Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

japantimes.co.jp

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 157 posts

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#71

Post by avadodin »

vr46 wrote: post #32
kakacik wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not shocking, I see it implemented ie in Switzerland, where half of the world tries to get in. Since each part has their own language and none of that is english, its pretty important to exist in society for anything but brief visitors. Its not restrictive as this (B2 is pretty high level in any language, here its weak B1) and resefved for 'higher' permits like C, for which you anyway need 10 years of residency i…

Except the Swiss are total arseholes about it, they won't even grant citizenship to people born there or who've lived there for twenty years and speak the language. Many want to cap total population at 10 million, we'll see what happens in June. And twelve years ago, the Swiss voted to restrict EU FoM for itself and the backlash was instant. Can't blame the government, this is the Swiss voting public doing their best…

> lived there for twenty years and speak the language

Which one?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Switzerland

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#72

Post by dublinstats »

GuB-42 wrote: post #51
nslsm wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks like they are proud of their country and want to keep it as is. They’ve seen what limitless immigration did to other countries and want none of it. Respect to them.

Switzerland has a fertility rate of about 1.4 and decreasing, unless they do something, there won't be much of a country left in a few generations. Solutions can involve immigration or natalism, but something has to change. Japan is worse.

Or significantly increasing life-expectancy. Or new fertility technologies. A few generations is a long time.

The birth rates of the immigrant waves would presumably just plummet quickly anyway as they join the culture. Since that seems to have happened with all our other health problems.

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#73

Post by decimalenough »

socalgal2 wrote: post #50
vr46 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except the Swiss are total arseholes about it, they won't even grant citizenship to people born there or who've lived there for twenty years and speak the language. Many want to cap total population at 10 million, we'll see what happens in June. And twelve years ago, the Swiss voted to restrict EU FoM for itself and the backlash was instant. Can't blame the government, this is the Swiss voting public doing their best…

> Except the Swiss are total arseholes about it, they won't even grant citizenship to people born there or who've lived there for twenty years and speak the language. Japan has those issues as well, look up Zainichi Koreans

These days Zainichi Koreans are granted citizenship pretty much automatically if they request it. But some choose not to, mostly because they prefer to retain Korean citizenship instead (Japan does not allow dual citizenship).

Yes, previously they were forced to choose Japanese names to naturalize, but this has not been the case for a long time.

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#74

Post by mothballed »

raw_anon_1111 wrote: post #70
mothballed wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not saying you should ban mosques but when they do the whole call to prayer thing at 2am, I understand. Guessing you've never had to sleep any extended period of time near a mosque. If church bells rudely woke me up at 2am I'd understand the church banners too.

Well maybe molesting children and covering it up should be more of a reason to ban churches. But I agree that should come under noise ordinances. I don’t care who someone chooses to worship as long as it doesn’t interfere with me.

It's a numbers game as to why, not an argument being raped isn't worse. Relatively fewer people have been raped by a priest. Easily 100+x have been sent into a rage by the fucking call to prayer at 120 decibels. People tend to get more upset about things they have actually experienced.

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#75

Post by LAC-Tech »

GuB-42 wrote: post #51
nslsm wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks like they are proud of their country and want to keep it as is. They’ve seen what limitless immigration did to other countries and want none of it. Respect to them.

Switzerland has a fertility rate of about 1.4 and decreasing, unless they do something, there won't be much of a country left in a few generations. Solutions can involve immigration or natalism, but something has to change. Japan is worse.

A lot of people would rather live in their own aged society than a slightly younger foreign one.

Emphasis on slightly younger. Fertility is declining basically everywhere. Much of the developing world is now below replacement including India and China.

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#76

Post by LAC-Tech »

slaw wrote: post #58
GuB-42 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switzerland has a fertility rate of about 1.4 and decreasing, unless they do something, there won't be much of a country left in a few generations. Solutions can involve immigration or natalism, but something has to change. Japan is worse.

Africa has fertility rate 4.02 in 2025. Do you want Switzerland look like Africa?

Africas fertility rate is declining massively as well.

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#77

Post by LAC-Tech »

raw_anon_1111 wrote: post #61
kakacik wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the correct reality. If there would be public vote in surrounding countries, ie mosques would be banned there too (btw those standing and having permit before the vote keep functioning). But none of the german, french, italian etc politicians have the balls to let society decide for themselves, controversial topic or not. And people then wonder why in extremely left-leaning country like France there is high p…

[flagged]

This discourse feels like you are deliberately pretending not to understand things.

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#78

Post by FabCH »

vr46 wrote: post #32
kakacik wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not shocking, I see it implemented ie in Switzerland, where half of the world tries to get in. Since each part has their own language and none of that is english, its pretty important to exist in society for anything but brief visitors. Its not restrictive as this (B2 is pretty high level in any language, here its weak B1) and resefved for 'higher' permits like C, for which you anyway need 10 years of residency i…

Except the Swiss are total arseholes about it, they won't even grant citizenship to people born there or who've lived there for twenty years and speak the language. Many want to cap total population at 10 million, we'll see what happens in June. And twelve years ago, the Swiss voted to restrict EU FoM for itself and the backlash was instant. Can't blame the government, this is the Swiss voting public doing their best…

No country in Europe automatically grants citizenship just because you were born there. That’s a US thing. The closest are places like France where you can get it at 18 if you were born in France and meet a few more criteria.

And because Switzerland has mandatory military service, a lot of men born in Switzerland don’t _want_ to naturalize, especially those with EU passports.

Switzerland isn’t really that much different from other EU countries when it comes to citizenship, except for the 10 year requirement. That one is on the high side.

But for some reason it gets a lot of press as a particularly difficult country to naturalize in.

Re: Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants

#79

Post by slaw »

LAC-Tech wrote: post #76
slaw wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Africa has fertility rate 4.02 in 2025. Do you want Switzerland look like Africa?

Africas fertility rate is declining massively as well.

Yes, by 2091 Africas fertility rate should be 2.1
Post reply on HN