ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the increasing role of 'independent' female workers in recent years in international migration. The number of female migrants has increased globally and in some instances even outnumbers male migrants. The chapter discusses on ongoing research and offers a preliminary analysis of female labour migration to Japan set within the broader context of genderised labour migration in Pacific Asia. It argues that exploitative practices in regard to female migrant workers from Asia are not only based on 'gender', but also 'race'. The chapter discusses the socio-legal recognition of female migrant workers. It demonstrates that until the mid-1980s there was little official recognition of international labour migration in Japan despite the presence of a considerable number of female migrants. The engagement of female migrant workers mainly in the Japanese entertainment and sex industry reflects both the dominant gender ideology and notions of sexuality in modern Japan.
