Comprises an account of population flows in and out of Japan, especially since WWII, which provides a reminder that, like many European countries, Japan was once a relatively poor, labour-exporting country. Currently there is a national shortage of labour (particularly unskilled labour), and Japan attracts legal and illegal workers from many countries as a result of wage levels many times higher than those of most developing Asian countries. The paper presents background information on the causes of recent increases in international migration, and draws demographic projections for the foreign populations of Japan. There are comments on the article by S. Hirashima and Y.-B. Park on pp 49-52. -P.Hardiman

[No Keywords available]

Population Forecast Research Methodology Forecasting economics population demography foreign labour Foreigners Population Dynamics statistics Asia Ethnic Groups ethnic group Developed Countries Far East Eastern Asia health care manpower Health Manpower Japan modelling fluid mechanics demographic projection mixing experimental techniques Article migration international migration developed country population and population related phenomena migration flow Demographic Factors research Estimation Technics Emigration and Immigration Economic Factors Population Characteristics Human Resources Nationality employment Labor Force population migration