Immigration Control Regime and the Concept of Aliens in Postwar Japan

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  • PARK Sara
    Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, Kobe University

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Other Title
  • 入国管理体制と「外国人」概念
  • 入国管理体制と「外国人」概念 : 「日本型排外主義」再考
  • ニュウコク カンリ タイセイ ト 「 ガイコクジン 」 ガイネン : 「 ニホンガタ ハイガイ シュギ 」 サイコウ
  • ――Rethinking So-called “Xenophobia” in Japan――
  • ――「日本型排外主義」再考――

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Abstract

<p>Since 2009, ultra-right groups have spread racist discourse, not only on the Internet, but also in the streets. At the same time, activists, politicians, and academics launched counter movements; these actors consider xenophobia in Japan to be an urgent matter. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that so-called xenophobia in contemporary Japan should be regarded as racism and that previous scholarship, especially in sociology, have overlooked its nature and the historical background of the very concept of aliens in post-war Japan and eventually share the view toward “aliens” with racist, ultra-right groups. So-called xenophobia in contemporary Japan stems from its immigration control regime consisting of the Immigration Control Act, Nationality Act, and previously, Alien Registration Act. In this paper, I argue that Japan’s immigration control system labels ethnic minorities as foreigners and maintains exclusionary legal status for them. This paper also argues that immigration control policy originally targeted irregular migration from Korea, and was aimed at registering allnon-Japanese who had lived in Japan for years, regarding Korean populations both in-and outside Japan as foreigners. It was the Allied Powers and the Japanese Government that promoted the policy; however, also Koreans in ethnic movements shared the view that Koreans are not Japanese thus should be treated as aliens, although their understanding on the concept of aliens was slightly and critically different from the previous two parties. These shared understanding that non-Japanese are foreigners prepared the basis of immigration control regime and the legal status of Koreans in Japan after the Peace Treaty with Japan in 1952.</p>

Journal

  • SOSHIOROJI

    SOSHIOROJI 62 (2), 3-20, 2017-10-01

    SHAKAIGAKU KENKYUKAI

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