Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Drawing on fieldwork in a central Japan village in 2021 and 2022, this study examines how the Japanese government’s stringent border controls from 2020 disrupted the rotational international migration system in the agricultural sector and how the government, farmers and migrant agricultural workers responded to such disruption. Introducing the concept of “pandemic concessions” as exceptional bordering practices, it examines the government’s concessionary measures to the sector. While they helped farmers secure a workforce, they seldom mitigated the immobilities of migrant agricultural workers that had been prevalent before the pandemic, and the migrants’ contribution as essential workers for food production remains invisible.

Keywords

migrant farmworkers bordering practices technical intern trainees specified skilled workers pandemic concessions Japanese agriculture Filipino migrant workers

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Agamben

(2005) State of Exception. Trans: Attell K. University of Chicago Press.

Akashi

(2018) Immigration policy in contemporary Japan: the dilemma between control and coexistence. In: Zulueta

(ed) Thinking beyond the State: Migration, Integration, and Citizenship in Japan and the Philippines. De La Salle University Publishing House, pp. 3–31.

Ambrosini

(2023) Moral economy and deservingness in immigration policies. The case of regularisations in Italy. Ethnicities 23(2): 306–330.

Binford

(2013) Tomorrow We’re All Going to the Harvest: Temporary Foreign Worker Programs and Neoliberal Political Economy. University of Texas Press.

Bonanno

Cavalcanti

JSB

(eds) (2014) Labor Relations in Globalized Food. Emerald Group Pub Ltd.

Carling

(2002) Migration in the age of involuntary immobility: theoretical reflections and Cape Verdean experiences. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 28(1): 5–42.

Chan

Lan

(2022) The politics of sanitization: pandemic crisis, migration and development in Asia-Pacific. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal 31(3): 205–224.

Corrado

de Castro

Perrotta

(eds) (2017) Migration and Agriculture: Mobility and Change in the Mediterranean Area. Routledge.

European Commission (2020a) Communication from the commission: guidelines concerning the exercise of the free movement of workers during COVID-19 outbreak. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.CI.2020.102.01.0012.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AC%3A2020%3A102I%3ATOC

10.

European Commission (2020b) COVID-19 guidelines for border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of goods and essential services. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2020:086I:TOC

11.

Fassin

Fourcade

(eds) (2021) Pandemic Exposures: Economy and Society in the Time of Coronavirus. Hau Books.

12.

Gertel

Sippel

(eds) (2014) Seasonal Workers in Mediterranean Agriculture: The Social Costs of Eating Fresh. Routledge.

13.

Hahamovitch

(2011) No Man’s Land: Jamaican Guestworkers in America and the Global History of Deportable Labor. Princeton University Press.

14.

Hatate

(2021) 雇用は守られているか:政府のコロナ対応・外国人労働者政策を検証する [Are jobs being protected? Examining measures for coronavirus and foreign workers]. In: Suzuki

(ed) アンダーコロナの移民たち [Migrants in the Time of Coronavirus]. Akashi, 148–175. [In Japanese].

15.

Holmes

(2013) Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States. University of California Press.

16.

Iida

(2021) かれらの前には誰がいたのか:園芸産地の季節労働市場における国内労働者 [Who were working there before migrants? Japanese workers in the seasonal labor market in horticulture]. In: Ito

Hironori

(eds)日本で働く: 外国人労働者の視点から [Working in Japan: From the Perspective of Migrant Workers]. Kyoto: Shoraisya, pp. 339–368. [In Japanese].

17.

Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) (2023) 特定技能在留外国人数の公表 [The number of foreign specified skilled workers]. Available at. [In Japanese]. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/ssw/nyuukokukanri07_00215.html

18.

Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) (2020) 新型コロナウイルス感染症による農業関係等への影響について [Impact of COVID-19 virus infections to agricultural production]. Available at: https://org.ja-group.jp/message/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/up20200306074503934.pdf [In Japanese].

19.

Japan International Trainee & Skilled Worker Cooperation Organization (JITCO) (n.d.) What is the technical intern training program? Available at: https://www.jitco.or.jp/en/regulation/

20.

Kamibayashi

(2015) 外国人労働者受け入れと日本社会:技能実習制度の展開とジレンマ [Acceptance of Foreign Labor and Japanese Society: Development and Dilemmas of Technical Intern Training Program]. Tokyo University Press. [In Japanese].

21.

Lan

(2022) Shifting borders and migrant workers’ im/mobility: The case of Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal 31(3): 225–246.

22.

Macklin

(2022) Essential bordering: Canada, COVID, and mobility. In: Triandafyllidou

(ed) Migration and Pandemics: Spaces of Solidarity and Spaces of Exception. Springer, pp. 23–43.

23.

Mainichi Shimbun (2021a) 考える農民:現場から減る技能実習生 [Farmers’ thought: decreasing technical interns], 14 September. Available at: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20210914/ddl/k18/070/318000c [In Japanese].

24.

Mainichi Shimbun (2021b) コロナ逆手、就労あっせん:長野の山麓、ブローカー暗躍[Turning Coronavirus crisis to its advantage: Brokers are playing active role at the foot of mountains in Nagano], 29 March. Available at: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20210329/dde/001/040/026000c [In Japanese].

25.

Mezzadra

Neilson

(2012) Between inclusion and exclusion: on the topology of global space and borders. Theory, Culture & Society 29(4–5): 58–75.

26.

Mezzadra

Neilson

(2013) Border as Method, or, the Multiplication of Labor. Duke University Press.

27.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) (2020b) 農業労働確保緊急支援事業実施要綱 [Outline of Emergency Support Program for Securing Agricultural Labor]. Available at: https://www.maff.go.jp/j/new_farmer/roudouryokukinkyukakuho/attach/pdf/roudouryokukinkyukakuho-1.pdf [In Japanese].

28.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) (2021) 令和3年度農林水産関係補正予算の概要 [Overview of the Fiscal Year 2021 Supplementary Budget for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries], Available at: https://warp.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/12702277/www.maff.go.jp/j/budget/r3hosei.html [In Japanese].

29.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) (2022) 令和4年度農林水産関係予算概算決定の概要 [Overview of the Fiscal Year 2022 Supplementary Budget for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries]. Available at: https://warp.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/12702277/www.maff.go.jp/j/budget/r4kettei.html [In Japanese].

30.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) (2023) 令和5年度農林水産関係予算概算決定の概要 [Overview of the Fiscal Year 2023 Supplementary Budget for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries]. Available at: https://warp.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/12702277/www.maff.go.jp/j/budget/r5kettei.html [In Japanese].

31.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery of Japan (MAFF) (2020a) 令和元年度食料・農業・農村白書 [The Annual Report on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas in Japan for 2019 Fiscal Year]. Report. Available at: https://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/12702277/www.maff.go.jp/j/wpaper/w_maff/r1/attach/pdf/zenbun-2.pdf [In Japanese].

32.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) (2020) Frameworks which enable cross-border travel between Japan and certain countries and regions (Business Track and Residence Track) (Suspended). Available at: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/cp/page22e_001003.html

33.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) (2022b) 技能実習生の実習実施者に対する監督指導、送検の状況(令和3年) [A Report on Supervisions of and Prosecutions against Organizations or Companies to Implement Technical Intern Training for 2022]. Available at: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11202000/000969254.pdf [In Japanese].

34.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) (2020) 緊急事態宣言時に事業の継続が求められる事業で働く方々等の感染予防、健康管理の強化について [On Strengthening Infection Prevention and Health Management for Those Working in Businesses that Are Required to Continue Operations during a State of Emergency]. Available at: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11302000/000622716.pdf [In Japanese].

35.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) (2022a) 外国人雇用状況の届出状況表一覧(令和3年10月末現在) [Tables of Reports on Employment of Foreigners: As of October 2021]. Available at: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11655000/000887555.pdf [In Japanese].

36.

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) (n.d.) 外国人技能実習制度について [On Foreign Technical Intern Training Program]. Available at: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/jinzaikaihatsu/global_cooperation/index.html [In Japanese].

37.

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) (2016) Act on Proper Technical Intern training and protection of technical intern trainees (Act No. 89 of November 28, 2016). Available at: https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3612

38.

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) (2019) Immigration control and refugee recognition act (Act No. 63 of 2019). Available at: https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3624

39.

Ministry of Labor of Japan (MOL) (1992) 第7次雇用対策基本計画 [The 7th Basic Employment Measures Plan]. Available at: https://www.ipss.go.jp/publication/j/shiryou/no.13/data/shiryou/roudou/521.pdf [In Japanese].

40.

Miyairi

(2020) 農業における外国人技能実習生の受入実態と地域的課題 [The actual situation and the regional issue about the acceptance of foreign trainee in the agriculture sector: the case study of Hokkaido prefecture]. Nihon Rodo Shakaigakkai Nenpo 31: 58-85 [In Japanese].

41.

Molinero-Gerbeau

(2020) La creciente dependencia de mano de obra migrante para tareas agrícolas en el centro global. Una perspectiva comparada [The growing dependence on migrant labor for agricultural tasks in the global core. A comparative perspective]. Estudios Geográficos 81(288): e031.

42.

Naito

(2022) 農業分野における行政支援 [Administrative support to the agricultural sector]. In: Naito

(ed) コロナ禍の食と農 [Agriculture and Food under the Coronavirus Pandemic], pp. 62–81. Tokyo: Tukuba Shobo [In Japanese].

43.

Narotzky

(2021) Agricultural day labor in Spain: the logics of (pandemic) capitalism. In: Fassin

Fourcade

(eds) Pandemic Exposures: Economy and Society in the Time of Coronavirus. Hau Books, pp. 247–274.

44.

Nikkei Shimbun (2020a) 全国に緊急事態宣言: 新潟長野両県不要な外出自粛強く要請 [Declaration of a State of Emergency nationwide: Niigata and Nagano prefectures strongly requested to refrain from going out], 18 April. Available at: https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO58213530X10C20A4L21000/ [In Japanese].

45.

Nikkei Shimbun (2020b) 異業種へ転職可能に: 技能実習生雇用継続へ [TIs OK for changing jobs: towards their continued employment], 17 April. Available at: https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO58166170X10C20A4EAF000/ [In Japanese].

46.

Palumbo

Corrado

(eds) (2020) Covid-19, Agri-Food Systems, and Migrant Labour: The Situation in Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. Technical report for Open Society European Policy Institute and European University Institute, July. Available at: https://cadmus.eui.eu/server/api/core/bitstreams/c8472eeb-66f0-5513-87d7-e1c0bdde5ffe/content

47.

Roberts

Fujita

(2024) Low-skilled migrant labor schemes in Japan’s agriculture: Voices from the field. Social Science Japan Journal 27(1): 21–40.

48.

Stead

(2023) Temporariness made interminable: Pacific Islander farmworkers in Australia and the enduring crises of global agricultural production. Journal of Agrarian Change 23(3): 579–589.

49.

Suzuki

(2021) 社会の脆弱性を乗り越えるために:コロナは移民/外国人政策に何をもたらしているか [Overcoming social vulnerability: what the new coronavirus infections are bringing to immigration/foreigner policies]. In: Suzuki

(ed) アンダーコロナの移民たち [Migrants in the Time of Coronavirus]. Akashi, pp. 7–32. [In Japanese].

50.

The Japan Agricultural News (2020a) 外国人実習生4割入国できず「特定活動」でしのぐ [Forty percent of technical trainees could not enter Japan: “Specific activity” workers saving highland agriculture], 23 July. Available at: https://www.agrinews.co.jp/page/database_services [In Japanese].

51.

The Japan Agricultural News (2020b) 技能実習生再就労 7割食農分野コロナ解雇受け皿に [Seventy percent of dismissed technical trainees by Coronavirus related layoffs find new Jobs in Agri-food Sector], 30 December. Available at: https://www.agrinews.co.jp/page/database_services [In Japanese].

52.

Tokyo Shimbun (2021) 入国緩和で来日外国人の7割「技能実習生・留学生」ビジネス往来なのに [Technical interns and students compose seventy percent of new entry foreigners by Business Truck]. 24 February. Available at. https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/87739 [In Japanese].

53.

Triandafyllidou

(2022) Spaces of solidarity and spaces of exception: migration and membership during pandemic times. In: Triandafyllidou

(ed) Migration and Pandemics: Spaces of Solidarity and Spaces of Exception. Springer, pp. 3–21.

54.

Triandafyllidou

Yeoh

BSA

(2023) Sustainability and resilience in migration governance for a post-pandemic world. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies 21(1): 1–14.

55.

United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo (UNIC) (2010) UN migrants rights expert urges Japan to increase protection of migrants. 31 March. Available at: https://www.unic.or.jp/news_press/features_backgrounders/2805/?lang=en

56.

Vogt

Qin

(2022) Sanitizing the national body: COVID-19 and the revival of Japan’s “Closed Country” strategy. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal 31(3): 247–269.

57.

Xiang

(2012) Labor transplant: “Point-to-point” transnational labor migration in East Asia. South Atlantic Quarterly 111(4): 721–739.

58.

Xiang

Allen

Khosravi

, et al. (2023) Shock mobilities during moments of acute uncertainty. Geopolitics 28(4): 1632–1657.

59.

Yomiuri Shimbun (2020) 解雇の実習生支援へ政府農業分野に再就職橋渡し [The Government Helps Dismissed Technical Interns for Acquiring New Jobs in Agriculture], 17 April. Available at: https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/20200417-OYT1T50185/ [In Japanese].

60.

Yoshida

(2021) The indebted and silent worker: Paternalistic labor management in foreign labor policy in Japan. Critical Sociology 47(1): 73–89.

Re-mobilizing immobilized labor: Pandemic concessions and migrant farmworkers in Japan

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References