Introduction: Reconceptualising Japanese migrations to Australia—post-middle-class mobilities and heterogeneous global pathways

This introduction chapter maps the shifting landscape of Japanese migrations to Australia, situating these movements within broader transformations in Japanese society, where middle-class status has become increasingly contested. Through the frameworks of global nikkei communities and transnational Asian mobilities, we explore how experiences of stagnation and constrained prospects during Japan’s ‘lost decades’ have prompted diverse individuals to seek alternative pathways abroad. Rather than framing these migrants through the lens of ‘privilege’— often associated with bubble-era Japanese migrations—this chapter foregrounds the contradictions they negotiate as individuals who may appear socioeconomically integrated yet remain structurally and civically marginal. We use the term ‘post-middle-class marginality’ to capture diverse experiences—including precarious working holiday visa holders, partnership-based migrants, mix heritage youths, post-disaster relocators, Japnese-Indigeneous Australians and LGBTQ+ individuals. By examining these heterogeneous pathways across domains including food culture, art, education, tourism and civil participation, this chapter establishes a foundation for rethinking Japanese migrations beyond economic rationales while acknowledging migrants’ complex roles in contemporary Australian society.