Wives, Workers, Navigators: Indian Women's Evolving Migrations to Japan
A Presentation by Dr. Megha Wadhwa
Sophia University
After over a decade of research on Indian migrants in Japan, Dr. Wadhwa reveals a striking evolution in how and why Indian women migrate. Historically, most arrived as trailing spouses – marrying men already settled in Japan or accompanying husbands with job opportunities. A smaller group came as singles, later finding partners in Japan or relocating elsewhere for marriage. Recently, however, more Indian women migrate independently as professionals in IT, education, and business, as well as care workers under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa, responding to acute labor shortages.
Drawing on ethnographic research and interviews, this presentation will examine how migration pathways – through marriage or independent labor migration – shape Indian women’s experiences of work, belonging, and mobility in Japan. It traces diverse trajectories: married professionals rebuilding careers, mothers shifting to part-time work, entrepreneurs creating new spaces, single professionals navigating corporate Japan, and care workers entering via SSW programs. Critically, this presentation will also explore how Japan “sees” Indian women by marital status and migration category. Married women, despite advanced degrees, face gendered barriers and limited recognition as skilled workers. Single women occupy different positions yet share experiences of being valued for filling labor gaps while still facing marginalization. Their narratives of resilience, re-skilling, and adaptation reveal how migration pathway, gender, and nationality intersect to shape opportunity, recognition, and belonging in contemporary Japan.
5:30 PM | Tuesday, February 24th, 2026
Smith Memorial Student Union Room 327/8/9
Free and Open to the Public
Please use the entrance on SW Broadway
For more information on the Center for Japanese Studies and our other upcoming events, please visit:
https://www.pdx.edu/japanese-studies