Regarding the story "Foreign population hits record 2.83 million" in the Oct. 26 edition, I strongly believe that the rise has had a positive impact in terms of the economy and culture.
From a "third culture kid" perspective, I was exposed to a variety of cultural influences. When I compare Japan to other countries like the U.S., I think it still lacks the overall skills to expand its economy and to engage globally in cultural exchange programs.
Foreigners arriving in Japan on visas as highly skilled professionals, such as engineers or working in international services, will help Japan to stabilize its economy, and enhance the reputation of the country for having diverse workers.
However, this article only covers figures regarding the increase in the foreign population and the top three nationalities. I would like to emphasize that there should be interviews on whether Japanese citizens generally feel positive about foreigners filling available slots in the Japanese workforce, or whether they have negative feelings that foreigners are taking their jobs. The opinions of the general public are necessary to give Japan Times readers a better understanding of the situation.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.