ARBEITSMIGRATION NACH JAPAN: RECHTLICHERAHMENBEDINGUNGEN, POLITISCHER DISKURS

In 2000 the United Nations published a study named „Replacement Migration– Is it a Solution to Declining and Ageing Populations?“ which highlightsthe effects replacement migration may have on the workforce of eight industrialcountries and two world regions. For Japan to keep up its workforce, this studyfinds a replacement migration of up to ten million people per year necessary. Thispaper examines the legal framework of labor migration to Japan, and shows thatlabour migration to Japan is very limited by a strict system of visa regulations. Thisespecially holds true for the so-called unskilled labourers. The paper also draws apicture of the current political discourse on the issue of opening Japan’s doors toan international labour force. The positions and arguments of two ministries, theministry of justice and of foreign affairs respectively, as well as of the Japan BusinessFederation and the United Nations – prominent actors in this discourse – arebeing introduced. It will be argued that labour migration as replacement migrationseems an unrealistic approach for Japan to tackle its demographic challenge. Toohesitant is the political discourse, too faint-hearted the public opinion, for a newlegal framework, which would pave the way for the internationalization of Japan’sworkforce, to be created....