New Paths for Social Adaptation in Transnational Migration: The Case of a Migrant Community in Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

This research employed an ethnographic approach to collect qualitative data at the research site in Tokyo, where the most significant migrant community in Japan is located. The data collection methods include fieldwork visits, interviews, and participant observation between 2020 and 2022. The study applied a communicative approach to the migrants'adaptation, focusing on the interaction with the host society and on the experiences of individual migrants. Results particularly point to if there is a certain extent of ethnic strength in the host society, even if migrants experience rejection, it helps foster positive communication with locals and the host society. However, it was also found that for this to be the case, a certain degree of acceptance experience is necessary, and it is essential that the host society has an openness to strangers. Moreover, such a research framework allows us to examine the possibility of transcending the limitations of categorical views such as “adaptation/non-adaptation” of migrants in host society.