How to Be “International” in Japan? Identity Negotiation of a US-Trained Returnee in Japanese Higher Education

This study delves into the complexities of internationalization efforts and pressures at a large national university in Japan. The author, who identifies as Japanese by nationality and ethnicity but received her academic training in the United States, grapples with the challenge of not conforming to the conventional expectations associated with “international faculty” in Japan. Consequently, she encounters ongoing career development difficulties. This study centers on the negotiation of her identity as a Japanese female who, as a US-trained academic, falls outside the conventional mold within a traditionally dichotomized workplace, characterized by distinctions such as male/female, faculty/staff, and Japanese/non-Japanese. By harnessing both emic and etic positionalities, the author explores potential strategies and approaches that universities with similar profiles in Japan and abroad may consider adopting. In doing so, the author also elucidates the interconnectedness of seemingly localized challenges (such as academic silos and the traditionally bureaucratic structure of Japanese universities) and underscores their influence on the broader landscape of Japanese society at large. By painting a larger picture of Japanese higher education today, the author emphasizes the urgency and significance of shifting educators’ perspectives to face different challenges as a community. In essence, this study seeks to provide insights that can help foster a sense of ownership among community members, including university faculty, staff, and students, concerning the contemporary operational and academic realities of universities in Japan.