Filipino 'marriage migrants' in Japan face aging, financial anxiety and solitary deaths

Nagoya -- Filipino women who arrived in Japan as migrant workers in the 1980s and 1990s are now facing challenges in old age. Many married Japanese men and established families, but they may be living alone and experiencing economic concerns as they age. Marie Saiki, 55, who has resided in Japan for over 35 years, conducts regular searches for Japanese graves.

She divorced 14 years ago and now lives alone, working at a packing factory. Saiki initially planned to return to the Philippines when she'd saved enough money, but she married a Japanese man and had a daughter. As she built a family in Japan, she began contemplating her future in the country. According to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, there are approximately 350,000 Filipino nationals living in Japan, with women making up more than 60% of the population.

The largest group of middle-aged and older women is aged 55 to 59, numbering 31,297. During the 1980s and 1990s, many women entered Japan on entertainer visas and married Japanese nationals or moved to villages where there was a shortage of brides, often with significant age gaps in these marriages. Many have since lost their partners or divorced, and may be living alone, facing financial worries as they prepare for retirement.

Saiki believes Japan's social infrastructure, medical care, and job opportunities make it a preferable choice for her later years. Despite owning property in the Philippines and cultural ties, she is planning her end-of-life preparations, taking into consideration the high costs associated with building a grave in Japan compared to setting up a perpetual memorial service at a temple.

Another Filipino woman, Cresencia Shimoda, 59, who arrived in Japan 40 years ago, lost her Japanese husband to a stroke during the pandemic. She now lives alone, working as a care helper at a nursing care facility, and occasionally looks after her grandchildren. Shimoda views nursing homes as a viable option, as they are clean and have more foreign staff, though some Filipino women in Japan prefer to care for their elderly parents at home due to cultural norms.

Virgie Ishihara, head of the Filipino Migrants Center, notes that many middle-aged and older Filipino women in Japan have limited contact with society after their husbands pass away, and may face difficulties accessing administrative procedures, like receiving survivor's pensions, due to language barriers.