Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/78238

KEYWORDS : Japan;immigration;migration;local government;multicultural coexistence

The number of foreigners in Japan has reached 2.83 million in 2019, a 3.4% increase from the previous year. The increase in foreign workers in Japan are due to various reasons, but one of the major factors include the lack of labour from the shrinking of the working population, due to Japan's rapid aging society and low birth rate. However, the Japanese government's ulterior motive is to utilize immigration as means to counter depopulation in the rural areas. Japan has long been regarded as a country with tight immigration control and without an active migration policy, however, with the recent revision to the Immigration Control and Refugees Law in 2019, the Japanese government has made a sudden shift to accept more migrants to Japan. The new policy has brought about some results as Japan has experienced an influx of migrants, however, despite the Japanese government's intention, many migrants seek to find jobs in the big cities. The real lack of labour in Japan is not in the large cities, but in the rural areas, though, many local governments still lack the capacity to accept migrant workers. However, some local governments have started to promote its own unique policies on accepting migrants to their region, despite the lack of support by the national government. The question that this article seeks to answer is how the local governments are incorporating migrants to counter depopulation and revitalize their respective regions. In order to do so, first, this article will examine the new revision and legislation, the history of local government policies toward accepting migrants, and finally, actual case studies of local governments' initiatives to accept migrants as measures to adapt to the aging society and sustain their community.