Discourse on Multiculturalism within the Korean Community of Kyoto

Abstract

In recent years, an increasing number of immigrants, together with greater pressure on the state from both outside and within to recognise the diversity of its society, have caused a shift in public and academic attention from the idea of Japan as an ethnically homogenous nation to the concept of a 'multicultural Japan'. This paper explores the emergence of the notion of 'multicultural coexistence' and focuses on the assimilation of foreigners in Japan. In the foreground of this endeavour, the country's Korean minority has struggled to be included in Japanese society through different types of civic groups and neighbourhood associations. A machizukuri process in Higashi Kujo (an area around Kujo Street) in the city of Kyoto, as well as the Madang Festival, are presented along with the details of their organization, revealing the multiple meanings of this process and festival, respectively. Through a close look at these cases, the article shows how different groups of people work together to make their society a shared and diverse community.