EN-ICHI Opens Up the Future of Family and Community
Toward the Realization of a Society of Coexistence with Foreign Residents 【Column 1】Humanity’s “Reintegration” and Japan’s Resolve — Why We Must Change Now
The “Reintegration” of Humanity After 200,000 Years of Dispersion
Today, seeing foreign residents on the streets of Japan has become an ordinary part of daily life. As Japan’s population ages and declines, living together with people from other countries is an issue that can no longer be avoided. Yet this transformation should not be viewed merely through the narrow lens of “filling labor shortages.” What we are experiencing today is part of a much larger historical process unfolding on the scale of human history.
Homo sapiens first emerged in East Africa around 200,000 years ago and began spreading across the world after leaving Africa roughly 70,000 years ago. They are believed to have reached the Japanese archipelago about 40,000 years ago. As human populations adapted to different environments, physical differences such as skin color and body type emerged. Nevertheless, we are all members of the same species—Homo sapiens. The very fact that Japanese and non-Japanese people can have children together is evidence that we belong to a single human family.
Although humanity once dispersed across the globe, it is generally believed that the Age of Exploration some 500 years ago marked the beginning of a renewed process of mixing and integration—what might be called 'reintegration. In Japan as well, this trend has accelerated since the country opened to the world in the Meiji era, and globalization has made it increasingly inevitable. The growing presence of foreign residents in Japan can therefore be understood as part of a historical process that is, in many ways, unavoidable. From a medium- to long-term perspective, it may even be seen as a necessary process for Japanese society.
Order and the Capacity for Adjustment that Sustain “Japaneseness”
However, the fact that this trend is historically inevitable does not mean that uncontrolled inflows should be accepted. If foreigners are received without adequate institutional preparation, many problems are likely to arise in the short term. For approximately 1,500 years, Japan developed its culture without accepting large-scale immigration, cultivating a distinctive cultural ethos centered on harmony (wa) and social order. If Japan is to maintain this sense of identity—what we often call “Japaneseness”—then the speed and direction of integration must be consciously and proactively managed by Japanese society itself.
Rapid change can generate social friction. What matters is having a clear collective will regarding the pace of integration and the kind of society Japan seeks to build.
Until now, Japanese society has not sufficiently prepared itself for receiving foreign residents, and as a result it has struggled to manage the accelerating pace of change. Specifically, as the population declines and labor shortages deepen across many industries, Japan has little choice but to accept foreign workers. Yet the country still lacks a clear national framework for how they should be received and integrated. If this situation continues, social tensions may intensify.
Welcoming Them Not as Labor, but as Fellow Citizens
One of Japan’s greatest shortcomings has been its tendency to view foreigners primarily as “cheap labor” or simply as a resource. But they are human beings with emotions and cultures of their own—they are "citizens" who will share in building the society we live in together.
Rather than treating them as disposable workers, we must welcome them as members of society who will help support Japan’s future. This shift in perspective is the first step toward incorporating new strengths into Japanese society without undermining its cultural foundations. In addition to this change in mindset, it is equally important to strengthen institutional frameworks that support the settlement and integration of foreign residents within Japanese society.
In the next installment, we will examine the issue of refugee acceptance—currently one of the most pressing and controversial challenges facing Japan as it seeks to welcome newcomers as fellow members of society.
*This column is based on an interview conducted on March 3, 2026, and organized and edited by the EN-ICHI editorial team.
Author Profile:
Ken Inoue
Born in Tokyo in 1957, he graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University and obtained a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Sussex (UK). In 1985, he joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Junior Professional Officer (JPO). He subsequently held senior positions in United Nations peacekeeping operations (PKO), including assignments in Cambodia, Somalia, Kosovo, and Timor-Leste. He later served as Director of the Industry Department at the Asian Productivity Organization, and as Senior Advisor on Democratic Governance at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He has also lectured as a part-time instructor at several universities, including Toyo University and Dokkyo University. His areas of expertise include the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations, and democratic governance. He is currently the Representative of the Personal Governance Institute, where he works on supporting the settlement of foreign residents in Japan and promoting a multicultural, inclusive society.
