Mar 23 (thediplomat.com) - Japan’s national borders have acquired an infamous reputation for being seemingly impenetrable.
During the first months of the pandemic, the rule of who belongs and should be granted access to Japanese territory became painfully clear for many long-term foreign residents as they were not allowed to reenter the country after traveling abroad – a privilege that Japanese nationals enjoyed.
Japan has frequently been criticized for its lack of multiculturalist policies due to ethno-nationalist imaginings of the nation and an emphasis on jus sanguinis (inherited nationality from one’s parents) as a prerequisite for national citizenship. In some extreme cases, this has compromised human rights. Japan’s refugee recognition rate is noticeably low, with a mere 47 asylum seekers recognized in 2020. Last year, the death of a Sri Lankan woman in a Japanese immigration detention facility drew attention to institutionalized racial discrimination and sparked controversy over Japan’s immigration policies, as the woman was denied urgently needed medical care while being mocked by the staff.
Yet there is a pressing demand for the accommodation of foreigners in Japan. A rapidly shrinking and aging population due to low birth rates has pushed the government to relax certain border regulations to let in more foreign workers. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has predicted Japan will need to quadruple the number of foreign workers to more than 6 million by 2040. As foreigners keep flowing in, calls for providing equitable opportunities and living conditions for foreigners and minorities will become all the more frequent.
Multiculturalism might be just the thing that could even out such inequalities. Although nowadays the concept has become the scapegoat for integration problems in many Western countries, the fundamental principles of multiculturalism – addressing inequalities through fair and differential treatment without having cultural homogeneity as a prerequisite for political inclusion – have become the foundation of the extension of civil rights to the diverse populations of the West. Yet these principles have not had the same impact in Japan. ...continue reading
