NEWS
2025.12.17
【Report】CSEAS-Kyoto University Guest Lecture was held! “Japan-ASEAN intra-migration mobility: an overview” (Dr. Yusy Widarahesty)
On December 16, 2025, Dr. Yusy Widarahesty, a senior researcher at the Ritsumeikan Asia Japan Research Institute, presented her ongoing research project titled “Labor at the Threshold: Gatekeeping, Mobility, and ASEAN- Japan Partnerships” at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University. The event was organized by Associate Professor Mario Ivan Lopez from Kyoto University.
Dr. Yusy began her presentation by outlining the historical relationship between Japan and ASEAN in terms of labor cooperation. She then highlighted the contributions of ASEAN countries, especially Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, to the global labor supply, as well as the various factors influencing this situation. Additionally, she explained how these conditions are related to challenges faced by developed countries, including Japan, which is experiencing a labor crisis due to demographic changes.
Dr. Yusy shared his insights on how mobility regimes in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines influence and regulate the movement of labor migrants to Japan, addressing the country's aging population and labor shortages. By examining the processes of recruitment, placement, oversight, and reintegration, the analysis compares the three primary sending nations to illustrate how migrants are chosen, managed, and returned.
Dr. Yusy (right) and Associate Professor Mario Ivan Lopez (left)
The presentation was followed by a lively Q&A session. The audience members asked many interesting questions, including those related to how Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Filipino communities perceive the anti- migration issue in Japan. What are their responses to the planned new system that will replace the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) with the Ikusei Shuro. Are the semi-military-style pre-departure mechanisms known to Japanese companies, or are they designed based on requests from these companies? What is the best way to create a dignified work environment? And there are many more questions.
Please visit the following link for previous AJI Frontier Seminars:
https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/research/aji/young_researcher/seminar/archive/