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73-577: Among Korean communities in Japan, Ōkubo is relatively unique for hosting Koreans who arrived relatively recently, beginning around the 1980s. By contrast, many other Koreans in Japan arrived during or are descendants of people who went to Japan during the Japanese colonial period ; these Koreans are called Zainichi Koreans. Business significantly increased after the rise of the Korean Wave beginning in

146-519: A Japanese passport means becoming Japanese, rather than Korean-Japanese. In order to be naturalized as Japanese citizens, Zainichi Koreans previously had to go through multiple, complex steps, requiring collection of information about their family and ancestors stretching back ten generations. This information could be collected through a Korean organization such as Mindan, but with their prohibitively expensive cost, many were unable to afford it. However, these processes have become much easier, and today, it

219-484: A Korean association in the area, World OKTA ( Korean :  월드옥타 ), said in 2014 that his Korean language learning school had had more than 10,000 students since 1996. After a controversial 2012 visit by South Korean president Lee Myung-bak to the contested Liancourt Rocks , there was a significant boycott of Korea-related businesses in Japan. The area was affected by these boycotts, and far-right Japanese nationalist groups participated in anti-Korean protests in

292-461: A North Korean ferry that is the only regular direct link between North Korea and Japan, is a subject of significant tension, as the ferry is primarily used by Chongryon to send its members to North Korea and to supply North Korea with money and goods donated by the organization and its members. In 2003, a North Korean defector made a statement to the US Senate committee stating that more than 90% of

365-546: A book about his experience, The Aquariums of Pyongyang . One returnee who later defected back to Japan, known only by his Japanese pseudonym Kenki Aoyama, worked for North Korean intelligence as a spy in Beijing . The repatriations have been the subject of numerous creative works in Japan, due to the influence they had on the Zainichi Korean community. One documentary film about a family whose sons repatriated while

438-535: A dedicated audience in Japan, contributing to the normalization of Korean culture within mainstream Japanese media. Furthermore, economic opportunities have also contributed to a recent influx of Korean newcomers to Japan. Despite historical tensions between the two countries, Japan remains an attractive destination for many South Koreans seeking employment and business prospects. The close geographical proximity and strong economic ties between Japan and South Korea have facilitated increased migration and investment between

511-746: A group distinct from South Korean nationals who have immigrated to Japan since the end of World War II and the division of Korea . They currently constitute the third largest ethnic minority group in Japan after Chinese immigrants . Their population declined significantly due to death, returning to Korea, and assimilating into the general Japanese population. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans ( 在日韓国・朝鮮人 , Zainichi Kankoku/Chōsenjin ) , often known simply as Zainichi ( 在日 , lit. 'in Japan') , who are ethnic Korean permanent residents of Japan. The term Zainichi Korean refers only to long-term Korean residents of Japan who trace their roots to Korea under Japanese rule , distinguishing them from

584-593: A large number of Koreans were also conscripted by Japan. Another wave of migration started after South Korea was devastated by the Korean War in the 1950s. Also noteworthy was the large number of refugees from the massacres on Jeju Island by the South Korean government. Statistics regarding Zainichi immigration are scarce. However, in 1988, a Mindan youth group called Zainihon Daikan Minkoku Seinendan ( Korean : 재일본대한민국청년회 , Japanese : 在日本大韓民国青年会 ) published

657-505: A long time, Chongryon enjoyed unofficial immunity from searches and investigations, partly because authorities were reluctant to carry out any actions which could provoke not only accusations of xenophobia but lead to an international incident. Chongryon has long been suspected of a variety of criminal acts on behalf of North Korea, such as illegal transfer of funds to North Korea and espionage, but no action has been taken. However, recently escalating tensions between Japan and North Korea over

730-523: A new one called the Federation of Korean Associations in Japan  [ ja ; ko ] . In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in the perception of Zainichi Koreans in Japan, largely influenced by the growing popularity of Korean culture, known as the " Korean Wave " or Hallyu. This cultural phenomenon, encompassing Korean music, television dramas, films, and cuisine, has gained widespread attention not only in Japan but also globally. As

803-829: A number of issues, namely North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals which came to light in 2002 as well as its nuclear weapons program , has led to a resurgence of public animosity against Chongryon. Chongryon schools have alleged numerous cases of verbal abuse and physical violence directed against their students and buildings, and Chongryon facilities have been targets of protests and occasional incidents. The Japanese authorities have recently started to crack down on Chongryon, with investigations and arrests for charges ranging from tax evasion to espionage. These moves are usually criticized by Chongryon as acts of political suppression. In December 2001, police raided Chongryon's Tokyo headquarters and related facilities to investigate Chongryon officials' suspected role in embezzlement of funds from

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876-663: A proper job, they began to get involved in illegal jobs such as "illegal alcohol production, scrap recycling, and racketeering". As a result, many Zainichi Koreans ended up living in slums or hamlets, a situation aided by Japanese real estate agents' refusal to let Zainichi Koreans rent houses. In addition to labor exploitation and housing discrimination, Koreans also endured significant social discrimination. They were segregated into specific neighborhoods, commonly referred to as "Korean Towns," (which still exist today in Shin-Ōkubo and Ikuno-ku ) where living conditions were poor, sanitation

949-595: A report titled, "Father, tell us about that day. Report to reclaim our history" ( Japanese : アボジ聞かせて あの日のことを—我々の歴史を取り戻す運動報告書 ). The report included a survey of first generation Koreans' reasons for immigration. The result was 13.3% for conscription, 39.6% for economics, 17.3% for marriage and family, 9.5% for study/academic, 20.2% for other reasons and 0.2% unknown. The survey excluded those who were under 12 when they arrived in Japan. While some families can currently trace their ancestry back to pre-modern Korean immigrants, many families were absorbed into Japanese society and as

1022-576: A request to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, then the occupying power of Japan , to change the nationality registration of Zainichi Koreans to Daehan Minguk ( Korean : 대한민국 ; Japanese: Daikan Minkoku , 大韓民国 ), the official name of the new nation. Following this, from 1950 onwards, Zainichi Koreans were allowed to voluntarily re-register their nationality as such. The Allied occupation of Japan ended on 28 April 1952 with

1095-724: A result of pirate raids or during the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea . In the Edo period , trade with Korea occurred through the Tsushima-Fuchū Domain in Kyūshū , near Nagasaki . After the conclusion of the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 , Korean students and asylum seekers started to come to Japan, including Korean politicians and activists Bak Yeonghyo , Kim Ok-gyun , and Song Byeong-jun . There were about 800 Koreans living in Japan before Japan annexed Korea. In 1910, as

1168-688: A result, there has been an increased appreciation for Korean culture among the Japanese population, leading to greater interest in Zainichi Koreans and their heritage. The Korean Wave has played a significant role in bridging cultural gaps and fostering greater acceptance of Zainichi Koreans in Japanese society. K-pop music groups, such as BTS , Twice and BLACKPINK , have garnered massive followings in Japan, garnering interest in Korean entertainment. Similarly, Korean dramas and films have found

1241-580: A result, they are not considered a distinct group. The same is applicable to those families which are descended from Koreans who entered Japan in subsequent periods of pre-modern Japanese history . Trade with Korea continued to modern times, with Japan also periodically receiving missions from Korea, though this activity was often limited to specific ports. In late prehistory, in the Iron Age Yayoi period (300 BCE to 300 CE), Japanese culture showed some Korean influence, though whether this

1314-722: Is easier for Zainichi Koreans to naturalize into Japanese citizens. Uyoku dantai Uyoku dantai ( 右翼団体 , lit. 'right-wing groups') refers to Japanese ultranationalist far-right activists, provocateurs, and internet trolls (as netto-uyoku ) often organized in groups. In 1996 and 2013, the National Police Agency estimated that there were over 1,000 right-wing groups in Japan with about 100,000 members in total. Uyoku dantai are well known for their highly visible propaganda vehicles, known as gaisensha ( 街宣車 , converted vans, trucks and buses fitted with loudspeakers and prominently marked with

1387-608: Is leading to a sharp decrease in the original "Zainichi" population in Japan. One of the most pressing issues of the Zainichi community is the rate of assimilation of Zainichi into Japan. About 4,000 to 5,000 Koreans naturalize in Japan every year out of slightly less than 480,000. Naturalization carries a crucial cultural aspect in Japan, as both Mindan and Chongryon link Korean ethnic identity to Korean nationality, and Japanese and South Korean nationality laws do not allow multiple citizenship for adults. By their definition, opting for

1460-494: Is serious doubt as to the continuing viability of the system as a whole. Mindan has also traditionally operated a school system for the children of its members, although it has always been less widespread and organized compared to its Chongryon counterpart, and is said to be nearly defunct at the present time. Out of the two Korean organizations in Japan, the pro-North Chongryon has been the more militant in terms of retaining Koreans' ethnic identity. Its policies have included: For

1533-421: The 1988 Seoul Olympics , traveling abroad was further liberalized. When Expo 2005 was held, the Japanese government had a visa waiver program with South Korea for a limited period under the condition that the visitor's purpose was sightseeing or business, and later extended it permanently. Korean enclaves tend to exclude newcomers from existing Korean organizations, especially Mindan , so newcomers have created

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1606-683: The Japanese Red Cross began to receive official support from the Japanese government as early as 1956. A North Korean-sponsored repatriation programme with support of the Chōsen Sōren (The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) officially began in 1959. In April 1959, Gorō Terao   [ Wikidata ] ( 寺尾 五郎 Terao Gorō ), a political activist and historian of the Japanese Communist Party , published

1679-629: The Jeju uprising in 1948. The Yeosu-Suncheon rebellion also increased the illegal immigration to Japan. It is estimated that between 1946 and 1949, 90% of illegal immigrants to Japan were Koreans. During the Korean War , Korean immigrants came to Japan to avoid torture or murder at the hands of dictator Syngman Rhee 's forces (e.g., in the Bodo League massacre ). Fishers and brokers helped immigrants enter Japan through Tsushima Island . In

1752-572: The Ministry of Justice , 410,156 South Koreans and 24,305 North Koreans ( 朝鮮人 , Chōsen-jin , meaning Koreans in Japanese) were registered as permanent or non-permanent residents of Japan in 2023. Below, two statistics on the numbers of foreign residents living in Japan are displayed, one map and one chart: The modern flow of Koreans to Japan started with the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 and increased dramatically after 1920. During World War II,

1825-623: The San Francisco Peace Treaty , in which Japan formally abandoned its territorial claim to the Korean Peninsula, and as a result, Zainichi Koreans formally lost their Japanese nationality. The division on the Korean Peninsula led to division among Koreans in Japan. Mindan , the Korean Residents Union in Japan, was set up in 1946 as a pro-South offshoot of Chōren (League of Koreans in Japan),

1898-752: The Second World War to varying degrees, deny the war crimes committed by the military during the pre-1945 Shōwa period and are critical of what they see as a "masochistic" bias in post-war historical education. Thus, they do not recognize the legality of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East or other allied tribunals and consider the war-criminals enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine as "Martyrs of Shōwa " ( 昭和殉難者 , Shōwa junnansha ) . They support

1971-458: The 1950s, Japan Coast Guard secured the border with Korea, but apprehending illegal immigrants was difficult because they were armed, while Japan Coast Guard was not due to the terms of the surrender of Japan after World War II. During this period, one-fifth of the immigrants were arrested. In Official Correspondence of 1949, Shigeru Yoshida , the prime minister of Japan, proposed the deportation of all Zainichi Koreans to Douglas MacArthur ,

2044-521: The 1950s, after Zainichi Korean businessman Shin Kyuk-ho established a Lotte confectionary factory in the area, more Zainichis congregated in the area to work there. In the early 1980s, after years of tense Japan-South Korean relations and thus limited immigration, Japan began allowing exchange students and more foreign workers due to a labor shortage. South Koreans began arriving in Japan and in Ōkubo around 1983. A larger number arrived beginning in

2117-447: The 1970s, even after it had categorically and fiercely denied for many years that the abductions had ever taken place and dismissed rumors of North Korean involvement as an allegedly "racist fantasy". Some of the recent drop in membership of Chongryon is attributed to ordinary members of Chongryon who may have believed in the party line feeling deeply humiliated and disillusioned upon discovering that they had been used as mouthpieces to deny

2190-413: The 1990s. Until the mid-1990s, there weren't many Korean businesses in the area. However, around 1995, there was a sudden increase in their quantity. Non-Korean visitors to the area spiked a number of times in the following years, following a number of Korean popular media booms in Japan. One such boom was around 2000, after the release of the action movie Shiri . Another boom occurred after the release of

2263-543: The 2002 drama Winter Sonata . The area came to be popularly called "Koreatown" around the time of the 2002 FIFA World Cup , which South Korea and Japan jointly hosted. On January 26, 2001, a 26-year old South Korean man named Lee Soo-hyun and a Japanese man Shiro Sekine made headlines after they died while trying to rescue a drunk Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks of Shin-Ōkubo Station . The pair were hailed as heroes in both Japan and South Korea. Lee's ancestors had previously worked as forced laborers in Japan during

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2336-530: The American Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers , and said the Japanese government would pay all of the cost. Yoshida stated that it was unfair for Japan to purchase food for illegal Zainichi Koreans, claiming that they did not contribute to the Japanese economy and that they supposedly committed political crimes by cooperating with communists. Immediately following the end of World War II, there were roughly 2.4 million Koreans in Japan;

2409-553: The Japanese government tried to reduce the number of Koreans immigrating to Japan. To accomplish this, the Japanese government devoted resources to the Korean peninsula . In 1939, the Japanese government introduced the National Mobilization Law and conscripted Koreans to deal with labor shortages due to World War II . In 1944, the Japanese authorities extended the mobilization of Japanese civilians for labor on

2482-628: The Korean drama Crash Landing on You . In 2022, it was reported that the area had fully recovered from the 2012 onwards drop in sales, and had even seen an increase in the number of Korea-related businesses. The nearby Shin-Ōkubo station receives significant foot traffic, which has boosted business in the area. In September 2022, it was reported that the station exceeds 100,000 visitors per day. The area had an estimated 9 million annual visitors by September 2022. The restaurant chain Saikabo , founded by South Korean immigrants and which serves Korean food,

2555-402: The Korean peninsula. Of the 5,400,000 Koreans conscripted, about 670,000 were taken to mainland Japan (including Karafuto Prefecture , present-day Sakhalin , now part of Russia ) for civilian labor. Those who were brought to Japan were forced to work in factories, in mines, and as laborers, often under appalling conditions. About 60,000 are estimated to have died between 1939 and 1945. Most of

2628-638: The North Korean government. In 1965, Japan concluded a Treaty on Basic Relations with the Republic of Korea and recognized the South Korean government as the only legitimate government of the peninsula. Those Koreans in Japan who did not apply for South Korean citizenship kept Chōsen-seki which did not give them citizenship of any nation. Starting in 1980, South Korea allowed its students to study abroad freely; starting in 1987, people older than forty-four were allowed to travel abroad. One year after

2701-453: The North dropped sharply, though the trickle of returnees to the North continued as late as 1984. In total, 93,340 people migrated from Japan to North Korea under the repatriation programme; an estimated 6,000 were Japanese migrating with Korean spouses . Around one hundred such repatriates are believed to have later escaped from North Korea ; the most famous is Kang Chol-Hwan , who published

2774-565: The United States government was initially unaware of Tokyo's cooperation with the repatriation programme, they offered no objection after they were informed of it; the US ambassador to Japan was quoted by his Australian counterpart as describing the Koreans in Japan as, "a poor lot including many Communists and many criminals". Despite the fact that 97% of the Zainichi Koreans originated from

2847-739: The advocation of kokutai -Goji (retaining the fundamental character of the nation), hostility towards communism and Marxism , and hostility against the Japan Teachers Union . Traditionally, they view Russia (and previously the Soviet Union), China, and North Korea with hostility over issues such as communism, the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands and the Kuril Islands , and the kidnappings of Japanese citizens by North Korea . Most, but not all, seek to justify Japan's role in

2920-508: The area. Korean businesses in the area reportedly almost halved in number around this time. Around May 2013, it was reported that there were around 12,000 Korean residents in Shinjuku. By 2018 restaurants of other ethnicities opened in Okubo; a concentration of them opened in "Muslim Town". There is also a "Little Chinatown". In 2020, the area saw a increase in visitors after the success of

2993-407: The book, North of the 38th Parallel (Japanese: 38度線の北 ), in which he praised North Korea for its rapid development and humanitarianism . Following its publication, numbers of returnees skyrocketed. The Japanese government was in favour of repatriation as a way to rid the country of ethnic minority residents that were discriminated against and regarded as incompatible with Japanese culture. Though

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3066-464: The colonial period, which contributed to Lee's public reputation of selflessness. Prime Ministers Yoshiro Mori and other government officials bowed at a memorial for Lee on January 29, 2001. Lee's life was semi-factually portrayed in a Japanese film entitled 26 Years Diary in 2007; the film was famously viewed by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko . Donations from both Japan and South Korea were sent in significant quantity to Lee's parents. They used

3139-528: The crimes of the North Korean government. In March 2006, police raided six Chongryon-related facilities in an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the June 1980 disappearance of one of the alleged abductees, Tadaaki Hara. Police spokesmen said that the head of Chongryon at the time was suspected of co-operating in his kidnapping. The operation of the Mangyongbong-92 (currently suspended),

3212-605: The failed Tokyo Chogin credit union  [ ja ] . In 2002, Shotaro Tochigi, deputy head of the Public Security Investigation Agency , told a session of the House of Representatives Financial Affairs Committee that the agency was investigating Chongryon for suspected illicit transfers of funds to the North. The image of Chongryon was further tarnished by North Korea's surprise 2002 admission that it had indeed abducted Japanese nationals in

3285-528: The funds to create the Lee Soo-hyun Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which was to provide scholarships for students across Asia to study in Japan. By 2021, the fund had assisted 998 students. In 2011, the Federation of Korean Associations, Japan  [ ja ] moved its headquarters from Shinjuku to Ōkubo. The area has become a center for Japanese people interested in Korean culture. Lee Seung-min, chair of

3358-481: The immigrants consisted of farmers from the southern part of Korea. The number of Koreans in Japan in 1930 was more than ten times greater than that of 1920, reaching 419,000. However, the jobs they could get on the mainland of Japan were curtailed by open discrimination and largely limited to physical labor due to their poor education; they usually worked alongside other groups of ethnic minorities subject to discrimination, such as burakumin . Before World War II ,

3431-464: The immigrants, they were generally absorbed into Japanese society and are not considered a distinct modern group. According to the Nihon Kōki historical text, in 814, six people, including a Silla man called Karanunofurui ( Korean :  가라포고이 , Japanese: 加羅布古伊; presumed to be of gaya descent) became naturalized in Japan's Minokuni (美濃國) region. Some Koreans entered Japan in captivity as

3504-472: The lack of a single, unified government on the Korean Peninsula, Koreans were provisionally registered under the name of Joseon ( 조선 , Japanese: Chōsen , 朝鮮 ), the old name of undivided Korea. In 1948, the northern and southern parts of Korea declared independence individually, making Joseon , or the old undivided Korea, a defunct nation. The new government of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) made

3577-521: The late 1980s, when South Korea lifted its restrictions on foreign travel. The good access to transportation and lower cost of rent in the area made it popular with immigrants. After Japan privatized its national railway, the East Japan Railway Company purchased and renovated the slum. Some of the Korean residents used the money they received to establish businesses in the area. It began to be significantly associated with Korea in

3650-433: The late 1990s. In recent years, the area has also attracted many Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants, with many international restaurants and stores opening up in the neighborhood as a result. Just after World War II, the area was considered a slum, and filled with unlicensed shacks. Its residents were then mostly Japanese; a small number of Korean and Chinese people lived there while working as laborers. Around

3723-410: The late 20th century, influenced by both domestic advocacy by human rights groups and international pressure. Zainichi today have established a stable presence in Japan after years of activism. Through Mintohren , community support by Zainichi organizations (Mindan and Chongryon , among others), other minority groups ( Ainu , burakumin , Ryūkyūans , Nivkhs , and others), and sympathetic Japanese,

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3796-689: The later wave of Korean migrants who came mostly in the 1980s, and from pre-modern immigrants dating back to antiquity who may themselves be the ancestors of the Japanese people. The Japanese word "Zainichi" itself means a foreign citizen "staying in Japan", and implies temporary residence. Nevertheless, the term "Zainichi Korean" is used to describe settled permanent residents of Japan, both those who have retained their Joseon or North Korean / South Korean nationalities, and even sometimes includes Japanese citizens of Korean descent who acquired Japanese nationality by naturalization or by birth from one or both parents who have Japanese citizenship. According to

3869-406: The law wasn't repealed until 1993. Until then, Zainichi Koreans could not escape from the social discrimination which they had faced in Japanese society. Furthermore, it was hard for the Zainichi Koreans to get a job due to discrimination. Zainichi Koreans were often forced into low-wage labor, lived in segregated communities, and faced barriers to their cultural and social practices. Especially, it

3942-470: The main Korean residents' organisation, which had a socialist ideology. Following the May Day riots of 1952 , the pro-North organisation was made illegal, but it re-formed under various guises and went on to form the "General Association of Korean Residents in Japan", or Chongryon , in 1955. This organisation kept to its socialist, and by extension pro-North stance, and enjoyed the active financial support of

4015-540: The majority repatriated to their ancestral homes in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, leaving only 650,000 in Japan by 1946. Japan's defeat in the war and the end of its colonization of the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan left the nationality status of Koreans and Taiwanese in an ambiguous position in terms of law. The Alien Registration Ordinance  [ ja ] ( 外国人登録令 , Gaikokujin-tōroku-rei ) of 2 May 1947 ruled that Koreans and some Taiwanese were to be provisionally treated as foreign nationals. Given

4088-758: The name of the group and propaganda slogans) . The vehicles are usually black, khaki or olive drab, and are decorated with the Imperial Seal , the flag of Japan and the Rising Sun Flag . They are primarily used to stage protests outside organizations such as the Chinese, Korean or Russian embassies, Chongryon facilities and media organizations, where propaganda (both taped and live) is broadcast through their loudspeakers. They can sometimes be seen driving around cities or parked in busy shopping areas, broadcasting propaganda, military music or Kimigayo ,

4161-516: The national anthem. The Greater Japan Patriotic Party , supportive of the US–;Japan–South Korea alliance against China and North Korea and against communism as a whole, would always have the US national flag flying side by side with the Japanese flag in the vehicles and US military marches played alongside their Japanese counterparts. While political beliefs differ among the groups, they are often said to hold in common three philosophies:

4234-538: The operation of the Mangyongbong-92 . Outraged senior Mindan officials joined mainstream Japanese politicians and media in sharply criticizing Chongryon's silence over the matter. During the post-World War II period, Zainichi Koreans faced various kinds of discrimination from Japanese society. Due to the San Francisco Peace Treaty , the Japanese government created laws to support Japanese citizens by giving financial support, providing shelters, etc. However, after

4307-449: The parents and daughter remained in Japan, Dear Pyongyang , won a special jury prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival . Some Zainichi Koreans have gone to South Korea to study or to settle. For example, author Lee Yangji studied at Seoul National University in the early 1980s. Well into at least the 1970s, Chongryon was the dominant Zainichi group, and in some ways remains more politically significant today in Japan. However,

4380-465: The parts used by North Korea to construct its missiles were brought from Japan aboard the ship. In May 2006, Chongryon and the pro-South Mindan agreed to reconcile, only for the agreement to break down the following month. North Korea's missile tests in July 2006 deepened the divide, with Chongryon refusing to condemn the missile tests, expressing only its regret that the Japanese government has suspended

4453-549: The result of the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty , Japan annexed Korea, and all Korean people became part of the nation of the Empire of Japan by law and received Japanese citizenship. In the 1920s, the demand for labor in Japan was high while Koreans had difficulty finding jobs in the Korean peninsula . As a result, thousands of Koreans migrated or were recruited to work in industries like coal mining. A majority of

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4526-648: The social atmosphere for Zainichi in Japan has improved. There are also Koreans living in Japan who try to present themselves as Japanese to avoid discrimination. Most younger Zainichi now speak only Japanese, go to Japanese schools, work for Japanese firms, and increasingly marry Japanese people. Most naturalization occurs among the young during the period when they seek formal employment or marriage. Those who have already established their lives increasingly do not choose to retain their South Korean or Joseon nationality or heritage and lead average lives alongside other Japanese. This, as well as marriage to Japanese nationals,

4599-521: The southern half of the Korean Peninsula , the North was initially a far more popular destination for repatriation than the South. Approximately 70,000 Zainichi repatriated to North Korea during a two-year period from 1960 through 1961. However, as word came back of difficult conditions in the North and with the 1965 normalization of Japan-South Korea relations , the popularity of repatriation to

4672-430: The treaty was signed, Zainichi Koreans were no longer counted as Japanese citizens, so they were unable to get any support from the government. They were unable to get an insurance certificate from the government, so it was difficult for them to get any medical care. Without medical insurance, Zainichi Koreans were unable to go to the hospital since the cost of medication was too high. Another problem caused by this treaty

4745-405: The two nations. Japan's aging population and labor shortages in certain industries have created demand for foreign workers, including Koreans. Many Korean nationals have sought employment opportunities in sectors such as manufacturing, technology, healthcare, and hospitality, contributing to Japan's workforce and economy. Repatriation of Zainichi Koreans from Japan conducted under the auspices of

4818-841: The wartime laborers returned home after the war, but some elected to remain in Japan. 43,000 of those in Karafuto, which had been occupied by the Soviet Union just before Japan's surrender, were refused repatriation to either mainland Japan or the Korean Peninsula, and were thus trapped in Sakhalin, stateless; they became the ancestors of the Sakhalin Koreans . Koreans entered Japan illegally post-World War II due to an unstable political and economic situation in Korea, with 20,000 to 40,000 Koreans fleeing Syngman Rhee 's forces during

4891-526: The widening disparity between the political and economic conditions of the two Koreas has since made Mindan , the pro-South Korean group, the larger and less politically controversial faction. 65% of Zainichi are now said to be affiliated to Mindan. The number of pupils receiving ethnic education from Chongryon-affiliated schools has declined sharply, with many, if not most, Zainichi now opting to send their children to mainstream Japanese schools. Some Chongryon schools have been closed for lack of funding, and there

4964-522: Was accompanied by immigration from Korea is debated (see Origin of the Yayoi people ). In the later Kofun (250–538 CE) and Asuka (538–710 CE) periods, there was some flow of people from the Korean Peninsula, both as immigrants and long-term visitors, notably a number of clans in the Kofun period (see Kofun period Korean migration ). While some families today can ultimately trace their ancestry to

5037-473: Was founded in the area in 1993, and has since expanded across Japan and internationally. In 2013, it was reported that business in the area had doubled since 2008. In July 2013, the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan stated that Shin-Ōkubo had 500 businesses, including around 350 restaurants. By that year, the number of Korea-related businesses reportedly reached 628. In September 2022, it

5110-475: Was inadequate, and access to public services like healthcare and education was severely limited. Korean children faced bullying and discrimination in schools, which often led to high dropout rates and limited their educational and, subsequently, economic opportunities. Despite these adversities, the Zainichi community has fought for their rights and has seen gradual improvements in their status in Japan. Changes in legal and social recognition began to emerge towards

5183-523: Was reported that the number of Korea-related businesses in the area had increased from 396 in 2017 to 634 in 2022, around a 61% increase. Koreans in Japan Koreans in Japan ( 在日韓国人・在日本朝鮮人・朝鮮人 , Zainichi Kankokujin/Zainihon Chōsenjin/Chōsenjin ) ( Korean :  재일 한국/조선인 ) are ethnic Koreans who immigrated to Japan before 1945 and are citizens or permanent residents of Japan , or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are

5256-719: Was that the Japanese government created a law which stated that Korean residents in Japan had to be fingerprinted since Zainichi Koreans had two names (their original name and a name given by the Japanese government). Under this law, Zainichi Koreans had to reveal their identity to the public because when they visited the city hall to provide their fingerprints, their neighbors found out that they were Zainichi Koreans. Therefore, Zainichi Koreans were forced to reveal their identity to Japanese and faced discrimination from them. This made their lives even more difficult. In order to protect themselves, many Zainichi Koreans protested against this law. Mindan and many Zainichi Koreans opposed this law, but

5329-591: Was very hard for Zainichi Koreans to become public employees since Japan only let Japanese nationals become public employees at that time. Even of those who were able to secure jobs, many ended up working in coal mines, construction sites, and factories under harsh conditions that were markedly worse than those endured by their Japanese counterparts. The disparity was not limited to wages alone; Koreans also faced longer working hours and were subjected to physical abuse by supervisors who enforced strict discipline to maximize productivity. Since many Zainichi Koreans could not get

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