State sovereignty and changing migrant profiles in Japan

It has been often argued that globalisation of migration challenges state sovereignty all over the world since mid-1980s. Such globalisation seems to be strengthened further in diversification of migrant profiles especially. But, the hypothesis of sovereignty challenge may fit Western world well rather than other areas. This paper will focus on an East Asian country, Japan, to reconsider the hypothesis of challenges to state sovereignty in terms of migrant profiles. Japan retains a dogma of no introduction of unskilled workers from abroad and acceptance of skilled immigrants only. But recently it has experienced some novel issues in migration against the dogma. Firstly, Japan began to introduce nurses and care workers (so-called care immigrants) to fill labour shortage for reproduction. Secondly, it allows Japanese companies to accept workers from Thailand after flood gave huge damage to Japanese factories there. Thirdly, in the serious recession triggered by Lehman Shock, a large part of Japanese Brazilians and Peruvians are unemployed without going home and having chances to receive assistance from the Japanese government and are becoming 'settlers'. Finally, Japan will introduce a new 'Residence Card' system instead of the former foreigner registration system, which may be able to create tougher surveillance system over various kinds of immigrants. Accordingly, Japan holds new migrant profiles such as care immigrants, unskilled migrants, settlers, etc. But, it elaborates policy measures like the 'Residence Card' system against the diversification of the profiles. This Japanese case reflects resilience of state sovereignty even in the situation of challenges of migration to state sovereignty.