Two things

The first speaks for itself.

In my news feed from yesterday.

“Mark Carney's 140-page border security bill, Bill C-2 (“An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of the border between Canada and the United States and respecting other related security measures”), includes a provision in section 136 unrelated to border security, which would make cash transactions over $10,000 illegal.

“Every person or entity that is engaged in a business, a profession or the solicitation of charitable financial donations from the public commits an offence if the person or entity accepts a cash payment, donation or deposit of $10,000 or more in a single transaction or in a prescribed series of related transactions that total $10,000 or more.””

If true…..

The second left a knot in my bowels. This is the last year for the one remaining teacher at the med school who has been there longer than I, due to the school’s mandatory retirement age. This is the only other teacher I knew before 2020 who went maskless the entire panic. That is bad enough news but I learned this earlier in the school year. The shocking news is that he and his wife had to move in with his inlaws. He is out of money. He is the third long term foreign resident of Japan, all of whom are or were English teachers, I know who are going or have undergone major, unexpected life changes recently. One left Japan, another is leaving Japan and this coworker moved in with his inlaws.

It is not just a question of replacing lost positions with new ones. AI, Zoom and other tech “advances” forced upon education ‘cuz covid has rendered us mostly obsolete. Not only are there fewer positions available in higher ed due to this and the crashing population, the positions that do remain require more paper qualifications and pay laughably low for these requirements. Even the schools I work for pay new hires doing the same as I, far less. And so it is with my new position. I earn less than those teaching the same year of students the same subject using the same materials. Even if I got all my old positions that I lost during the panic back, I would be taking home considerably less.

Japan advertises abroad for those seeking working visas to the county’s. The recent and greatly increased number of young S.E. Asians, Indians and families of Arabs give some indication that there are many availing themselves of this opportunity. Yet, they are driving away the old hands who have spent their entire adulthoods here. They are also not selecting for those with qualifications and language ability. A friend from and currently back in India has at least two degrees and an N2 level speaking ability in the language. Yet they are taking a long time to issue him a visa to return to Japan for language school.

If single and with money to do so, quitting Japan would be an easy call. Japan is steaming all ahead full speed to turning itself into something other than Japan.