IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/oup/sscijp/v28y2025i1p65-79..html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What is new about Japan’s new migration policy? From recruitment of “nonlabor” workers to selection by neoliberal meritocracy

Author

Listed:
  • Naoto Higuchi

Abstract

Japan experienced major reforms in its migration policy in 2018. This study aims to examine the novelty of the new migration policy by tracing the shift in the legal status of two “nonlabor” migrant workers: fourth-generation Japanese descendants (Nikkeijin) and technical interns. While fourth-generation young adults have been allowed to work in Japan since 2018, their rights are more restricted than those of third-generation Nikkeijin. Simultaneously, the government prepared a path for technical interns to upgrade their visas to specified skilled workers. The new migration policy is characterized by the convergence of the status of the two groups. Superficially, the reformed immigration program appears to signify a shift toward a more liberal immigration policy that allows previously excluded groups to settle in the country. A more important feature is the rise of the neoliberal meritocracy as a new principle of admission. Both groups have the potential to improve their legal status; however, long-term settlement is unattainable until they undergo rigorous selection. They are expected to overcome hurdles independently because the government is reluctant to provide commensurate support with higher demands for changes in legal status.

Suggested Citation

  • Naoto Higuchi, 2025. "What is new about Japan’s new migration policy? From recruitment of “nonlabor” workers to selection by neoliberal meritocracy," Social Science Japan Journal, University of Tokyo and Oxford University Press, vol. 28(1), pages 65-79.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:sscijp:v:28:y:2025:i:1:p:65-79.
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ssjj/jyae011
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:oup:sscijp:v:28:y:2025:i:1:p:65-79.. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Oxford University Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://academic.oup.com/ssjj .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.