Integration of Russian-speaking male migrants in Japan: Exploring the interplay of immigration regime, marriage, and gender

This paper examines the current state of male migrant integration in Japan. While existing research concentrates on female marital migration, the intersection of migration and marriage for men remains underexplored. Our fieldwork-based research focuses on the integration experiences of Russian-speaking men from former Soviet Union countries, who are married to Japanese women and reside in Japan. We examine aspects of men’s integration, including residential status, employment opportunities, family gender dynamics, ethnic and local affiliations, and self-identification. By exploring these at the intersections of immigration regime, marriage, and gender, we unravel the nuanced layers of integration for this specific demographic within the structural, social, and cultural frameworks of Japanese society. Adapting established integration models, we underscore the factors influencing the integration of married migrant men. One such newly identified factor is the “unacknowledged dependency” of men on their local wives. The study informs academic discourse by capturing males’ migration processes and integration practices within Japan’s immigration regime. It also seeks to enrich migrant policy discussions by advocating for comprehensive integration programs and policies. This is critical to address challenges posed by diverse migrant populations and offers insights to inform inclusive approaches for migrant integration in Japan.