A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2006

The international migration of Japanese elderly into developing Asian countries signifies a relatively new migration phenomenon in Asia. The competition for this retirement migration market has challenged developing countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines, to develop sound migration policies that would entice the rich retirees. This study presents experiences and cases of 10 Japanese women retirees in Davao City, Philippines, insights shared by their husbands and complementary data gathered from potential retirees in Tokyo, Japan. Various societal forces and personal preferences influenced migration decisions. In the migration process, social networks were tapped and are created as migrant retirees negotiate their daily lives in the receiving country. Transnational flows of care and `kin work' between the sending and receiving country create social spaces that reinforce the migrants' sense of belongingness in both countries. However, these social spaces are also contested terrain of gender norms. The migrants construct comfort zones based on notions of `Japanese identity' that provide them a sense of security. These, however, are under threat. These comfort zones are fraught with contradictions that resurface troubled gender identities of the migrant retirees. These threats compel them to reinforce gender norms and re-negotiate their identities. Threats to their comfort zones and sustaining transnational ties reveal the dynamic process of the international retirement migration of Japanese in the Philippines