Japan’s demographic changes have brought to attention numerous issues that the nation is struggling to reconcile. One of the most pressing of these has been Japan’s future as it relates to immigration.

The role of foreigners in future Japan remains a contested topic, about which there exists a plethora of different viewpoints. Of the most pressing of these is the question of how and to what extent foreigners will affect domestic notions of identity and belonging.

The debates surrounding biracial celebrities like Asuka Cambridge and Ariyana Miyamoto have already brought attention to these issues and as Japan’s demographic changes deepen, we can expect more serious discussions to ensue.

This presentation examines the potential roles foreigners and biracial people will play in future Japan and does so in relation to notions of national identity and spatiality. It considers whether a spatialized understanding of Japanese identity – as opposed to one based on race, ethnicity, or some other variable – is most appropriate for understanding Japanese identity and its future in relation to this ongoing diversification.

Drawing from a mix of archival and ethnographic data, this research suggests that by using contemporary spatial theory, we can better understand the ways Japanese identity functions and how it might proceed to incorporate or reject foreign and biracial people in the near future.