Does Work-Life Balance Matter?: Narratives of Motives for Migration Among Young Japanese in Germany

Young migrants from developed countries have relatively more freedom to choose their destination countries and residential status. Students or young workers in Japan tend to choose Oceania, North America, or Western Europe due to the various residential options available in these regions. Although they may initially enter these countries as travelers, students, and working holiday makers, they may eventually become migrant workers to stay longer. These Japanese migrants, unlike business expatriates, have been considered lifestyle migrants. Previous studies of Japanese lifestyle migrants in Canada and Australia found that they prioritized work-life balance, which aligns with typical Western values. However, the reasons for leaving their home countries, such as overworking in Japan, may not be directly connected to their choice of destination. Even though dissatisfaction with life in their home country may lead them to migrate, the choice of destination is a complex decision influenced by a wider range of factors. Are Western values, as seen in the narratives of migration motives, a decisive factor in choosing the destination, or do they merely justify the decision to stay? The paper examines the attitudes of young Japanese migrants towards Western values in their narratives of migration motives, based on an ongoing survey in Dusseldorf conducted since 2019. It aims to uncover how migrants change their attitudes towards Western values after migration and how this change shapes their narratives of migration motives and choice of destination.