Guarding Identity, Needing Workers

Il seminario si tiene all'interno del corso magistrale 'Mobility and Social Transformation'

Compared to traditional immigration destinations, Japan is still considered a relatively recent country of immigration. Today, over one-tenth of the United States population is made up of foreign citizens, whereas in 2020, foreign citizens accounted for 2.3% of Japan's total population. Nonetheless, this figure marks a record high for the number of foreign residents in Japan, reflecting a steady increase since the latter half of the last century. Like other industrialised nations, Japan faces the challenge of an ageing and shrinking population, with projections indicating further decline over the next fifty years. This situation places a strain on the national pension system and has serious implications for the domestic labour market. Coupled with the changing role of Japanese women, who are increasingly prioritising careers over traditional roles as mothers and wives, and a growing generation of highly educated youth unwilling to take on so-called 3D jobs (dirty, dangerous, and demeaning), Japan is in urgent need of a robust source of new workers. This guest lecture will provide an introduction to the phenomenon of immigration in Japan, from early efforts to manage diversity among both indigenous and foreign-origin minorities, to the current political and legal frameworks governing immigration. It will then focus on the school experiences of youths with immigrant backgrounds living in Japan, which vividly illustrates the country's evolving approach to immigration and integration.