the entire population.
Japan's culture is celebrated throughout the world. If they worked on bringing more tourism, I know many would come.
Japan’s culture is complemented as well by the beautiful nature of the island itself. Many would go just to see the mountains and beaches, let alone the cities.
To put this into practice would be difficult but rewarding for both Japan and the rest of the world. If the people of Japan and their government got on the same page, both private and public business could be shifted towards tourism.
Japan has been brought to us, maybe it’s time we bring ourselves to Japan.
Japan is beautiful as it is, I would hate to see it lose its culture. Let’s let them know we love and respect their culture and would love to come to see it (and bring our money).
Can you think of other solutions? I would love to hear them.
#JapanShrinking #LoveJapan #GoseeJapan
— Michael