Scofflaw foreign residents
In the Friday, May 17th edition of the English-language Japan Times print newspaper I read that the Japanese government is preparing legislation to rescind the residency status of foreigners who neglect to pay / deliberately dodge payment of all the mandated taxes and fees: “kokumin hoken” health insurance; “juminzei” residency tax; “shoutokuzei” income tax; and “nenkin” old age pension. It was followed up on Wednesday, May 22nd with a front page story on the same topic.
The law being considered by the Kishida government is a revision of the immigration law with a new clause added about revoking permanent residence status from non-payers. It is primarily concerned with immigrant labor in the Japanese economy. The government is proposing replacing the current technical intern training program with a new system that will allow foreign workers to switch employers and stay in Japan longer, and a stricter enforcement of social security payments is part of that plan. It’s a way or normalizing foreigners’ lives here.
The payments most often missed by foreign residents are for pension premiums. Long term residents, not just permanent residents, have the right to receive social security services, so it feels only natural for them to fulfill their duties by paying premiums, just like Japanese nationals. This feels to me like a reasonable as well sound argument.
Ever since I arrived here, I’ve met and known foreigners who vacuously whine about having to pay these bills, incorrectly questioning the benefit to themselves, and stupidly boast about NOT paying them. It never fails. Every year I meet a new one. People whose plan if they have a medical emergency is just to flee the country - people pejoratively labeled “flyjin,” which is a take on the Japanese word for foreigner, “gaijin.” It remains to be seen if the government is successful with the measure and, if successful, how soon and in what form the move will take in practice. Interesting.
I have habitually pointed out to such people the moral obligation to pay the legally mandates fees in order to support the society that we’re living in. And, I’ve habitually countered their arguments by pointing out that they enjoy having a job, having access to safe drinking water and plentiful safe food, paved roads, fire, police and ambulance services, public parks, hospitals, toilets, public transportation, public libraries, public schools, et. al. Everything, in fact, that goes into our modern life. But my arguments are usually blithely rejected. Rejected with casual indifference. Idiots!
I myself have habitually complained about my bills. But I’ve always paid them faithfully, because I have a mature understanding of my contribution to society, and how civilized society works. Scofflaw foreigners do not.
Incidentally, the largest groups, by nationality, of foreign residents in Japan are 1) Chinese; 2) Vietnamese; 3) South Koreans; and, 4) Filipinos.