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This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Wakisaka, Daisuke Title: Labyrinth of Highly Skilled Migration in Japan: Society, Labour and Policy General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. Labyrinth of Highly Skilled Migration in Japan : Society, Labour and Policy Daisuke Wakisaka September 2018 A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, School for Policy Studies 80,416 words Farewell to me, who negotiated today from poem Farewell by Misuzu Kaneko (1920s) iii Abstract Japan is enigmatic for migration scholars. The country will lose a quarter of its population in 40 years with the elderly ratio climbing to nearly 40%, remaining one of the most aging economies. Nevertheless, it still retains the lowest share of migrants in the labour market among OECD members. It seems no grand design for the future generation is shared by policymakers or citizens: how should the country open up a practical prospect under this hard reality? This research addresses the enigma through the optics of highly skilled migration which has been one of the pivotal agendas of the recent policy development in Japan. In attempting to fuel the economy, the Japanese government has lately devoted themselves to attracting highly skilled migrants (HSMs). One of the implemented policies is a points-based system; however, it has failed to deliver the expectation at the outset. With this policy failure in mind, this study aims to fill the important research gaps on HSMs in Japan: the mechanism of skilled migration and its interplay with policies. In other words, what makes HSMs decide to work in Japan and how the public policies influence their decisions. The study centres on these micro-macro interplays. For this, the dissertation is structured to explore the labyrinth made up of three mazes—societal, labour and policy dimensions that HSMs in Japan face. Based on the qualitative inquiry, the study will unfold the dynamism of the mazes through the perception of HSMs and migration experts. In so doing, the research offers new insights to academic arguments by producing concepts such as ‘coerced harmonisation’ and ‘no choice democracy’, whose implications are not limited to skilled migration but cover the overall migration agendas. Throughout, the discussion will present how the lessons drawn from Japan can contribute to addressing the pressing migration issues in other countries. v Acknowledgements Doing a PhD is a lonely journey as it requires independent work—this might be shared by many PhD students, whereas I have never felt isolated. It was indeed arduous, but it is really worth the challenge. Throughout the PhD journey, I have enjoyed a myriad of support, which made this dissertation a 'joint' project. In a sense, this is a co-product with those who have generously cooperated. First and foremost, this dissertation has been shaped by my research participants. Although they remain anonymous, they made tremendous contributions to unravelling the intellectual puzzles posed here. Various organisational assistance allowed me to complete this study. The first two years of my PhD were sponsored by the Nippon Foundation International Fellowship. The Fellowship also gave me precious opportunities in widening my academic networks and horizons. Where it did not cover, I also benefitted from other grants such as Postgraduate Studentship and John Crump Studentship from BAJS (British Association for Japanese Studies) in addition to Japan Foundation Study Support Programme. The PhD project was enabled by a study leave offered by my employer (Keidanren). On the academic front, I am grateful to the two supervisors, Ms Ann Singleton and Professor Jonathan Beaverstock. Without their enlightening and thoughtful guidance, this research would not have borne fruit. In Japan, I was genuinely inspired and encouraged by Professor Gracia Liu-Farrer, Professor Glenda Roberts, and Professor Hiroko Mikami, to name only a few. With colleagues, I especially appreciate Masaki-san, Horiuchi-san, Ohta-san and Kashimura-san for their heartfelt succour. When it comes to my UK life, thanks are due to numerous local friends and institutions. Among others, my life was brilliantly coloured by Richard and Helen; Peter and Carol; Paul and Janet; Lai Meng and Lundy island (and Spiny Lobster); Wenjing; Muriel and Mervyn; John and Sandra; Cyrille and Nathalie; Ashton Court and Bird in Hand; and, Vyvyan Terrace and its communal garden. Finally, this dissertation is dedicated to the excellent companions of this challenging and enjoyable journey, my family. vii Author's Declaration I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the regulations of the University of Bristol. The work is original, except where indicated by special reference in the text, and no part of the dissertation has been submitted for any other academic award. Any views expressed in the dissertation are those of the author. ix Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... vii Author's Declaration ........................................................................................................... ix Contents .............................................................................................................................. xi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xvi List of Tables.................................................................................................................... xvii Glossaries & Abbreviations ............................................................................................. xix Chapter 1 Introduction: Labyrinth .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Research aims ............................................................................................... 2 1.2 Research questions........................................................................................ 3 1.3 Justification for the intellectual investigation ................................................... 3 1.4 Theoretical framework .................................................................................... 5 1.5 Definition of important terminologies .............................................................. 7 1.5.1 Migration/Migrants ................................................................................... 7 1.5.2 Highly skilled migrants ........................................................................... 10 1.5.3 Visa ........................................................................................................ 10 1.5.4 Western/Asian ....................................................................................... 11 1.5.5 Migration policies ................................................................................... 12 1.6 Dissertation outline ....................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................ 19 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 19 2.2 Interdisciplinary approach: theoretical underpinning .................................... 20 2.3 Definition of highly skilled migrants .............................................................. 21 2.4 Meaning of accepting highly skilled migrants ............................................... 24 2.4.1 War for talent ......................................................................................... 24 2.4.2 Economic impacts on the host society ................................................... 25 2.5 Causal mechanism of migration ................................................................... 27 2.5.1 Push pull model ..................................................................................... 27 2.5.2 Neoclassical
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