Foreign Workers in Japan

Abstract

In the mid-1980s, Prime Minister Nakasone insistently articulated a vision of an "internationalized" Japan that was to claim political and social influence in global affairs commensurate with its economic power. Simultaneously, pundits and politicians focused on the increasing number of illegal workers from underdeveloped Asian countries and speculated about their impact on Japanese economy and society. The fate of migrant labor became perhaps the most widely discussed social problem of the late 1980s.

This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.

Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.