ABSTRACT
In place of the typhoons (kamikaze, literally divine wind) and ten-foot-high stone walls on the island of Kyushu that frustrated the Mongols almost 800 years ago, Japanese authorities have relied on a series of front and side-doors to regulate movement from China. This chapter argues that the transformation of Chinese migration to Japan reflects an interaction of developments in China and partial displacement from the United States. More important, Chinese migration strategies have been shaped by the longstanding interaction of Japan’s immigration policies and enforcement patterns, as well as Japanese demand patterns for unskilled foreign labour. Chinese migrants continued to enter Japan under the paths of college and pre-college visas during the 1990s. The number of new entrants on college student visas increased slowly — from 2,632 in 1990 to 5,330 in 1999, reflecting the greater popularity of the United States for Chinese students.
