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Paper short abstract

Japan’s debate on migration stresses language and integration, yet even highly skilled migrants face cultural barriers. This paper examines foreign creatives in Japanese game studios, asking how shared passion for creative work can bridge cultural gaps and support migrant integration.

Paper long abstract

Unlike its Western counterparts, Japan has only recently started to publicly debate the increasing numbers of migrants. Despite a less than 5% population, concerns are rising over their presence in Japanese society. The consensus is that migrants need to integrate and learn the language to achieve “multicultural co-existence”. Although the target of political critique are usually blue-collar worker migrants from South-Asian countries (so-called low-skilled migrants), those categorized as either white-collar workers, “global talents”, “highly skilled workers” or “expatriates” are not much better integrated, despite enjoying a modicum of political respect granted by their jobs. Many studies regarding highly skilled migrant integration have shown that there are still systemic as well as cultural barriers that must be addressed before integration can be achieved. Most studies show that some of the biggest reasons that impede integration are cultural differences, especially unspoken customs and rules that are rarely expressed verbally. (Yorozu 2022, Oishi 2021, Hof and Tseng 2020, Chiavacci 2012).

This presentation explores what possibilities arise when migrants are driven by more than financial incentives, namely a drive for self-realization through “creative work”. Choosing video game studios as case study allows us to explore how a meaningful relationship with work can act as a bridge between migrants and Japanese locals. Previous studies, based on North American and Western European contexts, show that migration and international collaboration are core parts of the production pipeline, but this generally happens within a share cultural heritage (Houška 2025, Vanderhoef 2021). Migration to Japan, especially in the creative industries, is a rather new phenomenon, that can help us explore how shared passion can supplement the lack of shared culture. Who are the people who choose a career in Japanese games rather than its Western competitors? What mechanisms allow this kind of migration towards an industry that is politically significant (Cool Japan and national branding)? Lastly, to what extent does a shared passion for childhood games and animation help the integration of migrants?