00:00It's early morning on Etojima and this crew is wasting no time.
00:10The island near Hiroshima in Japan's Seto Inland Sea is famous for producing oysters
00:18with a rich umami flavour.
00:21This clean water combined with nutrient rich seas creates an environment where incredibly delicious oysters thrive.
00:30Oyster farming in this region dates back more than 400 years.
00:40But despite its long tradition, the industry is facing change.
00:46On Etojima, almost half the community is aged over 65 and local workers are hard to come by.
00:54So farms have turned to foreign labour.
00:58I felt stagnant in Indonesia. No progress. It's hard to improve my life quality.
01:06Without those foreigners, the industry would probably have gone under by now.
01:10Now 90% of the industry's workers are from overseas.
01:18But the change has not come without challenges.
01:22Japan is renowned for its homogeneity and strict social norms.
01:28Here the culture like queuing is very different from Indonesia. Maybe that takes a long time to adapt.
01:36In 2013, the industry was rocked when a Chinese intern at a local oyster farm killed the company's president and an employee.
01:46The violent crime cast a long shadow.
01:50And to this day, local government polls show most elderly people are reluctant to engage with the island's new arrivals.
01:58I'd heard all sorts of stories about foreigners coming here and damaging the fields.
02:04Stuff in the fields would go missing and so on.
02:08I was a bit scared.
02:10Japanese people have had very little interaction with foreigners until now.
02:16Yukio Yamamoto is working to bridge the divide.
02:22He works for the local council, spearheading events that showcase the island's diverse community.
02:32The real focus should be on building small, everyday connections with foreigners.
02:38I believe this is not just an issue for Etejima, but for the whole of Japan.
02:47Shifting attitudes will take time, but these locals can see the benefit.
02:52Etejima City really couldn't manage without foreign workers coming here, so I'm very grateful.
02:58It brings a sense of vitality, and in that respect, I think it's a good thing.
03:03What's happening on this little island of Etejima is playing out across Japan.
03:09The country's population has been declining now for well over a decade.
03:14Its most recent drop, the sharpest yet.
03:17Meanwhile, the number of foreigners here is also at record levels.
03:22It may be early days, but Japan is changing.
03:26Every day, the Japanese population declines by about 2,200 people.
03:33But over the last 18 months, every day, about 1,200 people received a work permit to come and work in Japan.
03:43It's an issue being fought over at the highest levels of government.
03:49Managing the economic need for migrants to plug worker shortages,
03:53while addressing anxiety about cultural cohesion.
03:58We have no choice but to bring in new people.
04:01Things so that they can use this.
04:03Moving with the times.
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