Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this study reports on the activities of people based in Tokyo engaged in ethnic and traditional performing arts originating on the Korean Peninsula. Among the narratives of a newcomer Korean dancer who has worked for two decades, this study particularly focuses on the dynamism of inclusion and exclusion of members, which is related to cultural essentialism mentioned in different interview sessions. The perspectives of cultural essentialism were embedded in a multifaceted manner and reframed strategically and empathetically. The management strategies were interpreted to four resolving responses as "self-identification, " "family resemblance," "lineages," and "reframing the question." Furthermore, the dancer also possesses one solid essentialist view of "authentic" Korean traditional dance, which transcended negotiable views.

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This paper focuses on a Japanese public elementary school where Japanese teachers have been building up a collaborative relationship with a Korean teacher of an ethnic class for Korean children to learn Korean language and culture since the 1970’s. This paper aims to clarify how an asymmetrical relationship between Japanese teachers and the Korean teacher could be transformed into a collaborative relationship. All data analyzed was collected in a semistructured interview with a Japanese teacher involved in the educational practices of Korean children’s education in the 1970’s, and from a special commemorative publication of this class. What firstly was found is that the establishment of the Korean Education Research Department was crucial for Japanese teachers to understand the social background of Korean children and for the Korean teacher to express his thoughts. Secondly, by setting goals for Korean children’s education that Japanese teachers and the Korean teacher worked together to achieve, and by incorporating learning about Korea into academic studies, the relationship between them was transformed into a new relationship which encouraged interaction and mutual influence. Furthermore, as the relationship between them deepened, both sides became more proactive, a new educational practice of Korean children’s education was developed, and the relationship between them was transformed into a collaborative relationship.

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Intercultural sensitivity was examined by questionnaire research, integrating the Japanese perspective and the theory of the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS). In addition to the results of previous studies examining intercultural sensitivity in the Japanese context, a theoretical framework was used to redefine each stage of DMIS, focusing on the development of perceptual structures that process differences as perceptual objects. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, weighting the scores by eliminating the influence of defensive perceptions. As a result, seven factors were identified. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that this model was a good fit to the data.

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The purpose of this study is to identify the structural factor that hinders educational attainment of Brazilians living in Japan. In order to clarify it, this study focuses on Brazilian students and their families. Among new immigrants, Brazilians living in Japan still face significant challenges in educational attainment. While previous studies have focused on the migration of Brazilian residents in Japan and have discussed the difficulties associated with such migration, this study aims to clarify the difficulties in educational attainment of them who decided to settle in Japan. All of the young Brazilians who participated in this study are bilingual in Japanese and Portuguese, and although they were academically capable of going on to higher education, none of them were able to achieve their educational goals. What this paper reveals is the isolation of Brazilian families from Japanese society, and them struggling on their own to somehow achieve educational attainment.

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This study examines the relationship between acculturation strategies and the psychological adaptation of Chinese long-term residents in Japan. Results of 307 Chinese living in Japan for over 3 years were analyzed. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted by grouping participants into one of four acculturation strategy categories. Integrated or assimilated subjects experienced a greater “sense of happiness” than separated ones. Integrated or assimilated subjects experienced a greater “sense of accomplishment” than separated or marginalized ones. No significant difference was found for “depression”. The hypothesis that integration is better for intercultural adaptation, which has been widely verified in other countries, was not supported by the largest foreign ethnic group in Japan. The influence of social context on acculturation was discussed.

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