Automation is no cure for Japan. Their influence is waning rapidly, in many sectors. I would say that, with an aging population, Japan is turning into a stale country, culture wise and economy wise alike.
Really, it's honestly kind of freaky how often I see western media articles about how Japan needs to act now, or they're doomed to fail and their population will vanish. Yet I see nothing about Bulgaria losing 25% of its population in 25 years or Belgium needing to reevaluate its global image for fear of irrelevancy.
So, you're agreeing that Japan is on a long downward slope to economic and technological irrelevance, but you believe the average Japanese would rather accept this than immigration?
The most common thing I see on the news and hear people worry about is the violence going on in America and in the increasingly common European terror attacks. The attitude to immigration is only being solidified here, and none of the "but what about your GDP???" stuff matters to anyone but degree mill economists. The country is safe and stable, and population is coming down to a number that's more sustainable for a small, mountainous, mostly non-arable country. That's all that people really care about.
low levels of GDP and high levels of corruptions are correlated
poverty reduction and per capita income growth performances are correlated
economic freedom is correlated with income
Rule of law is correlated to GDP per person
There is only a partial correlation between democracy and economic growth but stronger correlation between democracy and level of GDP
As per capita income increases to around US$5,000 per annum, environmental quality falls, but then from around $8,000 per capita onwards, the environmental quality rises again
GDP and happiness is correlated
GDP per capita is correlated to percentage of population who donate to charity
GDP is correlated to individualism in a country
Wealthier countries tend to have less income inequality
Your implicit value judgment very much reflects a Western, linear, 'progress' based view of history, one which not all cultures share.
Or more foreign residents: http://stats-japan.com/t/kiji/11639
The change is particularly visible in the larger cities: for example, it's increasingly rare to find ethnic Japanese behind the counter at a convenience store.