Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing? • Hacker News Board

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#111

Post by theflyinghorse » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:10 PM UTC

toasterlovin wrote: post #68

rm_-rf_slash wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their demographics are horrific. More diapers are sold to adults than babies. People are worked to the bone to support the needs of a massive elderly population. Japan does a lot of things exceedingly well but demographics are one of those forces of history that are dammed near impossible to mitigate or circumvent without enormous cost, like trying to stop a train with your fist. EDIT: Just to be clear, my point is a…

The Japanese are just the first country to tackle the demographic transition without gambling their entire culture and country on mass immigration. We don't know yet whether it's a bad bet. In favor of their approach: 1) the demographic transition will pass (since fertility is heritable), 2) increasing automation will probably reduce the demand for labor, 3) meanwhile life is still good for Japanese people.

I think Japanese approach is a good one specifically because of (2). Automation is something that is happening now as we speak and will only continue to accelerate. In fact the entirety of my career has been about reducing human labour or automating it entirely (within fintech, service industry, and IoT).

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#112

Post by JauntTrooper » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:11 PM UTC

masklinn wrote: post #10

blackearl wrote: post #6

Does Japan really want foreign entrepreneurs? It's always been very conservative and while they may be polite to foreigners, that's very different from allowing non-Japanese to expand a business there. I think it's ingrained in the culture, and some of these bridges Tokyo is building might be too little to catch up to SK or Germany.

> Does Japan really want foreign entrepreneurs? It's always been very conservative My understanding is they're also very financially conservative, I think it was pinboard who was talking about his experience as an independent entrepreneur?

It’s interesting how much times have changed.

If you read Phil Knights autobiography about starting Nike, he couldn’t get funding in the US and actually raised a lot of capital from Japanese financiers in the 70s.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#113

Post by Mikeb85 » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:11 PM UTC

claudeganon wrote: post #105

magduf wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switzerland is really the only example I can think of that's an exception to the OP's claim. Do you have any others at all?

The problem with OP’s claim is that it lacks any philosophical or historical rigor. Nation states, in their framing, people relating to themselves in terms of national identity, is a modern construction. And even within this context, you have widely different forms and articulations. What is clear from the history of the 20th century is that appeals to nationalism and uniformity of culture, broadly constructed, drive…

If the only way we have peace is through brutal dictatorships or superpowers' hegemony, does it really invalidate what I'm saying?

Also, all those powers also attempted to spread their culture, language and religion. Hence Latin based languages, Arabic being spread as far as it has, Russian being spoke all over the former USSR, English being the new lingua franca.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#114

Post by fzeroracer » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:12 PM UTC

mytailorisrich wrote: post #107

fzeroracer wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Racism absolutely is a structural thing. This can include things such as redlining in the US or more on topic, Japanese banks refusing to work with foreigners and the treatment of the Ainu in Japan. There's a very important distinction to make between those that write the laws and those that don't.

These are examples of the consequences of racism. But racism does not start there.

I don't think the discussion was about the origins of racism, was it?

Racism builds systems of governing and laws that can be racist. Ergo, you see structural racism (again, redlining) which can exist long after the racial zeitgeist has passed.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#115

Post by rootsudo » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:18 PM UTC

vosper wrote: post #63

rootsudo wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, they do. They've opened up the gates. Funding minimum is 5 million JPY. The issue is language barrier and price. You can go to China, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia to get much cheaper labor. But not the infrastructure or trust and safety.

I think GP might mean "Japan" as in "the people of Japan" rather than the Japanese government. The government putting some things in place on their side doesn't necessarily mean that foreign entrepreneurs will actually be welcomed in everyday life, finding customers, suppliers, etc...

Because no one wants to deal with someone who can't speak Japanese on Japan. As I stayed above, it's a barrier of entry.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#116

Post by claudeganon » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:21 PM UTC

Mikeb85 wrote: post #113

claudeganon wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with OP’s claim is that it lacks any philosophical or historical rigor. Nation states, in their framing, people relating to themselves in terms of national identity, is a modern construction. And even within this context, you have widely different forms and articulations. What is clear from the history of the 20th century is that appeals to nationalism and uniformity of culture, broadly constructed, drive…

If the only way we have peace is through brutal dictatorships or superpowers' hegemony, does it really invalidate what I'm saying? Also, all those powers also attempted to spread their culture, language and religion. Hence Latin based languages, Arabic being spread as far as it has, Russian being spoke all over the former USSR, English being the new lingua franca.

Yes. Your argument that was “monocultural” societies are somehow more peaceful, and now more so than imperial rule, when the history of the 20th century demonstrates the opposite. Nationalism led to massive internal violence and attempts at creating new empires that ultimately led to subjugation of these states between two outside empires.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#117

Post by whytaka » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:21 PM UTC

fzeroracer wrote: post #114

mytailorisrich wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These are examples of the consequences of racism. But racism does not start there.

I don't think the discussion was about the origins of racism, was it? Racism builds systems of governing and laws that can be racist. Ergo, you see structural racism (again, redlining) which can exist long after the racial zeitgeist has passed.

But you have applied a predicate (ie. 'structural') to specify a kind of racism, implying the general form of racism, which is, simply put, any discrimination on the basis of race.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#118

Post by HBKXNCUO » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:21 PM UTC

debatem1 wrote: post #19

Causality1 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a valid choice for a country to decide that the economic boon from foreign entrepreneurs isn't worth it if those people can't speak your language. I'd certainly be irritated if someone opened a business in my town and couldn't speak English, and the US is a lot less homogeneous than Japan.

So, I don't understand this perspective at all. Help me get it. It seems to me that speaking a language is a skill. I know from my own experience trying to learn a second language that it isn't an easy skill for many people to acquire. Why should I be more irritated that someone doesn't speak English than that they, say, can't make a cabinet or can't write Java, or any other mildly demanding skill? I get the argument…

Because if you can't communicate with your neighbors you are very unlikely to have a sense of community with them and some people prefer to have a sense of community with their neighbors rather than feeling disconnected and alienated from them.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#119

Post by fzeroracer » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:28 PM UTC

whytaka wrote: post #117

fzeroracer wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think the discussion was about the origins of racism, was it? Racism builds systems of governing and laws that can be racist. Ergo, you see structural racism (again, redlining) which can exist long after the racial zeitgeist has passed.

But you have applied a predicate (ie. 'structural') to specify a kind of racism, implying the general form of racism, which is, simply put, any discrimination on the basis of race.

Yes, and? This was specifically in response to the denial that racism is not a structural thing, which we have objective historical examples of structural racism affecting different populations.

Re: Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?

#120

Post by jolmg » Mon, Nov 25, 2019, 10:29 PM UTC

rootsudo wrote: post #115

vosper wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think GP might mean "Japan" as in "the people of Japan" rather than the Japanese government. The government putting some things in place on their side doesn't necessarily mean that foreign entrepreneurs will actually be welcomed in everyday life, finding customers, suppliers, etc...

Because no one wants to deal with someone who can't speak Japanese on Japan. As I stayed above, it's a barrier of entry.

While I've never had any first-hand experience with Japan, it is said that there is some degree of discrimination that stems from cultural differences. Stuff like foreigners find it more difficult to rent apartments because the owners are concerned they won't be quiet enough and disturb the neighbors, or won't sort out their trash appropriately, etc. I don't think language is the only issue.

Japanese work culture also seems very particular. It seems likely that a business run by a foreigner would result in cultural clashes with employees, with customers, and with the general public.