By Jeremy
*This is a reader submission.
At the time at which this short commentary is being written, it has been exactly two years since I joined and later completed a summer exchange program at the most prestigious university in Japan, namely the University of Tokyo. Much has changed since then: now, I am studying for a master’s degree at Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University in Beppu; the world is slowly emerging from the darkness of the novel coronavirus and its endless variants; and most importantly, international students like myself are trying to stay afloat academically and mentally on what it seems to be a perpetual cycle of online classes devoid of human interactions. The prospect of entering Japan after the summer Olympics is anything but certain: so long as the Japanese government and mainstream media push the narrative that foreigners are behind the surge and spread of coronavirus in Japan, it is highly unlikely that non-Japanese are allowed entry.
In response, many international students have created coalition groups on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The primary aim among these groups is to raise awareness in the international community on the effect of border closure on their education, mental and physical health. As much as journalists, international news media tried to pressure the Japanese government to overturn its border policies, and that many students living in North America and Europe have sacrificed their sleeping schedule to keep up with their schoolwork, the government has shown no sign in discussing matters other than the Summer Olympics.
Much like foreign workers, international students also view the Japanese government’s border restriction as driven by century-old fear of foreigners rather than by science. Many wondered: “Why are Olympic athletes given priority before international students and foreign workers? Are they less likely to transmit coronavirus by virtue of their status as Olympic athletes? Sure, recent news media has slowly revealed that the Japanese government has its hands tied by the International Olympic Committee. Without approval from the latter, the former is given virtually powerless to delay or cancel the summer Olympics. Be that as it may, it is undeniable that the Japanese government, with its slow and painful distribution of vaccines and its never-ending announcement of State of Emergency measures across Japan, is not prepared nor willing to own up to its mistake and make the necessary changes in its policies.
So, what should the Japanese government do? Should the Japanese government loosen its border restriction for international students and foreign workers? If the answer to the question is a resounding affirmative, then what happens after that? Would overturning the border restriction solve Japan’s domestically inflamed racist and prejudicial sentiment for non-Japanese workers and students? In answering the latter question, I draw on the experiences of international university students recruited as “global talents” to work in Japanese companies and the depiction of foreign workers as inherently dangerous in government policies to call for a more comprehensive approach in resisting Japan’s reactionary exclusion of non-Japanese nationals.
For over three decades, non-Japanese foreign workers (also called low-skilled migrant workers, but the term itself is not only derogatory but also hierarchically self-preserving) have encountered fierce and strict entry policies compared to Japanese descendants from Latin American countries, also known as “co-ethnic nationals.” Whereas the latter are allowed entry into Japan via open-door policies, the former entered Japan through “side-door” negotiations. The distinction between open-door and “side-door” management of the influx of foreign workers and “co-ethnic nationals” is the way that these two groups have been securitized by the Japanese government and its news media. By virtue of its supposedly Japanese lineage, “co-ethnic nationals” are considered low risk to Japanese traditions and social order, whereas foreign workers are depicted as dangerous and potentially socially debilitating. Despite the recent loosening of border restrictions to foreign workers led by Prime Minister Abe, many have struggled to obtain a decent lifestyle without harassment and prejudice based on their skin color, nationality, and language proficiency.
The experiences for international university students working in Japanese companies share similarities with foreign workers, but with slight differences. First, international university students often speak the Japanese language fluently (at least enough to work in a Japanese company). Second, most of them have lived in Japan for quite some time. Third, many were recruited by Japanese companies based on their supposed identity as “global talents” that the students assumed to grant them flexibility in utilizing their multi-cultural assets to help the company generate international connections and profits. Besides these differences, international university students face discriminatory and prejudicial treatment by their Japanese employees much as foreign workers are depicted as potentially threatening the Japanese nation. For instance, many have complained that their supervisors would pick on them based on their deficiency in understanding subtle cultural cues that are depicted as exclusive for Japanese nationals. Thinking that their language fluency would guarantee a stable and friendly working relationship in the company, many international students were disillusioned by the way they are treated as outsiders by their Japanese colleagues.
Even though it is commonly believed that not all Japanese people regard non-Japanese as potentially dangerous to core Japanese traditions. There are indeed many advocates pushing for a more nuanced recognition and understanding of foreigners than that which is inscribed in the general narrative that devoid them of name, motivations, and emotions. Nevertheless, we cannot be complacent and satisfied with the eventual entry of foreign workers and international university students. Discussion of Japan’s century-old fear of foreigners cannot end once international students and foreign workers gain entry to Japan. It needs to continue, for the well-being of non-Japanese workers, students, and humans in Japan.