Japan's Policy of Internationalisation: Prospects for a Multicultural Society

Abstract

In the early 80s the Japanese government advocated a policy of internationalization seemingly aimed at bringing the nation in-line with other developed states. Two decades later, calls for an internationalised Japan are still being heard. The policy of internationalization is of vital importance as it represents a process that facilitates the coming together of different nations, leads to greater understanding, cooperation and therefore global security in the long term. In short, it is about Japan's future. The process appears at first to be recent phenomenon. However, the recent push for kokusaika (internationalization) in Japan since the 1980s is in fact the continuation of a centuries-long process of national definition and struggle for acceptance in the international community. This thesis aims to ascertain exactly what the policy of internationalisation means in Japan, the barriers it faces there and what these reveal about the Japanese nation-state and its international relations. It being with an examination of the concept of internationalisation in Japan and the West and proposes the term 'profound' internationalization to refer to the supposed goals of all such policies. Chapter Two examines the reasons Japan embarked on such a policy in the first place. This involves a historical survey of the construction of the Japanese nation-state looking at the issues of national identity and state-making. It reveals that notions of uniqueness have played a major role in the formation of the nation of Japan. Three case studies are used to illustrate the actions taken by the Japanese government to effect internationalisation at the national, local and individual levels. Case study one looks at the internationalisation of education in Japan and the effect this has on the world view of its citizens. Case study two examines the history of association Japan has had with non-Japanese and their present situation in Japan. Case study three studies the role local governments and other NGOs have had in Japan's internationalisation process and the prospects for the future. In each of these case studies inconsistencies are found between policy aims and outcomes demonstrating that the government has yet to fully appreciate the importance of, and need for, internationalisation. The thesis concludes with a call for Japan to actively seek for-reaching profound internationalisation policies so that the nation can finally realise its full potential and make an even greater contribution to be world. The ability or otherwise of Japan to implement profound grassroots internationalisation policies will have far reaching consequences for not only Japan but the wider global community in the years ahead.