Spotlights

The late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s immigration reforms laid the groundwork for changing Japan’s immigration landscape
Though the government denies having a formal immigration policy, the number of foreign workers increased during Abe’s second term from 2012 to 2020. Post-Abe governments continue using Abe’s immigration framework, with the possibility of shifting from restrictive ‘side-door’ policies to more inclusive ‘front-door’ policies to recruit workers of all skill levels. Japan’s evolving immigration landscape reflects its struggle to address the labor gap caused by low birth rates and an aging population.※
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New study by Mr. Maximilien Xavier Rehm, a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Global Studies, Doshisha University, explores how the late Prime Minister’s reforms set the stage for a potential transformation of Japan's immigration landscape.

Japan’s immigration policies underwent numerous changes during late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s second term from 2012 to 2020. Yet, the government denies having a formal immigration policy. A study by Rehm suggests that despite the government’s denial, Abe’s reforms laid the groundwork for bringing a fundamental change in Japan’s immigration regime. However, this change is yet to occur, highlighting the far-reaching implications for policymakers and foreigners in Japan.

Reference
Rehm, M. X. (2024). Abe’s incrementalism: an institutionalist analysis of immigration policy reform during the second Abe administration. Japan Forum, 1–26.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09555803.2024.2411005

For more details, please see the website of Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University.
Opening borders for workers: Abe’s profound influence on Japan’s immigration regime

This achievement has also been featured in the “EurekAlert!.”NEWS RELEASE 15-NOV-2024, 
Research News Opening borders for workers: Abe’s profound influence on Japan’s immigration regime

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Credit: "Prime Minister Abe Shinzo at Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2016" by Dick Thomas Johnson.https://openverse.org/image/e99895de-5299-48f8-a0ae-b7fa9a4873a2?q=Prime+Minister+Abe+Shinzo
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