A rising nationalist sentiment in Japan ¡°could put universities in the spotlight¡± amid a ¡°cautious scepticism¡± towards internationalisation and diversity initiatives.

While long considered relatively insulated from political debates, institutions in the country are having to contend with new ideological pressures.

Last month¡¯s elections for the upper house in the Japanese parliament saw the far-right?Sanseito?party increase its representation from one to 15 seats, while the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner?Komeito?lost their majority.

The vote was dominated by debates about immigration, tourists and internationalisation and the results show a ¡°rising nationalist sentiment that could put universities in the spotlight if they are seen as promoting foreign or progressive values¡±, said Jeremy?Breaden, an associate professor of Japanese studies at Monash University.

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Sanseito, which adopted the slogan ¡°Japanese First¡±, was influenced by the success of Donald Trump in the US and could adopt some of his controversial attitudes towards higher education, academics predicted.

¡°While Japan has not experienced the same intensity of ¡®anti-woke¡¯ sentiment that has surfaced in the US or parts of Europe, there are signs of increasing scepticism in certain circles about the internationalisation and any evolving DEI-related discussions,¡± said Matthew J. Wilson, the president and dean of Temple University¡¯s Japan campus.

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¡°Such scepticism often manifests itself not through overt opposition, but rather via subtle resistance to rapid social change or external pressure.¡±

Wilson said that Japanese society still values harmony and incremental progress, meaning such sentiments may manifest differently in the country.

¡°These values typically temper more confrontational narratives though underlying debates over cultural preservation, national identity and gender roles do exist,¡± he said.

Universities are making efforts to respond to government policies to improve gender equality, particularly in STEM fields and senior faculty positions, and Breaden?said that?political and media scrutiny may subtly shape universities¡¯ approach to diversity.

¡°There is cautious scepticism toward internationalisation and diversity initiatives, which could translate into subtle pressures on universities to conform to nationalist expectations,¡± he said.

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Online platforms also bring risks of potential reputational damage. ¡°Social media in Japan ¨C as much as anywhere ¨C creates a platform for anti-diversity discourse and for backlash against that discourse,¡± Breaden said.

Wilson said that ¡°progress remains slow and uneven for a host of reasons including the fact that structural change takes time and continued commitment¡±.

While initiatives are ongoing, the institutional approach is generally cautious rather than confrontational, as universities seek to avoid unnecessary political pressure.

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But changing demographics, especially Japan¡¯s shrinking youth population, may increase the urgency of these reforms, given the need to recruit more international students.

Wilson said that ¡°it may be difficult for domestic institutions to attract a sufficient number of overseas students so I anticipate that an increasing number of institutions will need to make some difficult decisions¡±.

Breaden?agreed that these pressures may amplify debates around diversity, noting that ¡°universities will need to balance demographic necessity with political and societal expectations, which may become increasingly contentious¡±.

Institutions ¡°that appear to adopt Western diversity models wholesale may attract nationalist criticism, whether intentional or incidental¡±, he added.

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tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com