It used to be widely taken for granted that for migrants it was a great advantage to be permitted to work in Germany or Japan. Today, when there are no longer any local staff behind the cash registers in convenience stores in Japan, when German retirement homes would no longer function without foreign nursing staff, when the service industries of the two countries urgently need immigration, the question must be asked how attractive Japan and Germany are for migrant workers.

This is a question that cannot be answered solely from an economic point of view. Social and cultural aspects are equally important. All three will be addressed at this conference, which will focus on the life satisfaction of migrant workers in Japan and Germany. The language policies of public institutions will also be addressed. What needs and wishes do migrant workers have, and what is being done by the state and civil society to make life worth living for them? Learning the language of the host country is generally regarded as a prerequisite for smooth integration. But what role do the languages play in this process that migrants carry with them? Does language use influence migrants’ life satisfaction and thus their adaptation?

Scientists and other experts from both countries will discuss these issues at the conference, which was postponed from 2020 to 2022 due to the pandemic, but will now take place in person.

Conference language will be English.

Participation by invitation only.