Social Structure, Race, and Racial Relations in Japan

Literature on racialization processes has predominantly examined the Western societal contexts and societies where high levels of racial/ethnic diversity and conflicts existed, such as the U.S., Europe, Brazil and South Africa.  These studies have identified that social institutions, ideologies, and social interactions together shape, legitimize and thus perpetuate systemic racial inequality by classifying individuals as ‘whites’ and ‘non-whites.’  Yet, theoretically grounded studies on racialization in other societies have been limited; we know little about if and how structural forces affect racial hierarchy and meanings in other social contexts.  This study highlights the intricate relationship between social structure and historical development of the concept of race and subsequent racialization processes in Japan, using semi-structured interviews of foreign residents in Japan and Japanese individuals.  It shows how the state, its structural positioning, cultural representations, and dominant discourses of different foreigner groups together condition Japanese individuals’ understanding of race, racial hierarchy, and their position within the hierarchy.   The concept of race in Japan denotes a combination of phenotype, nationality, and cultural desirability internalized among Japanese individuals.  Following this conceptualization, Japanese is understood to be a distinct racial group while foreign migrants become marginalized differently based on their perceived racial statuses. This study also highlights the salience of structural forces in creating and maintaining the significance of race, racial meanings and hierarchy, similar to the racialization processes documented in previous studies; since the ideology of homogeneous Japan and importance of maintaining social boundaries have been heavily embedded in the structure, there is a limited opportunity for social integration, which perpetuates the rigid racial boundaries.  Thus, it provides deeper understanding of the effects of racially biased structure in perpetuating and even fostering racist acts and attitudes, which is imperative in bringing about positive changes to alleviate the increasing racial tension and conflicts in Japan.