Recent Japanese Returnees: An Easier Re-Entry?
Fujita Mariko
Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior & Senior High School
Differences between the recent generation of returnees and Japanese who came back to the country earlier are often noted, but to date, this change in the character of returnees has not been documented, nor have the reasons for such a change been explored. This study tries to fill in this gap by investigating the circumstances and abilities of Japanese children who have recently returned to Japan. Interviews and a questionnaire, as well as English and Japanese vocabulary tests, were used to elicit data from 36 Japanese children (18 boys and 18 girls) who had recently come back to Japan after spending two or more years in North America.
The study suggests that the Japanization of education overseas has affected recent returnees psychologically, making them different from the previous generation of returnees. In an effort to ensure smooth re-entry into the competitive Japanese education system, Japanese children living abroad today are often given Japanese education, and this deprives them of many opportunities for cross-cultural experiences and interaction with English speakers of their age. Thus, only eight out of the 36 participants in this study reached a level of native proficiency in English.
This emphasis on Japanese education while they are overseas means that for many recent returnees, readaptation to Japanese society is not a serious problem. Rather, their main concern is re-entering mainstream Japanese education and preparing for entrance examinations after they go back to Japan. Even after their return, they have to make up for their loss of Japanese schooling, and this takes up so much of their time and energy that only a few of the participants had made efforts to maintain their English. Moreover, only a few schools were found to recognize their bilingual ability and bicultural characteristics.
Thus, the uniformity and closed nature of Japanese society appear to have deprived returning children of their "returneeness". There is a danger that the increasing homogenization of returnees will lead to a complete disappearance of the unique characteristics born of an overseas living experience.
