Migration and minorities in contemporary JapanMiloš DEBNÁR
mdebnar@world.ryukoku.ac.jp

Objectives
Japan has been perceived as a negative case in terms of allowing immigration among the highly
developed countries for a long time, which oftentimes went hand-in-hand with perception of Japan asa mono-ethnic, mono-cultural society. While Japan and its political elites are still clearly opposing
open door immigration policy especially towards low-skilled migrants there have been a number ofsignificant changes in past three decades that led to increasing numbers of foreign nationals living inJapan and opening further possibilities to legally enter and settle in Japan.
This course will provide students with a better understanding of the contemporary migration andfallacy of the mono-ethnic Japan perception. It will address the issues related to historical minorities,
pre-war migration to Japan and a detailed overview of the contemporary migration patterns and theintegration of migrants into the fabrics of the Japanese society since 1990s. Furthermore, the course
aims to deepen students’ understanding of the Japanese society through looking at its minorities andmovement of people in recent years. We will address issues related to pre-pandemic boom in inboundtourism or Japan’s out-migration as well. This should provide us with further and more complex
understanding of contemporary meanings of Japan for people who choose it as their destination andthose who leave it behind in search for better lives.

Content and organization
The course will start with an overview of the history and social position of the major historicalminorities in the Japanese society, such as burakumin and Zainichi (or Korean residents). Discussionsof a struggle for recognition and inclusion of these minorities in the structures of the Japanese society
should serve us as a basis for understanding some of the issues concerning the present-day minorities
in Japan.
The second (core) part of the course will be dedicated to discussions of contemporary migration thathave emerged since the late 1980s in various forms – ranging from the ‘ethnic’ migration of Nikkei
Brazilians, through ‘Asian brides’ or women entertainers from the Philippines to high-skilled workers,
international students or low-skilled workers disguised in various forms. Exploring these different
patterns will lead us to important issues related to migration such as integration or the notion of multicultural coexistence (tabunka kyōsei), meanings of (national) belonging, the myth of Japanese ethno-

cultural homogeneity, racism and xenophobia as well as it will provide us with an opportunity toaddress broader topics such as demographic changes and a shrinking labor force, social inequalities,
or globalization, its meanings and manifestations in the contemporary Japan.
The final part of the course will consist of discussions of inbound tourism to Japan and emigration
patterns from Japan. An analysis of the underlying factors of these movements will further provide us
with an opportunity to explore continuities (such as the persistence of gender inequalities) and changes(such as individualization) within Japanese society.

FormatRegular classes will consist of short lectures and student-led discussion based on reading assignments.
Part of the classes will be dedicated to other activities; two to three field trips, and a film screening
with discussion.

Class requirements and grading
Attendance and class participation:
Active participation and regular attendance of class meetings and field trips is required for completingthe course. Students are required to come prepared for classes and active participation in class anddiscussion are an essential part of the course. Unexcused absences will lower your final grade.
Critical reading summary:Each class will consist of a lecture that will be followed by a summary and analysis of the reading
assignment and student-led discussion. All students are required to complete readings before the class.
One student (or group) will present a short summary and analysis of the reading with critical comments
and prepare questions for discussion.
Short essays:
There will be two short essay assignments regarding two of the additional activities (film screening
and field trips). Essays will be about 1000 words long.
Final presentation:
During the course, students will be divided into small groups that will prepare presentations on topicsof their interest and related to migration and minorities in Japan (e.g., case studies on minorities, small
surveys or analysis of observations made during their stay in Japan). Each presentation will be 15-20
minutes long and will be followed by a short discussion. All presentations will be presented during

weeks 12 and 13.
Final paper:
Students are required to submit a final paper (no shorter than 1500 words and no longer than 2000words) on a topic of their interest that is related to minorities, migration, or integration. Papers should
utilize concepts, ideas and data discussed during the classes or in other relevant sources. Final papers
can also build on material and ideas used for group presentations, yet papers will be submitted
individually and should reflect comments from discussion after the presentations.
Evaluation:
1.

Attendance and class participation

15%

2.

Reading summaries

15%3.

Short essays

15%

4.

Presentation

25%

5.

Paper

30%

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as misrepresenting the work of others (whether published or not) as
your own. It may be inadvertent or intentional. Any facts, statistics, quotations, or paraphrasing of any
information that is not common knowledge, should be cited. Plagiarism and cheating are not allowed
and if revealed, the final grade will automatically be an F.
Late assignment submission: Failing to submit class assignment (short essays, final paper) or missing
your turn in presentation without prior consultation and eligible cause will lower your grade by one
letter (e.g., from A to B).
Accommodating Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and have a DScertified ‘Accommodation Letter’ please see the KCJS resident director to confirm youraccommodation needs. If you believe that you have a disability that requires accommodation, you cancontact your home school's Disability Services or Columbia's Disability Services atdisability@columbia.edu. The Office of Global Programs (OGP) can also assist you to connect withColumbia's Disability Services.

Fieldtrips:The exact dates and destinations will be decided during the course. Destinations will include some of
the following places: Kobe (Japanese Overseas Migration Museum and others), Utoro Peace Memorial

Museum (Uji), Buraku fieldtrip in Kyoto, Gion (Kyoto).

Study materials/readings:
Reserve copies of the books listed in the syllabi will be available in the KCJS office. Copies ofother readings (journal articles, etc.) will be made available in pdf format by the professor.