Migration & Demographic Challenges
Demography and globalization are reshaping Asia. Japan has the most rapidly aging society of any major country, and the way it is adapting to this shift offers lessons for others around the world. Asia Pacific countries’ reactions to the growing movement of people are also driving important changes in the region. In response, JCIE undertakes various projects that promote the sharing of knowledge and experience to help countries tackle the challenges facing aging societies. We also examine how Japan can adopt a sound immigration policy that encourages a more welcoming, multicultural society.
CURRENT PROGRAMS
Related Activities
WEBINAR | Public Symposium Towards a Safer Transnational Migration—Bringing Together Multiple Stakeholders' Perspectives
October 13, 2023 | Online (Zoom webinar)
JCIE will hold an online public symposium, ” Towards a Safer Transnational Migration: Bringing in Migrants’ Perspectives,” to enhance information access for foreign migrants and promote accountability…
ROUNDTABLE | A Discussion on the Kanagawa Healthcare New Frontier, Age-Friendly Communities,and Public-Private Engagement to Achieve the SDGs
July 18, 2023 | New York City
As part of our new US-Japan Program on Healthy and Resilient Aging, JCIE hosted a discussion between Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa and a group of experts in the fields of global health, aging, and su…
2023 US-Japan Healthy and Resilient Aging Exchange
May 21–27, 2023 | Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture
JCIE brought community leaders from Columbus, Ohio—a leader in age-friendly community-building in the United States—to meet with counterparts in Tokyo and in various age-friendly cities in Kanagawa Pr…
JCIE Staff Conduct Site Visit to Aging-Related Organizations in South Korea
March 21–24, 2023 | Busan and Hadong, South Korea
Members of the aging program team from JCIE traveled to South Korea for a series of site visits and meetings in Busan and the rural province of Hadong, where the team learned how the rapid declining b…
2023 US Young Political Leaders 50th Anniversary Delegation to Japan
January 21–28, 2023 | Tokyo, Nagano
Celebrating 50 years of partnership between JCIE and the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), a delegation of 5 US Young Political Leaders traveled to Japan to meet with a variety of p…
2022 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation Award Ceremony
November 8, 2022 | Tokyo and Online
The winners of the 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation have been announced!
AHWIN Forum on Harnessing the Power of Technology for Healthy Aging in Asia
November 8, 2022 | Tokyo & Online
The 2022 AHWIN Forum focused on regional efforts to translate data and innovations into better policies, products, and programs for healthy aging and care for older persons, and discussed best practic…
Winners of 2022 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation Announced
September 29, 2022 | Online
The winners of the 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation have been announced!
SYMPOSIUM | New Strategies for Japan to Become a Country of Choice
February 14, 2022 | Online
As part of JCIE’s Roundtable on Japan’s Migration Policy Program JCIE is hosting a public symposium to discuss what is needed to make Japan a “country of choice” for foreigners seeking employment.
4th Networking Conference for the Supporting Youths of Diverse Roots and an Inclusive Society (SYDRIS) Initiative
September 8, 2021 | Online
JCIE held the 4th Networking Conference, as part of the SYDRIS Initiative, to explore what kind of collaboration should be established with government and civil society organizations (CSOs) in order t…
Why Oral Health Matters for an Aging Asia—Addressing Oral Health in the Context of Healthy Longevity
September 7, 2021 | Online
JCIE and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) co-hosted a webinar on the importance of oral health when it comes to healthy longevity.
3rd Lunch Webinar for Supporting Youths of Diverse Roots and an Inclusive Society (SYDRIS) Initiative
September 2, 2021 | Online
JCIE co-hosted a third SYDRIS-100 SEED Lunch Webinar on multicultural coexistence to discuss current situation and challenges faced by teenagers in Japan with diverse roots.
1st General Meeting for the Humanitarian Aid to Marginalized Immigrants (HAMIS) Project
August 3, 2021 | Online
The first General Meeting of the Humanitarian Aid for Marginalized Immigrants (HAMIS) took place, a project launched by JCIE in partnership with the Japan Platform (JPF) to provide grants utilizing fu…
Winners of 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation Announced
July 30, 2021 | Online
The winners of the 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation have been announced!
Webinar | Building Dementia-Friendly Communities in Asia Pacific
March 24, 2021 | Online
As we face an era of global aging, the number of people living with dementia is projected to double by 2040, and the majority will be living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Such regions h…
RELATED PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA COVERAGE
Japan as an “Immigrant Nation”: The Need for Frankness on Recent Policy Changes
Toshihiro Menju
September 21, 2023
“At a recent event…, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio told attendees that, ‘we must imagine a society in which we can live together with foreigners’ in light of Japan’s demographic decline. The prime mini…
Over 23,000 Complaints Received from Foreign Technical Trainees in Japan
December 12, 2022
“An organization that supports foreign technical trainees in Japan says it received more than 23,000 complaints in fiscal 2021. This comes amid reports about various problems, such as trainees not bei…
Press Briefing on Population Decline and Immigration Policy—Making Japan a Popular Destination for Immigration
January 23, 2023
Toshihiro Menju speaks at the Foreign Press Center of Japan on the policy measures Japan should adopt to attract and support foreign residents as a way to address population aging.
AHWIN Papers No. 3: The Path to Community-Based Integrated Care
Tomoko Sakota
April 2022
The third publication in the “AHWIN Papers” series covers Japan’s transition to community-based integrated care to address the challenges of its older population.
Japan Looks to Accept More Foreigners in Key Policy Shift
Reporting by Ami Miyazaki and Kantaro Komiya, Writing by Chang-Ran Kim
November 18, 2021
Toshihiro Menju, managing director of JCIE/Japan, comments on Japan’s need to welcome foreign workers as it grapples with demographic change in this Reuter’s article.
Leveraging Technology for the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing: Experiences of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
May 2021
This report is on the utilization of technology and effective policy interventions to support older persons in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. It was published by the United Nations Economic…
AHWIN Papers No. 2: The Impact and Future of Japan’s 8020 Campaign
Dr. Midori Tsuneishi and Dr. Tamotsu Sato
April 2021
The second publication in the “AHWIN Papers” series covers Japan’s nationwide campaign to help people retain more teeth into their later years, the success of which offers an important model for promo…
AHWIN Papers | Responding to the Needs of Older Persons During a Pandemic
Prepared by Kim Gould Ashizawa and Stephen McHugh
June 2020
The inaugural AHWIN Paper draws on an online panel discussion that explored what policy lessons can be learned from the experiences of the United States, Japan, and Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandem…
Japan May Allow Immigration of Hong Kong Financial Sector, Specialized Workers
Palash Gosh
June 12, 2020
Article on Japan potentially allowing immigration of Hong Kong financial sector workers. Features quotes from Toshihiro Menju, Managing Director and Chief Program Officer at JCIE
Opening the Door to Incoming Workers
Yuko Aizawa
Feb 27, 2019
An analysis of the rise in non-Japanese residents and workers in Japan, including a breakdown of how various nationalities are represented and what sectors they tend to join in the workforce.
Japan’s Historic Immigration Reform: A Work in Progress
Toshihiro Menju
Feb 6, 2019
Toshihiro Menju analyzes the recent, controversial new reforms and their implications for Japanese immigration policy and the future of Japanese society.
Japan Eases Immigration Restrictions to Fill Chronic Care Worker Shortage
Sally Herships
October 18, 2018
In the past, Japan allowed mostly highly skilled professionals in the country. Now, due to severe labor shortages, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has ordered the government to look into new policies that w…
Why Japan Is Paying Single Mothers to Move to the Countryside
Susie Armitage
June 6, 2018
Japan’s population is projected to shrink by a third by 2065. With small towns getting smaller, local governments are looking for creative ways to bring in new people.
In Japan, these Single Moms and Shrinking Cities are Trying a New Start – Together
Susie Armitage
Nov 2, 2017
Susie Armitage writes on the relationship between Japan’s single moms, who face many challenges in Japan’s work culture, and the underpopulated areas that are developing programs to promote relocation…
Accepting Immigrants is the Ultimate Key to Reviving Japan
Toshihiro Menju
October 11, 2017
The Japanese government continues to avoid adopting an immigration policy unpopular with the public as the population continues to decline. While the groundwork for receiving migrants has been laid to…