FOREVER OUTSIDERS: ASYLUM SEEKERS AND LABOR MIGRANTS IN JAPAN

In a time of tremendous political unrest, refugee populations have swelled to unimaginable numbers and millions of displaced people are seeking asylum in nations throughout the globe.

The Japanese government evoked international criticism in 2017 when almost 20,000 transplants applied for asylum and only 20 were approved. This figure is misleading, however, as there is more to this story than what the ostensibly shameful statistic indicates. The Justice Ministry believes that the vast majority of those applying for refugee status in Japan are not actual refugees but low-skilled labor migrants trying to abuse the nation’s asylum system motivated more by the promise of employment than protection from an abusive government back home. In 2023, the Japanese Parliament introduced a controversial bill that would allow the deportation of refugees if they unsuccessfully applied for asylum three or more times. These digital stories follow the protests against the bill and share the perspectives of community activists, scholars, and asylum seekers who are navigating the precarious path to remain in the country legally.

These videos are the result of a collaborative research project between Kenyon College and Denison University titled “A NEW DAWN IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN: THE ASPIRATIONS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS, REFUGEES, LABOR MIGRANTS, AND IMMIGRANTS IN JAPAN.”

Kenyon Team: Sam Pack (Faculty Mentor) + students: Mia Tsuchida, Valerie Kakos, and Long Tran

Denison Team: Taku Suzuki (Faculty Mentor) + students: Lauren Dempsey, Grace Han, and Evan Snively

A special thank you to the ASIANetwork Student-Faculty Fellows Program, which generously provided the funding for this project.