German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ)DIJ Social Science Study Group
September 30, 2015, 18:30
Adam Jambor, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf

Why do the young stay?
‘Home-orientation‘ and Social Capital in Okinawa
Why	   do	   people	   leave	   their	   home	   region?	   Classic	   migration	   models	   in	   economics	   argue	   that	  differences	   between	   regional	   labor	   markets	   (e.g.	   wage	   gap)	   are	   the	   main	   cause	   for	   mobility.	   The	  continuing	   migration	   of	   young	   Japanese	   from	   rural	   to	   urban	   areas	   appears	   to	   confirm	   this	   view.	   	  Yet	   Okinawa	   as	   the	   poorest	   prefecture	   in	   Japan	   that	   suffers	   under	   a	   comparatively	   sluggish	   labor	  market,	  low	  income	  levels	  and	  an	  excess	  of	  job	  applicants	  does	  not	  confirm	  to	  this	  theory.	  On	  the	  contrary,	   young	   Okinawans	   increasingly	   tend	   to	   stay	   in	   their	   home	   region.	   Hence,	   in	   the	   case	   of	  Okinawa	  the	  question	  is	  not	  “Why	  do	  the	  young	  leave?”	  but	  rather	  “Why	  do	  the	  young	  stay?”.	  Often	  used	  rational	  choice	  models	  of	   migration	  clearly	  fail	  to	  explain	  this	  phenomenon.	  My	  presentation	  will	  argue	  that	  the	  answer	  instead	  lies	  in	  the	  often	  neglected	  influence	  of	  social	  capital	  on	  mobility	  decisions.	   	  According	  to	  labor	  market	  researcher	  Nan	  Lin	  social	  capital	  is	  as	  “Investment	  in	  social	  relations	  with	  expected	   returns	   in	   the	   marketplace”,	   while	   political	   scientist	   Robert	   D.	   Putnam	  argues	   that	   there	   is	  a	   strong	   connection	   between	   high	   levels	   of	   social	   capital	   and	   high	   levels	   of	   trust.	   This	   paper	   will	  show	  that	  both	  perspectives	  on	  social	  capital	  can	  be	  used	  to	  explain	  the	  home-­‐orientation	  of	  young	  Okinawans.	  Based	  on	  data	  from	  a	  quantitative	  survey	  and	  qualitative	  interviews	   with	  3rd/4th	  year	  undergraduate	  students	  in	  Okinawa,	  I	  will	  show	  that	  Okinawa-­‐born	  students	  put	  considerably	  more	  emphasis	  on	  social	  capital	  when	  considering	  a	  move	  to	  another	  prefecture	  than	  students	  from	  the	  Japanese	   mainland.	   This	   means,	   young	   Okinawans	   value	   their	   extensive	   social	   networks	   of	   family	  and	  friends	  more	  than	  the	  potential	  economic	  benefits	  of	  a	  move	  to	  a	  more	  prosperous	  prefecture.	   	   	  	  Adam	  Jambor	  is	  a	  PhD	  candidate	  at	  Heinrich	  Heine	  University	  Duesseldorf	  and	  currently	  a	  fellowship	  holder	  at	  the	  German	  Institute	  for	  Japanese	  Studies	  (DIJ).	  He	  holds	  a	  Master’s	  degree	  in	  Modern	  Japanese	  Studies.	  From	  2014	  to	  2015	  he	  was	  a	  visiting	  researcher	  at	  the	  University	  of	  the	  Ryukyus	  on	  a	  scholarship	  from	  the	  German	  Academic	  Exchange	  Service	  (DAAD).	  
The DIJ Social Science Study Group is organized by S. Heinrich, P. Holdgrün and D. Kremers.
All are welcome to attend, but registration (heinrich@dijtokyo.org) is appreciated.
German Institute for Japanese Studies Tokyo (DIJ)
Jōchi Kioizaka Bldg. 2F, 7-1 Kioichō, Chiyoda-ku, Tōkyō 102-0094, Phone: 03-3222-5077

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