ABSTRACT
The catastrophic triple disaster of March 11, 2011—encompassing the Great East Japan Erthquake, tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident—prompted distinctive patterns of Japanese international migration, with Australia emerging as the second most favoured destination after the United States. While existing research has examined the drivers of initial relocation, the factors shaping migrants’ post-disaster trajectories remain insufficiently analysed. Drawing critically on Lewis Coser’s conflict theory and analysing two complementary datasets (2017 and 2019–2020), this study investigates how Japanese migrants in Australia navigate multiple tensions at household, community and institutional levels. Through our dual analytical frameworks of ‘conflict-related migration’ and ‘migration-related conflicts’, we demonstrate that decisions to stay, return or relocate reflect ongoing negotiations rather than linear responses to displacement. Our findings illuminate how initial disaster-related concerns transform into multifaceted considerations involving gender norms, career progression and institutional barriers. This research extends disaster migration theory while contributing to Japanese studies by documenting conflict-driven migration within Japan’s post-3/11 social terrain, and to Australian studies by examining structural labour market challenges facing highly educated post-3/11 migrants despite their qualifications and initial financial stability, which eroded during settlement due to employment difficulties.
