Interracial Relationships in Japan: An Exploration of Values in Japanese Young People’s Attitudes toward Interracial Relationships

Abstract

This study investigated Japanese young people’s attitudes toward interracial relationships. Most respondents held a more positive general/global attitude than a personal openness attitude to interracial relationships. In other words, respondents chose a more restrained approach to taking personal actions such as dating, living with, marrying, and having children with people of a different race. Of the gender difference in general/global attitudes toward interracial relationships, women were more positive than men, but there was no difference in personal openness attitudes. Regarding the roles of values in predicting general/global attitudes, the study identified two significant positive values of hedonism and universalism and one negative value of tradition. Regarding the roles of values in predicting personal openness attitudes, the study identified one positive value of self-direction and one negative value of security. Values were found to be an essential variable in investigating interracial relationships.