Questioning Identity in an Increasingly Multicultural Japan

Abstract

Although Japan is becoming multicultural, as is evident in the country’s growing number of foreign migrants; racist policies, and racial slurs persist. Japan had expected to host a large number of foreign visitors during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Although these events have been postponed until the summer of 2021, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, such events allow for reflective inquiry into Japan’s foreign population as it relates to the Japanese sense of national identity.

In order to participate in the Olympic Games, some mixed-race athletes have relinquished their Japanese nationality and opted for their non-Japanese parent’s nationality. These athletes actively pursue their goals of participating in their own chosen sport. In addition, in recent years, a growing number of foreign migrants have contributed to Japanese sports by becoming professional sumo wrestlers. Finally, this paper explores current Japanese laws and ordinances that restrict and ban the hate speech of the far-right organizations, which target racial minorities. Such proactive laws and ordinances require wider support to eliminate discrimination, thereby putting an end to the structural violence, which surrounds migrant communities.