A grounded typology of foreign-born spouses in Japan: The motivations behind migration to Japan

Over 3% of all new marriages in Japan are international marriages. Who are these foreign-born spouses? What is the motivation behind their migration to Japan, and what is the role of intermarriage in this move? Drawing from in-depth interviews with 18 foreign-born spouses living in Japan, this preliminary research reveals two dominant motivations behind their migration to Japan: social and economic necessity and social and economic opportunity. We provide a grounded typology for foreign-born spouses by cross-classifying their current social status (based on ethnicity and class) with motivation behind migration (social and economic necessity and social and economic opportunity). We find that intermarriage serves as either the cause of migration, the cause of remigration, or came about as a consequence of migration. Ultimately, the typology reveals the range in foreign-born spouses' (and international couples') experiences, and complexity that is often missing in the discourse on international marriages in Japan.