The ‘Outside-In' –An Overview of Japanese Immigration Policy from the Perspective of International Relations 1

This chapter discusses the structural dynamics of the formation of immigration policy. Japanese authorities once tried to claim a high degree of control in labour migration in the post-WWII period, which explains the surprisingly 'isolationist' policy during periods of high labour demand throughout the 1960s. The government position towards political development in this area is still modest, in part because of its failure to perceive its importance, but also because of the failure to address the internal-external security nexus that characterizes Japan's struggle with immigration. Japan's challenge regarding immigration is not only to balance out the protection of transnational human rights with the legitimacy of the state's sovereignty. The increased degree of interdependence among states has created factor endowments of various forms for changes in national politics. Human rights issue by all means needs to be tackled with but it should not be regarded as a tool of diplomatic compromise.