ChrisC
Well-known member
In the small town of Kutchan, near the internationally renowned Niseko ski slopes in Japan, a barren field once planted with potatoes has become a flashpoint for a national conflict over labor, tourism and immigration.
On that plot of land, developers are planning to construct lodging for up to 1,200 seasonal workers, most of whom will be foreigners. These laborers are needed to operate the area’s resorts and construction sites. Local residents, however, are petitioning the government to block the facility, citing concerns over safety and a perceived decline in social order.
The tensions in Kutchan, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, underscore a dilemma for the country’s booming $50 billion tourism sector, which is now its second-largest export after cars. Japan’s population is shrinking and aging rapidly, emptying out many small towns like Kutchan.
www.nytimes.com
On that plot of land, developers are planning to construct lodging for up to 1,200 seasonal workers, most of whom will be foreigners. These laborers are needed to operate the area’s resorts and construction sites. Local residents, however, are petitioning the government to block the facility, citing concerns over safety and a perceived decline in social order.
The tensions in Kutchan, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, underscore a dilemma for the country’s booming $50 billion tourism sector, which is now its second-largest export after cars. Japan’s population is shrinking and aging rapidly, emptying out many small towns like Kutchan.
A Japanese Ski Resort Town Is Roiled by a Debate Over Immigration
Residents are protesting a planned housing facility for foreign workers, exposing the conflict between Japan’s need for labor and anxieties over immigration.