에스닉 커뮤니티 성장에 따른 지역사회의 변화: 도쿄 신오쿠보를 사례로

Abstract

This study aims to examine the growth process of the Korean community in Shin-Okubo area, Tokyo and the changes of the local community caused by that; to consider the relationship between the Korean community and the local community from the aspect of multicultural coexistence which has recently arisen in the Japanese society. It is a generally accepted truth that the Korean Wave, Hanryu has emerged as an important reason for the growth of Korean business district. However, the more Shin-Okubo area changes into a tourist attraction or a mecca of the Hanryu, the more equivocal its identity as an ethnic community becomes. This means that the area becomes a business district where they simply sell the Hanryu products not a livelihood for Korean Japanese community. These changes affect the regional characteristics of Shin-Okubo area, which give positive influence on its regional image by turning into the center of the Hanryu in Japan from the slums in the past. However, as the Korean businesses have gained market dominance, businesses run by Japanese have steadily decreased; a conflict between two communities has deepened; an excessive competition between the Korean businesses have caused some bad effects. Moreover, there are some voices alerting to the possibility of changing this area into the Korean town. That is because this affects not only the relationship between the Korean Japanese and the Japanese but also the coexistence with other foreign residents in the area.