This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Pyrop (talk | contribs) at 04:30, 31 January 2005 (→External links: +1). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:30, 31 January 2005 by Pyrop (talk | contribs) (→External links: +1)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Zainichi are long-term Korean residents of Japan and culturally/ethnically Korean Japanese nationals. Zainichi are the largest non-indigenous minority group in Japan, representing over 1 million people. Many Zainichi today are 4th generation descendants and predominantly use Japanese as their primary language.
History
Records show that people from Korean regions have lived in what is now Japan for over a millennium (and likely much longer), usually as visiting traders or scholars. Many continental advances in culture and technology were diffused to Japan by those who could be described as ‘Zainichi’. Most modern Zainichi can trace their diaspora to the early 20th century under Imperial Japanese rule. Japanese land and production confiscation initiatives against Korean farmers during the 1910s created economic migrants during the 1920s. War policies in the ensuing decades then forced people to migrate to Japan, often to work in the most dangerous occupations.
Zainichi today have established a stable existence in Japan after decades of intense hardship. Years of activism and community support by Zainichi organizations (Mindan, Chongryun, Mintoren, among others), other minority groups (Ainu, Burakumin, Ryukuan, and others), and sympathetic Japanese have improved the societal atmosphere for Zainichi in Japan. Most younger Zainichi now work for Japanese firms and marry Japanese. However, many still hide their heritage to avoid discrimination.
Legal status
Zainichi were technically considered Japanese nationals after World War II, so were tried as Japanese in subsequent tribunals. However, their voting rights were revoked within a month after the surrender, and they were subjected to the ‘Alien Registration Ordinance’ in 1947. The Allied occupation ended in April 28, 1952 with the ‘San Francisco Peace Treaty’, and on that very day, the Japanese government revoked the Japanese nationality of Zainichi. Zainichi were thus forced to seek nationality with another country that would accept them. The revocation of Japanese nationality subsequently excluded Zainichi from compensations that the Japanese government gave to survivors of the war. Zainichi also have yet to receive restitution for their forced labor. Japan has since allowed Zainichi expedited Japanese (re)nationalization, and overtly humiliating laws, such as forced periodic fingerprinting, have recently been lifted. Certain positions in local government and service agencies have also become open to Zainichi after nationality amendments.
See also
External links
- The Han World - a site for Korean residents in Japan.
- The Self-Identities of Zainichi Koreans - a paper on Zainichi.