Zainichi (在日) are long-term Korean residents of Japan and culturally/ethnically Korean Japanese nationals. Zainichi are the largest non-indigenous minority group in Japan, representing over 1 million people. Many Zainichi today are 4th generation descendants and predominantly use Japanese as their primary language.

The word Zainichi literally means "people in Japan", so Zainichi or Zainichi-Gaikokujin (在日外国人) means "foreigners in Japan" in the general meaning. However, there are many Zainichi Koreans (在日コリアン) , so Zainichi often means just only Koreans in the narrow sense.

History

Records show that people from Korean regions have lived in what is now Japan for over a millennium (and likely much longer), usually as visiting traders or scholars. Many continental advances in culture and technology were diffused to Japan by those who could be described as ‘Zainichi’. Most modern Zainichi can trace their diaspora to the early 20th century under Imperial Japanese rule. Japanese land and production confiscation initiatives against Korean farmers during the 1910s created economic migrants during the 1920s. War policies in the ensuing decades then forced people to migrate to Japan, often to work in the most dangerous occupations. 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

Zainichi today have established a stable existence in Japan after decades of intense hardship. Years of activism, such as Mintohren, and community support by Zainichi organizations (Mindan, Chongryun, Mintoren, among others), other minority groups (Ainu, Burakumin, Ryukuan, and others), and sympathetic Japanese have improved the societal atmosphere for Zainichi in Japan. Most younger Zainichi now work for Japanese firms and marry Japanese. However, many still hide their heritage to avoid discrimination, which seemed to die down until in 2002 North Korea revealed that it had abducted Japanese nationals. Zainichi Koreans, particularly those affiliated with Chongryun (which strongly favors the Pyongyang regime), became instant targets of harassment and physical attacks. Mintohren (民闘連 Mintōren) is a grass-roots movement, created by young Koreans in Japan, for the struggle against ethnic discrimination. ... North Korea pursued a policy of abduction of Japanese students during the 1970s and 1980s. ...

Legal status

Zainichi were technically considered Japanese nationals after World War II, so were tried as Japanese in subsequent tribunals. However, their voting rights were revoked within a month after the surrender, and they were subjected to the ‘Alien Registration Ordinance’ in 1947. The Allied occupation ended in April 28, 1952 with the ‘San Francisco Peace Treaty’, and on that very day, the Japanese government revoked the Japanese nationality of Zainichi. Zainichi were thus forced to seek nationality with another country that would accept them. The revocation of Japanese nationality subsequently excluded Zainichi from compensations that the Japanese government gave to survivors of the war. Zainichi also have yet to receive restitution for their forced labor. Japan has since allowed Zainichi expedited Japanese (re)nationalization, and overtly humiliating laws, such as forced periodic fingerprinting, have recently been lifted. Certain positions in local government and service agencies have also become open to Zainichi after nationality amendments. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1952 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

See also

• Demographics of Japan

Japans population, currently 127,333,002, has experienced a phenomenal growth rate during the past 100 years as a result of scientific, industrial, and sociological changes, but the population has recently decreased because of falling birth rates and almost no immigration. ...

External links

• The Han World (http://www.han.org/) - a site for Korean residents in Japan.
• The Self-Identities of Zainichi Koreans (http://www.wm.edu/so/monitor/spring2000/paper1.htm) - a paper on Zainichi.
• MINTOHREN: Young Koreans Against Ethnic Discrimination in Japan (http://www.isop.ucla.edu/eas/newsfile/koryouth/youthdiscrim.htm)