Public Perceptions of Citizenship and Migration in Japan

Is migration a plausible option in combating aging and shrinking populations in countries with a strong emphasis on ethnic homogeneity? What kind of policies would be ideal to realize a multicultural society in such countries? To answer these questions, this presentation explored Japanese people’s views on citizenship (their views on naturalization) and migration (factors impacting their views on migrants). Based on several survey experiments, it aimed to provide evidence to influence policy discussions in regard to the future direction of these policies under the new Cabinet. Specifically, it aimed to highlight limitations with the current one-way assimilationist approaches pursued by the past Cabinets and to suggest a consolidation of social integration policies for both Japanese natives (i.e., recognizing and appreciating cultural diversities) and incoming migrants (i.e., understanding Japanese language and culture).

Speaker Bio:
Yujin Woo is an assistant professor at Graduate School of Law of Hitotsubashi University (Tokyo, Japan) and a research fellow at Waseda Institute of Political Economy of Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan).