Japan, labour migration and the global order of difference

In this chapter, I will situate Japan in the global flows of labour migration. While the focus will largely be on migration patterns in recent decades, it will first be necessary to review earlier patterns of mobility which have had a role in shaping current routes and modes of migration. I use two concepts to frame my discussion: Foucault's concept of "biopower" and an adaptation of Connell's concept of the "global gender order", which I will reframe as "the global order of difference".