On being there: Korean in Japan

Abstract

Abstract The ethnic Korean resident (Zainichi Kankokujin‐Chosenjin) community is found in variable population concentrations in metropolitan Tokyo, Osaka and many other cities in Japan. Among the sociopolitical issues which affect the lives of Koreans is the current effort being made to maintain the Korean language. Some schools are experimenting with a new approach towards Japanese‐Korean bilingualism and biculturalism which includes the teaching of basic Korean. There are adult literacy classes including yakan gakko (night classes) for the older Koreans who never learned to read and write Japanese. Community centres offer courses in basic Korean to both Korean and Japanese citizens; teaching materials are developed by Japan‐born Korean instructors. Less than one‐quarter of ethnic zainichi children use their Korean names. The retention of Korean names can entail problems. However, there is increasing interest in Korean culture and language. Many factors contribute to this: (a) the cultural waves from the 1988 Olympics held in neighbouring Seoul, (b) the ‘ethnic boom’ in which the post‐war Japanese generation is generally more curious about ‘Asia’: food, language, music, etc., (c) an increasing volume of bilingual literature for the Korean readers and, at the political level, (d) the stabilisation of trade and economic relations between Japan and Korea which has led to an increasing level of confidence among Korean Japanese. Important for Korean language maintenance is the gradual emergence of more visibly distinct ‘Koreatown’ communities in a number of Japanese cities. This signals a new economic and cultural vitality, an assertion of ‘being there’ which will likely have an impact upon the sociolinguistic status of the Korean language in Japan.