Between three worlds: The experiences of Bangladeshi Muslim migrants in Japan

The Clash of Civilizations is a famous theory of Samuel Huntington (1996), which claims that Muslims do not undoubtedly integrate with the cultures of a receiving country. The Islam has always been a misinterpreted subject.

Since the 9/11 attacks, people all around the world assume that all Muslims are extremist and will not hesitate to kill innocent people in the favor of their beloved God.

In this situation, I found the article from the Japan Times titled “Can Japan show the West how to live peacefully with Islam? In this article, Nicolas Gating writes, “It has been striking to see Japan’s efforts to make this minority feel at home”. On the contrary, Japan is described as a zero-immigrant country and Muslims migrants usually are considered to be lower than Western people.

Recently, Japan has gradually become a dream country for Bangladeshi Muslims. This thesis is an ethnographic research and a qualitative study, conducted in numerous cities during the years of 2015 to 2017.

The result is Bangladeshi Muslim in Japan are culturally, linguistically, and racially unique from the society of Japan. “Perfect” social adaptation is nearly impossible.

Firstly, Bangladeshi Muslim group attempt to create tight knit autonomous communities operate in a modus vivendi structure for retention of their root culture identity. Secondly, Bangladeshi make alliances with local citizens and other migrants groups developing businesses and opportunities. I have termed this construction, multicultural symbiosis ties. Some elements of diaspora are also visible in the Bangladeshi Muslim community in Japan.