Rediscovering the Japanese identity abroad: The experience of Japanese women working in Singapore

1
Rediscovering the Japanese identity abroad The
experience of Japanese women working in Singapore

• Takashi Nakazawa
• Oita University

2
Introduction

• Qualitative approaches to International migration
• situate and interpret the experiences of
  international migrations in the life course of
  the migrants
• Few studies on highly skilled international
  migration of women
• The lived experiences of Japanese women working
  in Singapore is investigated in this paper.
• The reasons why Japanese women pursue a life in
  Singapore.
• The daily lives of Japanese women in Singapore.
• The meaning of Japanese identity for them.

3
The increase of Japanese women working overseas

• Gender discrimination in Japanese labor market
• Lingering depression of Japanese economy since
  the beginning of 1990s
• Branches of Japanese MNCs began to replace
  seconded representatives with local staffs

4
Japanese women in three Asia mega-cities
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Japanese women working in Singapore

• In-depth Interviews with 26 Japanese women,
  usually at their workplace. Some were conducted
  as focus group interviews.
• Unmarried, highly educated women who were in
  their late 20s or early30s.

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Japanese women working in Singapore

• Seventeen out of 26 had been in Singapore for
  less than three years.
• More frequent Job-hopper than ordinary Japanese.
• Nine were contingent worker before they came to
  Singapore.
• The Japanese women who migrated to Singapore were
  stimulated by the prospect of being able to
  obtain acceptable jobs there.

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The decision to work in Singapore

• They simply hoped to live in a foreign country
• desire to make communication in English
• Singapore is relatively a good alternative as a
  destination country.
• Employment visa is reasonably available
• Lower crime rate and higher standard of living
• Spiritual push factor of Japanese society
• Various gender disparities in the Japanese
  workplace
• Life with parents
• Necessary to show much concern for others

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at the workplace in Singapore

• Most of the Japanese women worked in Japanese
  companies in Singapore
• and worked as clerks, sales staffs, or
  secretaries, which were also typical posts for
  women in Japan.
• They usually served as assistants to male staffs,
  but, many of them did not care about it.
• They have more opportunities to speak Japanese in
  office than they initially expected.
• You need more advanced English skill to work in
  an office of foreign company in Japan than to
  work here.

9
life in Singapore

• Residence
• Those who were living alone satisfied, although
  the rent was high.
• Those who were sharing a flat mostly satisfied.
• Flat-sharing in Singapore is better than living
  in small bed-sitting rooms in Tokyo.
• but felt some inconvenience because of the
  difference in living habits from foreign flat
  mate.
• Food
• Most interviewees prepared breakfast and supper
  for themselves
• Strong attachment to and preference for Japanese
  food

10
Friend

• Japanese women tended to find it difficult to
  form good relationships with Singaporeans
• the differences of values and ways of spending
  leisure time
• Japanese girls tend to visit different spots
  than the Singaporeans do.
• The Chinese Singaporean family ties are so
  strong that they prioritized spending their
  weekends with their families.
• They have relationship within a circle of
  Japanese friends
• Strong empathetic bonds

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Relationships with Japanese male representatives
and prospect of marriage

• Ambivalence toward the Japanese male
  representatives
• Envy and jealousy toward their rich life
• Prospective marriage partners
• Is he locally hired or a representative?
• Most of the interviewees more or less hoped to
  marry, some even stated that they wanted to be
  housewives

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Rediscovering the Japanese identity

• An interviewee was born and raised in a typical
  Japanese family in Kyoto. She said,
• I really hated the atmosphere of my old home.
  Now, however I find myself considering it as a
  typical Japanese home and am somewhat grateful
  for this experience.
• The Japaneseness
• functioned as a spiritual push factor
• Was mentioned as a precious thing that inspired
  pride

13
Returning to Japan?

• Many interviewees hoped to live in Japan later in
  life
• An interviewee who intended to return to Japan.
• When I picture myself living all alone in
  Singapore, I feel lonely because I have no family
  here.
• She first went to the U. S. to study at a
  university. At that time, she did not want to
  read Japanese news paper and to watch Japanese
  TV. Now, however, she said,
• I watch NHK and read a Japanese news paper after
  I came home from work.

14
Conclusion

• The Japanese women try to acquire a new identity
  by living in a foreign country.
• However, the lives of Japanese women living in
  Singapore, to a considerable extent, are led
  according to the Japanese way of living.
• They found that Japanese society was not the
  place where they should be and instead, sought
  this ideal place in Singapore. However, a life in
  Singapore made them reaffirm their Japanese
  identity.
• Migrating to a foreign country is a physical
  movement.
• It is also a spiritual journey of self-discovery
  and a discovery of inner Japaneseness.