International Couples Shaping Migration to Japan

The Japanese are living longer and having fewer children than any other industrialized nation in the world.  Immigration is seen as the key long-term solution to a shrinking tax base and a shortage of workers.  Despite the reluctance of the Japanese to allow a large number of foreigners into the country, immigrants have been integrating into Japan via international marriages for decades.  Whether arranged (starting in the 1980s) or for love (dating back to 1600), these couples are important because they represent the most intimate relationship possible and are an indicator of social distance and integration, both in how the couples cope and how other Japanese view these couples.  I interviewed 40 individuals involved in international marriages in a rural area of Japan (Joetsu, Niigata).  I transcribed the interviews and coded them using a computer software program called Dedoose.  I analyzed the data using the guidelines of grounded theory, namely coding and memo-writing.  I focused on the differences and similarities between those international couples who married for love (typically Western males and Japanese females) and those that were arranged (typically Japanese males and Southeast Asian females).  There are important differences between the race and gender of these two types of couples, as well as the reasons for why they chose to marry a Japanese national and live in Japan.  On the other hand, there are many similarities between these couples when it comes to having to adjust to living in a new culture, learn Japanese, raise children, and deal with extended family members.  These similarities and differences offer a unique and intimate window into how the Japanese view foreigners living in Japan.