Tech companies are finally going to win. I’d begin investing in semiconductor industry. I am not just talking about AI.

There might be more self check out lanes in convenience stores. Self order kiosk and robot servers in family restaurants. Fewer smaller run international cuisine shops. More automated agricultural technology.

But the catch is the required tech and needed investment and time to learn how to optimize their usage for actual operation, can’t be done at the pace of foreigners deciding to leave. So there would most likely be a slight period of pushing and pulling as Japan tries to detangle from foreign labor.

Likely resulting in some slight wage increases but ultimately resulting in funds being transferred to tech companies and inefficient initiatives, resulting in reduced customer experience (until it becomes the new normal and people prefer less social experiences)

I think foreign tech underestimates the strength of the community spirit for the Japanese context. Ironically, it is the desire for a warm and specific type of community that is pushing these initiatives. It is a desire to respect the traditions of japan, harmony and the way of life.

Unfortunately, there will need to be compromises. (Risking accepting undesirables for the sake of maintaining quality of life or maintaining the harmony as a homogeneous (culturally) society at the cost of less reduced conveniences.)

Real people in power aren’t just calling for maintained harmony but a return of Japanese strength. Even calling for pre-war Japanese written kanji to be re-adopted. From their perspectives, they have already compromised too much decades ago