In a prelude to the final session, Mr Reuben Keehan (Queensland Art Gallery) introduced the work of Okinawan artist Mao Ishikawa whose photography deals with the subjects of gender, identity, locality, and emerging multiculturalism in Japan with a commitment to showcasing those marginalised in public discourse.

The final session ‘opening Japan to migration’ was chaired by Professor Tomoko Akami (ANU). Mr Abul Rizvi (former Deputy Secretary, Department of Immigration) introduced Australia’s immigration policy experience and the potential lessons that Australia’s successes and challenges might hold for Japan. Professor Nana Oishi (University of Melbourne) explained Japan’s acute labour shortage, its experience opening to white-collar workers, and how foreign workers have revitalised rural areas such as Niseko and Hakuba. She then outlined the challenges Japan faces in functionally integrating migrants, retaining skilled migrants over the long term, and crafting a diaspora engagement policy.