Issues of integration abroad and readjustment to Japan of Japanese returnees

Returnees, or Japanese parents and children who live overseas and then return to Japan, often have anxieties about their ability to both cope with life abroad and to successfully readjust to Japanese life upon their return. The issues of returning are particularly acute for children, who face difficulties of reintegrating into both their peer group and the Japanese educational system. In this study, 21 returnee families, with a total of 40 children, were investigated. In general, it was found that most parents felt they had successfully integrated abroad and readjusted to Japan. Children were evaluated as being even more successful at integrating abroad, but almost all had a series of problems readjusting to Japan. However, most of these problems were resolved within a year or two after return. It was found, though, that the problem of cultural identity seems to linger as a continuing issue for returnee children. It was also found that, in general, children retained their degree of competence in English even after several years back in Japan, and that active (as opposed to merely expressed) parental support was important in motivating the children to continued English study.