Political Incorporation of Immigrants in Japan: The Focus on the Intention in Citizenship Acquisition
Political Incorporation of Immigrants in Japan: The Focus on the Intention in Citizenship Acquisition
Referent
Prof. Dr. Hirohisa Takenoshita (Keio University, Tokyo)
Datum und Zeit
19. März 2026, 10:15 - 11:45
Ort
Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006 Zürich, Raum KO2-F-152
Inhalt
Immigration scholarship has paid more attention to various dimensions of immigrant integration. More research has been implemented concerning economic integration in recent countries of immigration than in other forms of integration. Previous literature on immigrant integration has adopted institutional perspectives, shedding light on how laws and formal institutions regarding immigration control policies have emerged and changed over time. Meanwhile, there is less research on how individual migrants view political participation and citizenship acquisition in their receiving states, using the quantitative survey data on migrants in newly emerging destinations. Japan is one of the interesting cases because it is highly reluctant to identify itself as a country of immigration despite the strong demand for migrant workers due to the demographic crisis. Japan is seen as an ethno-nationalist country that lacks a model of civic integration. By investigating the roles of assimilation, economic integration, social capital, civic engagement, and a sense of belonging in shaping the intention of citizenship acquisition, we discuss the mechanisms by which political incorporation occurs among immigrants in the country where citizenship strongly overlaps with ethnic and national identities. In this study, we explore what shapes the intention of citizenship acquisition among immigrants in Japan, using the nationally representative survey of immigrants in Japan in 2018.
Organisation: Asien-Orient-Institut - Japanologie