ABSTRACT
The Korean community’s view of its situation in Japan is conditioned by collective recollections of experiences over the better part of twenty first century, since the colonization of their homeland. Official policies which now apply to the Korean community are particularly resented because they recall aspects of colonial policy. Most Korean children attend Japanese schools for two reasons. One, official policies discourage the development of Korean schools and, two, private schools face difficulty providing qualification for entry to higher education. Added to assimilation are the onerous requirements of Alien Registration, which for a long period involved compulsory fingerprinting even for permanent residents. Koreans in Japan are still required to carry a registration card at all times. The most intensely resented of the colonial hangovers is the pressure to adopt Japanese names, not only for naturalization but also for employment. A problem for Koreans regarding naturalization is the need to swear allegiance to the Japanese Constitution.
