Event Report: Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan
On March 12th, 2021, the Centre for the Study of Global Japan welcomed Michael Strausz, Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of Asian Studies at Texas Christian University, to present his 2019 book, Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan.
Following opening remarks by Phillip Lipscy (Director, Centre for the Study of Global Japan), Strausz began the presentation by providing an overview of the central question of his book: Why has Japan’s immigration policy remained so restrictive, especially in light of economic, demographic, and international political forces that are pushing Japan to admit more immigrants? Throughout the presentation, Strausz drew on insights from intensive field research in Japan to answer this question.
After briefly surveying conventional explanations to his research question, Strausz presented his own explanations. He argued that two core interrelated factors explain why Japan’s immigration policy has remained so restrictive. The first is that Japan does not have an influential strain of elite thought that foreign nationals have a legitimate claim to residency and membership. The second is that labour-intensive businesses have not been able to successfully convince the government to admit foreign workers.
Strausz provided the context for recent developments in Japanese immigration policy, focusing on the December 2018 decision to admit more than 300,000 low-skilled foreign laborers. Among other things, this revision set up 14 new visa categories for foreign laborers (including low-skilled laborers), set a target of 345,150 in five years and created a new government office to help foreigners adjust to Japan. Strausz argued that the change reflects intensifying labour shortages, which has altered the policymaking context.
Finally, Strausz concluded with observations about COVID-19 and its implications for immigration policymaking globally. He argued that xenophobia has been exacerbated by the fact that the virus often spreads through asymptomatic infection. The spread of the virus is often blamed on foreigners, affecting perceptions toward immigration policy.
The presentation concluded with a lively Q&A session. During the session, Strausz addressed important questions which included the role of public opinion in Japanese immigration policy, the influence of international institutions, and the potential influence of populism on the perception by Japanese elites on immigration.
The Centre would like to thank Michael Strausz for delivering an insightful presentation and the global virtual audience in attendance for their engaged participation.
About the Speaker:
Michael Strausz is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of Asian Studies at Texas Christian University. He earned his PhD from the University of Washington. He is currently editing a collection of essays by an interdisciplinary group of scholars tentatively titled “The Past and Future of Immigration in Japan” which aims to put recent immigration reforms into context. His book Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan was published in 2019 with SUNY Press.
