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- Panel 3-1 Towards Food and Agricultural Equity: A Case Study of Africans in Japan/Kenta Sakanashi
Panel 3-1 Towards Food and Agricultural Equity: A Case Study of Africans in Japan/Kenta Sakanashi
Kenta Sakanashi
Faculty/Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan
The number of foreign residents in Japan currently exceeds 3 million in 2024. In recent years, the number of long-term residents, such as Koreans and Chinese, has been decreasing due to factors such as aging and naturalization, while the number of new arrivals, such as technical trainees and foreign students from China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries, has been increasing. Although research on them has been gradually accumulating, the African residents in Japan, who are a “minority within minorities” and make up less than 1% of all foreign residents in Japan, have not been adequately studied.
This presentation introduces their work experience and involvement in food and agriculture in Japan. Most of the research on Africans in Japan has focused on those who came to Japan in the 1980s and beyond and has discussed issues such as the formation and role of ethnic groups, and what kind of business (particularly the export of cars and parts) they are engaged in. The fact that many Africans in Japan are concentrated in the suburbs of Tokyo and Osaka is probably due to the existence of ethnic communities and the wealth of information available on work. However, in recent years, some have come to Japan on their own, without relying on relatives, friends, or ethnic communities, and live in rural areas. Some of them are trying to get involved in agriculture. This presentation will focus on how these Africans came to Japan, found work in rural areas and are making a living, and consider what kind of food and agricultural equity there is possible for minorities.
Keywords: status of residence, acquisition of farmland, rural area, Africans in Japan
Faculty/Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan
The number of foreign residents in Japan currently exceeds 3 million in 2024. In recent years, the number of long-term residents, such as Koreans and Chinese, has been decreasing due to factors such as aging and naturalization, while the number of new arrivals, such as technical trainees and foreign students from China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries, has been increasing. Although research on them has been gradually accumulating, the African residents in Japan, who are a “minority within minorities” and make up less than 1% of all foreign residents in Japan, have not been adequately studied.
This presentation introduces their work experience and involvement in food and agriculture in Japan. Most of the research on Africans in Japan has focused on those who came to Japan in the 1980s and beyond and has discussed issues such as the formation and role of ethnic groups, and what kind of business (particularly the export of cars and parts) they are engaged in. The fact that many Africans in Japan are concentrated in the suburbs of Tokyo and Osaka is probably due to the existence of ethnic communities and the wealth of information available on work. However, in recent years, some have come to Japan on their own, without relying on relatives, friends, or ethnic communities, and live in rural areas. Some of them are trying to get involved in agriculture. This presentation will focus on how these Africans came to Japan, found work in rural areas and are making a living, and consider what kind of food and agricultural equity there is possible for minorities.
Keywords: status of residence, acquisition of farmland, rural area, Africans in Japan