Linking language, trade and migration – Economic Partnership Agreements as language policy in Japan: by Ruriko Otomo, Springer, 2023, 216 pp., €109.99 (hardback), €93.08 (eBook).
This monograph examines Japan’s Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam as a form of language policy rather than solely trade agreements. Using the framework of Language Policy and Planning (LPP), it critiques how EPA policymaking reinforces Japan’s monoli...
| Published in: | Asian Studies Review Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 447 - 450 |
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| Format: | Book Review |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
Jun2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=192847479&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 192847479 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 10357823 SDR jtl: Asian Studies Review issn: 10357823 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Jun2026 vid: 50 iid: 2 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 192847479 10.1080/10357823.2025.2456193 ppf: 447 ppct: 3 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 375KB tig: atl: Linking language, trade and migration – Economic Partnership Agreements as language policy in Japan: by Ruriko Otomo, Springer, 2023, 216 pp., €109.99 (hardback), €93.08 (eBook). aug: au: Qin, Sian affil: Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich su: Language planning Language ability testing Countries Bargaining power Monolingualism Cross-cultural communication Bilateral treaties Human migration patterns Indonesia Japan Philippines Vietnam sug: subj: Indonesia Japan Philippines Vietnam Language planning Language ability testing Countries Bargaining power Monolingualism Cross-cultural communication Bilateral treaties Human migration patterns ab: This monograph examines Japan’s Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam as a form of language policy rather than solely trade agreements. Using the framework of Language Policy and Planning (LPP), it critiques how EPA policymaking reinforces Japan’s monolingual status quo by privileging Japanese language proficiency, particularly through the uncritical adoption of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, while neglecting alternative approaches. The book highlights how EPA candidates are positioned to uphold existing power structures, limiting intercultural communication and progressive reform in migration and language education policies. It also discusses the implications of defining Japanese language skills as either general or occupation-specific for migrant workers, emphasizing the uneven support migrants receive across different migration channels. pubtype: Review doctype: Book Review src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Copyright of Asian Studies Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. item: Asian Studies Review holder: Taylor & Francis Ltd dt: @attributes: year: 2026 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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