By a Former Real Estate Analyst at Mitsui Fudosan & SMBC Nikko Securities
Japan is becoming a melting pot, much like the United States.” This is a structural inevitability driven by national necessity.
Recently at a McDonald’s in Tokyo, I witnessed the new face of Japan. The clerk, a foreign national, handled complex orders in flawless Japanese and then seamlessly switched to fluent English for the next customer. These individuals are no longer just “laborers”; they are multilingual hubs, bridging Japan with the global market.
Throughout my career at Mitsui Fudosan, Nikko Securities, and UBS Securities, I have analyzed numerous market cycles. Today, the motive behind the Japanese government’s aggressive push for foreign labor is clear: Depopulation equals the evaporation of markets and political influence.
We are seeing a massive mobilization of government resources. The Ministry of Education (MEXT) has boosted its budget to integrate foreign children, while the Ministry of Land (MLIT) is dismantling traditional barriers to housing. This is a survival strategy to preserve Japan’s infrastructure. The flurry of activity in “human resource businesses” within political circles is a direct signal of this new national priority.
The era of “forcing foreigners into the Japanese system” is over. To survive, Japan must become a nation that is chosen by global talent. We must provide an open, English-friendly, and AI-driven environment.
At 76, I utilize AI agents to process data while I walk the streets of Tokyo—like Kagurazaka—to analyze the “pulse” of urban redevelopment. AI provides the data, but it
日本は今、アメリカのような「多民族国家」へと変化している
これは政策ではなく、人口減少による“必然的な構造変化”
東京のマクドナルドでは、外国人スタッフが日本語・英語を使い分けるなど、すでに高度な人材として機能
外国人は単なる労働力ではなく、日本と世界をつなぐ存在になっている
政府が外国人労働者を積極的に受け入れる理由は明確
→ 人口減少＝市場縮小・国力低下につながるため
文部科学省は外国人子ども支援を強化
国土交通省は住宅制度の障壁を緩和
→ 国家インフラ維持のための「生存戦略」
政界で人材ビジネスが活発化しているのも、この流れの表れ
これまでの「外国人を日本に適応させる時代」は終了
→ これからは「外国人に選ばれる国」になる必要がある
そのためには
・英語対応
・開かれた社会
・AI活用環境
が不可欠
筆者（76歳）はAIを活用しながら街を歩き、都市開発の動向を分析
→ AIはデータを提供するが、最終判断は人間が行う
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