I Introduction: Immigration Flow
Any gGaijinh that has come to Japan may have had the awkward feeling of an invisible barrier that is felt in the immigration policies of Japan. A country that is an island could be a reason of the peculiar (from the world standard) policies that the Japanese government has implemented throughout history.
My paper is divided in four sections. The first point that we should discuss is the chronological development of immigration flow in Japan. In particular, we will focus our attention on the history since World War II. Secondly, we will analyze the development of integration policy in Japan. Following that, we will consider the main issues recently discussed. Thirdly, we will examine the admission and control policy in Japan, as well as we will deal with the main issues recently caused by social changes. Lastly, we shall conclude with a criticism of a lacking a comprehensive administration office for integration policy. In Japan, the chronological development of immigration flow can be illustrated by the six periods shown in table 1.
Table 1. Chronological development of immigration flow 1639-
(1) No immigration during the isolation period (1639-1853).
(2) Opening the door, large emigration and colonial immigration (1853-1945).
(3) Strictly controlled immigration and emigration (1945-1951).
(4) Strict immigration even during the time of advanced economic growth (1951-1981).
(5) Strict immigration but refugees accepted and aliensf rights are improved (1981-1990)
(6) Relatively strict immigration but ethnic repatriates (front door), trainees (side door) and irregulars (back door) come to work as unskilled workers (1990- ).
1) Old Comers and New Comers
The number of registered foreigners has increased rapidly over a recent twenty-five year period as shown in table 2.able @Koreans are the major foreign group. Many of them are descendants of immigrants during the
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