Abstract
Since the start of the second Abe Cabinet, which has emphasized economic growth strategies, the term “utilization of foreign human resources” has been frequently invoked, and it features prominently in the “Society to Promote Active Participation of All Japan 100 Million Citizens.” However, the scheme includes no proposal to advance the “active participation of foreign nationals.” This paper, from the standpoint of inequality, examines the restrictions that make it impossible for foreigners to “participate actively” in Japanese society. One problem is the inequality of residential status. Depending on status, there are “inconvenient” foreign workers who face limitations regarding jobs, hours of labor, or length of stay in Japan. Moreover, unresolved discrimination in employment practices, which constitutes substantive （de facto） inequality prevents foreign workers from achieving their potential, resulting in socioeconomic inequality （disparity）. In addition, foreign children face institutional （de jure） inequality in education and in Japanese schools. Some of them experience “failure” in their educational lives and are forced to enter the labor market at a young age and without adequate resources. As a result, the disparity in the labor market that pervade the parental generation are reproduced, and second-generation foreign nationals are deprived of opportunities to achieve “active participation” in Japanese society.
