日本人の国際引退移動 : ニュージーランドの事例<第45回研究会・第2報告>

抄録

This presentation will be based on my master's thesis. I interviewed 30 retirees who migrated to NZ from Japan or live in NZ seasonally. Lately there has been a growing interest in living abroad on a long-term basis or migrating to a foreign country as a post-retirement option. This study will examine international amenity-oriented retirement migration of Japanese. The findings on the personal backgrounds are presented focusing on the following aspects^ life course, socio-economic factors, kinship, and daily life. Life course characteristics : The single most important characteristic I found in my informants was that the husband had work experience overseas, either as an expatriate or on short-term business trips. Among my informants, almost all, either as a couple or the husband exclusively, had extensive overseas experience. In addition, about half of them had spent time in New Zealand during their careers. While in New Zealand as workers they had acquired infrastructure for daily life such as homes, golf club membership, cars and friends that, even with the passage of time, made it easier for them to adjust and lead fulfilling lives in New Zealand after retirement. Socio-economic characteristics : The majority of husbands held at least a bachelor's degree and all were white-collar workers having been employed with large firms or public organizations. Having had secure employment and generous pay during their working years, these couples have an above-average retirement income derived from pensions, interest earnings and real estate. Most of the IRM couples own a home in either Japan or New Zealand and several own homes in both countries. Japanese IRM importantly characterizes this financial security. Characteristics on kinship: For the most part, IRM couples live by themselves and have either finished or been relieved of their child-rearing or parent-caring duties. For these couples, the removal of these duties means the freedom to move. Conversely, these duties are viewed as impediments to moving. There are also retirees who regard IRM as an excuse to escape from these duties. Many informants cited the loss of these responsibilities as making the decision to move overseas after retirement an easy one to make. Characteristics on lifestyle : The informants in my study can be characterized as being in good health and leading active lifestyles. The retirees all had a variety of hobbies, with golf and tennis being the most common. Two trends became apparent through examining the IRM couples' social activities. Those who have permanent residency in New Zealand and live there year-round are, in addition to their hobbies, involved in the Japanese community as well as New Zealand society, while those who come on a seasonal basis are involved only in their hobbies.