Global migration is one of the most complex and significant phenomenon of the 21st century. It is shaped by political, economic and social developments across the globe. Japan is commonly perceived as one of the world’s most homogeneous societies although historically there always have been minorities and foreigners there. Officially it is not a country of immigration, but nevertheless it got involved in the current global refugee crisis. In recent decades, Japan faces a rising tide of various groups of immigrants and refugees which affect its’ international relations in Asia and beyond, as well as internal social processes. The course aims to introduce basic concepts concerning migration, multi-culturalism and trans-nationalism and analyse various forms of migration to/in Japan including labour migration, foreign students, marriage migration, expatriates, internal migration and even Israelis in Japan.  Japan’s immigration policy as well as Japanese public’s wide range of reactions (from anti-immigrants acts to volunteering and NGO’s) will also be discussed.