Foreigners in Japan: A Historical Perspective

"Japan began to fascinate the West after the account of Marco Polo’s sojourn in China. This set off an interest in the oriental world. The Portuguese, being the first, arrived in Japan in 1543 which was followed by others. The experience Japan had with Europeans put upon itself isolation for about 200 years. After the forceful opening by Mathew Perry in 1853, many Westerners again began to arrive in Japan. Later during the 1980s, there was an influx of migrant workers which become a hot topic of debate. The book throws much light onto the historical background as well as the events that lead up to the present state of affairs in relation to issues of discrimination, crimes and problems related to foreigners.