Issue of Multicultural People in Globalizing Japan: (Cultural) Identity, Mental Health and “Ibasho”

The number of multicultural people has increased over many years with the globalization of the world economy. Japan is no exception. Ibasho is a Japanese unique concept and means one’s place where one feels secure, comfortable, and accepted. There are very few studies on ibasho among people with multicultural backgrounds. Suzuki (2018) refers to relationships among identity/cultural identity formation, mental health (including subjective well-being) and ibasho. In this paper, we examined the relationship among mental health, identity and ibasho with a focus on ibasho in the case of two groups of people with multicultural backgrounds: International students (N = 105) living in Japan, from 30 countries (Study 1) and Japanese-Indonesian young people (N = 10) living in Indonesia (Study 2). In Study 1, a questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted, and in Study 2, multiple interviews were carried out. In both studies, the analysis was mainly qualitative in nature. The results showed that there was the relationship among ibasho, mental health, and (cultural) identity, and creating ibasho was very useful to support for cultural identity formation of multicultural people as well as to maintain their mental health

日系国際児の文化間移動と言語・文化・文化的アイデンティティ

The purpose of this study is to examine how moving to a new culture during adolescence influenced Japanese-Indonesian children by using the case study method. In particular we looked at how their language and culture changed and how their cultural identity was formed. The participants were an adolescent siblings (a brother and sister) who have a Japanese mother and an Indonesian father and were born and raised in Japan. They later moved to Indonesia during their adolescence. Semi-constructed interviews were conducted 2-3 times a year. In addition, participant observations were carried out at their school. The analysis was mainly qualitative in nature. The results suggest that domicile changes by moving to a new culture or age at the time of the move play important roles for their language, culture and cultural identity

日系国際児（ハーフ）から日系三世（クォーター）への言語・文化の継承 : インドネシア在住の事例から

The present study aimed to clarify the factors for the inheritance of language and culture from the second-generation Japanese–Indonesian to the third generation living in Indonesia. The participants were eleven Japanese-Indonesian men and women (20s-30s) with Japanese accessory (the second generation), besides their Japanese mothers (the first generation) married to Indonesian men and children (the third generation). This was part of a longitudinal study that was started in the early 1990s. Semi-structured Interviews and participants observations were mainly employed. The analysis was qualitative in nature, and two von eleven cases were especially focused. The results showed that the existence of the first generation (their Japanese mothers), the views of their spouses, especially wives on the language and culture of their children, as well as the enthusiasm of the second generation about the inheritance of the Japanese language and culture were important factors for the inheritance of the Japanese language and culture to the third generation

国際児の文化的アイデンティティ形成をめぐる研究の課題

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues in research on cultural identity formation in intercultural children with Japanese ancestry. Namely, the "diversity of intercultural children", "the problems of the research methods" "research points", and "research ethics" will be addressed. Because of the diversity of intercultural children, qualitative research (especially, case studies), fieldwork, long-term/longitudinal research, analysis of secondary data, interdisciplinary research/research attitudes and research by the intercultural child himself/herself are considered as the useful research methods. Then, analysis of the cultural identity formation process in intercultural children by case study method, concrete education/support for cultural identity formation, social utilization of research resultrs are mentiond as research points. Finally, research ethics, such as the obligation to maintain personal privacy are discussed. The research on cultural identity formation in intercultural children with Japanese ancestry has just begun. The results of this research are expected in the future

海外在住国際結婚家庭における言語・文化の継承 : 孫（日系三世）は日本語・日本文化を継承できるか？

The present study aimed to clarify the inheritance of language and culture in three generations of intercultural families. It was part of a longitudinal study started in the early 1990s. The participants were seven Japanese-Indonesian families (three generations) living in Indonesia, namely Japanese women married to Indonesian men (the first generation), their children (the second generation) and grandchildren (the third generation). Semi-structured interviews and participants observations were mainly employed. The analysis was qualitative in nature. The results showed it would be rather difficult to inherit the Japanese language and culture in the third generation. However, a follow-up study was expected because the third generation Japanese-Indonedians were very young

複数文化環境と文化・言語の継承 : 日系国際児の親の視点から

The present study aimed to clarify the inheritance of culture and language in intercultural children with Japanese ancestry (one of their parents being Japanese, another being non-Japanese) and to examine the differences between those living in Asia (excluding Japan) and those living in Europe. The participants were 177 Japanese parents (43 in Asia, 134 in Europe) who have first-born children attending part-time Japanese schools. The parents completed a questionnaire and the results showed that: 1) the dominant culture and language of the children were the culture and language of the country in which they were living, and that tendency was more obvious in the children living in Europe; 2) the children living in Asia were more interested in Japan than in the country in which they were living, while those living in Europe were more interested in the country in which they were living; 3) most children in both regions found it "not special" or positive that one of their parents was Japanese; 4) the parents in both regions paid attention to the acquisition of Japanese culture and language in their children; 5) more than 60% of parents in both regions expected their children to acquire the Japanese ways of thinking and feeling as much as those of the country in which they were living; and 6) 60% of parents in Asia and about 50% of parents in Europe thought that the influence of the mothers on their children was stronger than that of the fathers

日本-インドネシア国際児の言語・文化習得についての一考察

This study looks at the present situation of the Japanese part-time school in Bali (Indonesia) and examines the language and cultural acquisition of some Japanese-Indonesian children. The subjects were 29 Japanese-Indonesian children (10-18 years old) at the Japanese part-time school in Bali, each one\u27s Japanese parent, and seven schoolteachers. The "Cultural Anthropological-Clinical Psychological Approach" (Suzuki & Fujiwara, 1992) was employed (1991-2001, 2 times per year, 3-6 weeks each). Results: 1. Five major problems for the Japanese part-time school in Bali were identified: 1) diversity of parental views on education of the Japanese-Indonesian children, 2) lack ofJapanese language teaching materials for the intercultural children, 3) complicated management of the school 4) absence of school specialists, and 5) future plans for the school. 2. Four characteristics of language und culture acquisition of the Japanese-Indonesian children were identified: 1) predominance of Indonesian language and culture, 2) difficulty in reading and writing Japanese, 3) discontinuation of Japanese language learning, and 4) keeping an interest in Japan. Finally, it was pointed out that it is necessary for the Japanese to consider whether they regard those intercultural children as members of Japanese society

バイカルチュラル環境と文化的アイデンティティ : 日独国際児の場合

Intercultural children with Japanese ancestry (ICJ) are children who have one Japanese parent and one non-Japanese parent. Knowledge of their existence has been steadily increasing in Japan over the years. Nevertheless, there has not been enough research about ICJ. The purpose of this study is to clarify the cultural identities of ICJ with regard to the circumstances of their domiciles, their language abilities, knowledge of cultures, as well as understanding the various ways in which members of each national community think and feel. Those are regarded as important conditions (factors) for establishing “an identity as ICJ” that integrates (blends) both cultures (for example, Suzuki, 2008). The participants are 10 multiethnic Japanese-German women (late teens to early thirties) living in Germany. Fieldwork, participant observations, and semi-constructed interviews were employed. The results suggest the following: Multiethnic Japanese-German women acquire both languages and cultural knowledge of both ethnicities to some extent, but the language and culture of domicile are obviously predominant because of “domicile determination” (Suzuki, 2008), though the degree of these is different with each person. Concerning understanding the various ways in which members of each national community think and feel, there are two types, namely, impartial to either or a predominance of the domicile culture. Furthermore, all of the women feel that they belong to both cultures to some extent, and three types of cultural identities can be identified: bicultural identity or a predominance of either Japanese or German identity

思春期の日系国際児の文化的アイデンティティについての研究

The purpose of this study is to clarify the cultural identities of intercultural children withJapanese ancestry, Japanese mothers\u27 views on their children\u27s cultural identities, as well as the relationship between the mothers\u27 views and the actual cultural identities of their children. The participants were five adolescent Japanese-Indonesians (12-14 years old) who have a Japanese mother and an Indonesian father, and their mothers. They all live in Indonesia. Semi-constructed interviews were conducted. In addition, participant observations were carried out at their school. The analysis was mainly qualitative in nature. The results suggest the following: Adolescent Japanese-Indonesians are on their way to forming "identities as intercultural children" in which both Japanese and Indonesian culture has been mixed, because they are acquiring both cultures as well as both languages, to some extent, and are relatively well accepted in the societies in which they dwell. Those are regarded as the conditions for forming "identities as intercultural children". However, the relationships between the mothers\u27 views on the cultural identities of their children and their children\u27s actual cultural identities were only partly clarified

A Study using "Cultural Anthropological - Clinical Psychological approach": Cultural identity formation in Japanese-Indonesian children

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the research methods of cultural identity formation, namely "Why were the methods for the research topic chosen?", "How effective are the methods for such a topic?" and "What results can be expected?" "Cultural identity formation in Japanese-Indonesian children" is a longitudinal study started in 1991 and the purpose is to clarify the process and factors of cultural identity formation. The subjects are Japanese-Indonesian families living in Bali (Indonesia). The employed methods for the research are an approach like a combination of methods used often in Cultural Anthropological researches and Clinical Psychological methods: On the one hand, a researcher herself (himself) stays in a field, grasps the whole situation of the field and the background of the subjects, on the other hand, she (he) makes a good relations with the subjects, follows them longitudinally and analyzes each cases qualitatively as time progresses. These comprehensive methods was regarded as very useful and efficient, to clarify the process and factors of cultural identity formation in children born to parents from differing cultural backgrounds