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In recent years, various influential voices in Japan have proposed that the country open itself to immigration, in one form or another, as a partial solution to revitalize the economy, to prop up the demographic decline, and in recognition of already present streams of migrants who entered through "side" or "back" doors. Where will Japan go from here? This paper traces connections between developments in migration policy in recent years by examining relevant discourses on migration from government policy reports, interviews with bureaucrats, politicians and civil society organization representatives and other stakeholders. While pro-immigration voices are present, the prospect for any "opening up" of Japan remains murky, due in no small part to the failures evident in various policies that have been put forward up to this point as well as to the economic recessions of the past two decades, exacerbated by the disastrous earthquake and nuclear accident of 3/11. The "I" word remains contested.

In recent years, various influential voices in Japan have proposed that the country open itself to immigration, in one form or another, as a partial solution to revitalize the economy, to prop up the demographic decline, and in recognition of already present streams of migrants who entered through "side" or "back" doors. Where will Japan go from here? This paper traces connections between developments in migration policy in recent years by examining relevant discourses on migration from government policy reports, interviews with bureaucrats, politicians and civil society organization representatives and other stakeholders. While pro-immigration voices are present, the prospect for any "opening up" of Japan remains murky, due in no small part to the failures evident in various policies that have been put forward up to this point as well as to the economic recessions of the past two decades, exacerbated by the disastrous earthquake and nuclear accident of 3/11. The "I" word remains contested. (Asien/GIGA)

As the developed countries increasingly see women's participation in the labor force rise, a common challenge has become how people can balance work responsibilities with the rest of their lives. The crux lies in putting into place and enforcing policy frameworks that acknowledge the legitimacy of finding balance, without sacrificing gender equality. This article discusses the parameters of this problem for Japan: a low birthrate, rapidly aging society with growing numbers of women who seek to maintain careers. Through a study of the working situations of employees at one U.S. multinational corporation in Tokyo, I investigate the ways in which career women approach and negotiate work/life balance. In recent years, while government and corporate policies have changed to foster both balance and gender equality, a cultural work environment that breeds long hours for core white-collar workers, embedded gender roles, an ongoing recession, and a lack of strict enforcement mechanisms for corporate work/life balance initiatives and their legal underpinnings seriously dilute the effectiveness of policy. Balance is precarious at best, and often elusive. (Asian Perspect/DÜI)

Despite rapid demographic decline, until recently, low-skilled migrant workers have been welcomed only through 'side-doors' such as technical interns (TITP). Yet pressure for change comes from two sides: the moral critique of the 'side-door' scheme, and the growing economic pressures of a dwindling labor force. In 2018 Japan put in place a short-term bona-fide labor scheme (Specified Skilled Worker; hereafter, SSW) in fields previously largely inaccessible to foreign labor. In combination with the TITP schemes, these workers are allowed to stay longer. But what do these changes mean, how do the farmer-employers see them, and will the SSW lead to a sustainable farm labor supply going forward? We explore stakeholders' views of the current schemes and their opinions on how low-skilled labor migration should proceed in agriculture. Businesses are desperate for labor, but not at any cost. Under SSW, employers are being asked to change the ways they envision and treat migrant labor. The tensions between their expectations and the realities on the ground reflect the contradictions that Japan's migration policies inherit, based in the bureaucratic fiction that only 'skilled' labor is necessary. Data for this paper come from qualitative interviews conducted from 2018 to 2022 in Kyoto, Aichi, and Tokyo. (Soc Sci Jap J / GIGA)

AbstractDespite rapid demographic decline, until recently, low-skilled migrant workers have been welcomed only through 'side-doors' such as technical interns (TITP). Yet pressure for change comes from two sides: the moral critique of the 'side-door' scheme, and the growing economic pressures of a dwindling labor force. In 2018 Japan put in place a short-term bona-fide labor scheme (Specified Skilled Worker; hereafter, SSW) in fields previously largely inaccessible to foreign labor. In combination with the TITP schemes, these workers are allowed to stay longer. But what do these changes mean, how do the farmer-employers see them, and will the SSW lead to a sustainable farm labor supply going forward? We explore stakeholders' views of the current schemes and their opinions on how low-skilled labor migration should proceed in agriculture. Businesses are desperate for labor, but not at any cost. Under SSW, employers are being asked to change the ways they envision and treat migrant labor. The tensions between their expectations and the realities on the ground reflect the contradictions that Japan's migration policies inherit, based in the bureaucratic fiction that only 'skilled' labor is necessary. Data for this paper come from qualitative interviews conducted from 2018 to 2022 in Kyoto, Aichi, and Tokyo.