japan

The news had been released in a number of media, it is still only a project:  offering 10000 free tickets to Japan in order to encourage tourists to rediscover the country. Beneficiaries of those free tickets would as a counterpart publish a report on what they have seen and visited.

According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the project is currently non confirmed, pending budgetary approval. The Agency is otherwise warning the public not to be deceived by would be intermediaries for the program.

More information on this website, as soon as the program will have been officialized.

Despite risks of increasing talent shortages as it's population ages, Japan remains reluctant to open it's labour market to immigrants. As a result, the country becomes less attractive for investors, both japanese and foreign, who prefer places like Hong kong and Singapore.

Despite being comfronted to risks of talent shortages because of it's aging population, Japan hasn't yet accomplished it's revolution towards encouraging immigration. The country actually chooses to do the opposite, encouraging both foreign workers and graduates from it's universities, to return home and tightening the conditions to access it's labour market.

For the first time in 50 years, the number of registered foreigners fell in 2009. The overall Foreign population hence represents 1,71% of Japan's population of 127,5 Millions.

Thanks to a last quarter in 2009 which was better than expected, with a 1,1% growth of its gross interior product, Japan remains the number 2 world Economy in 2009.

But 2009 was a very difficult year for Japan. It's economy contracted by 5% in 2009, the worst results since 1955, and it's growth in 2010, according to gevernmental sources, should not exceed 1,4%.

In these conditions, Japan could well cede it's 2nd rank to China as soon as in 2010 : it's total GDP in 2009 was 3.871 billions €, compared with china's 3.594 billions €.