Foreign labor in Japan: Assessing economic and cultural threat in the midst of a rapidly aging population

Abstract

Attempting to ease a graying and shrinking population, Japan has quietly implemented a number of foreign labor recruitment schemes, yet relatively little attention has been given to how the public perceives these foreign workers. Using a nationally representative sample, this study tests the salience of economic and cultural threat on perceptions of foreign workers, while incorporating population aging concerns as a potential mitigating factor in anti-immigrant sentiment. Findings show a differing level of favorability between foreign worker types, with low-skilled workers regarded the most positively. Economic and cultural threat are both significantly associated with negative feelings toward foreign workers. Aging population concerns additionally had a minimal mitigating effect on opinions toward foreign labor in Japan.