GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES

Show abstractHide abstract

This paper clarifies the actual situation and settlement process of Chinese newcomers in Kumamoto City, focusing on their attributes and history of change in the status of residence. Kumamoto City, a non-metropolitan area of Japan, has a low concentration of foreign residents.

Among the 50 survey respondents, people in their 30s and 40s accounted for two-thirds, and those with a bachelor's degree or above accounted for two-thirds. In total, 90 percent of the survey respondents were married, and nearly half of them had international marriages. More than half of the respondents were from non-metropolitan areas such as northeastern China.

In Kumamoto City, two thirds of the Chinese newcomers have obtained "Permanent Resident"status, which can guarantee life stability. We examined the process of Chinese newcomers' settlement in Kumamoto City and found two common factors: family formation and livelihood stability.

Based on our observation of the relationship between Chinese newcomers in Kumamoto City and the host society, we found that those with the residence statuses of "college student" or "spouse or child of Japanese national", among others, are gradually integrating into the host society. In comparison, people with the residence statuses of "skilled labor", "technical intern training", and "dependent", among others, are almost isolated from the host society due to their Japanese language deficiency.

The results of a survey conducted in Kumamoto City, as a non-collective residential area for foreigners, revealed that those who came to Japan with "skilled labor" or "dependent" statuses had weak social relations with the Japanese due to language constraints, and were highly dependent on their families and workplaces. Although livelihood support by ethnic groups is often found in areas with high concentrations of foreigners, it is difficult for individuals to receive such support in Kumamoto City. This increases their feeling of isolation and raises the issue of how to include them in the host society.

View full abstract

Download PDF (861K)

Register with J-STAGE for free!