Nikkeijin basically refers to Japanese people who emigrated overseas before and after the war and their descendants1 . In recent years, the scope of Nikkeijin has expanded, with children who were born and raised in Europe, America, and Asian countries, regardless of whether they identify as Nikkeijin themselves. In South America, the achievements of immigrants who developed undeveloped land and were active in various fields, including agriculture, are great, and there is a view that their descendants, including their Nikkeijin, are an "asset or resource" for Japan. This view was particularly strong before the war, and when war broke out, many Japanese and Nikkeijin leaders were considered enemy foreigners. As a result, they were arrested, their property was confiscated, and they were even targeted for deportation2 . However, after the war, as Japan's economy developed, Nikkeijin overcame the difficulties they had faced, and with the help of Japanese aid, success stories began to appear all over South America3 .
The Japanese government considers these Nikkei people to be part of Japan's soft power. In other words, they are expected to be good sympathizers of Japan and act as a link between the two countries. With this in mind, Nikkei leaders have been invited not only from South America but also from North America to strengthen ties with Japan. Three years ago, the invitation program from Latin America was restarted, and this year eight next-generation Nikkei leaders who are active in local communities visited Japan4 . These are key people who are expected to strengthen economic, commercial, and cultural ties with Japan.
In recent years, mid-sized Japanese companies have been trying to expand into South America, and are turning their attention to utilizing Japanese descendants as one option to reduce the high hurdles and risks as much as possible. While doing so does not guarantee success in business or cultural exchange, it can provide a sense of security and be advantageous for information gathering and networking at the initial stage.
Last August (2014), Prime Minister Abe actively met with leaders and people involved in the Japanese community during his visit to Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. This was largely due to the efforts of Akira Yamada, who was then Director-General of the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and who has placed great importance on the role of Japanese people (currently the Japanese Ambassador to Mexico http://www.mx.emb-japan.go.jp ).
Although some Latin American countries have once again experienced an economic downturn, the region has developed considerably over the past decade, and many countries, including emerging nations such as Brazil and Mexico, have seen a decline in poverty and the birth of a new middle class. Although inequality continues to widen, it is certain that the number of people with purchasing power has increased, making the region more attractive as a market. About three years ago, JETRO and JICA began promoting Japanese descendants as facilitators for Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the market, and as a result several business development missions have been sent to Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and other countries5 .
Due to Japan's declining birthrate and aging population (a decrease in the working-age and consumer population), companies of all sizes are finding it difficult to increase profits, let alone sales, unless they can tap into the ever-increasing number of foreign tourists or promising overseas markets.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' program to invite leaders of Japanese descendants in Latin America may also fall within this framework, but the leaders of Japanese descendants who participated in the conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this time also spoke with former Japanese ambassadors, experts on South America, JICA, the Japan Foundation, and Japanese descendants in Latin America in Japan. For them, it was also very meaningful to be able to meet with Prime Minister Abe and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko. This is also a sign of the expectations the Japanese government has for Japanese descendants. Some Japanese descendants see this movement as an opportunity, but it also comes with a great responsibility, putting to the test the trust and personal connections they have built up thus far.
I have been directly or indirectly involved in several cases, and in the world of business, even a power of attorney or related documents require a great deal of effort and information to be submitted to a country other than Japan. People and money move in business and cultural exchange projects, and even ordinary documents require translation and certification when crossing borders. Some countries require translation by a designated accredited translator or certification by a notary public. In South America, for a document to be reliable, at least three stages of certification are required in any case: certification of the signature of the issuing agency's official, certification of the certifying agency, and certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' certification team. When establishing a local corporation, a huge amount of documents must be submitted, such as the Japanese corporate registration certificate and certification of officers. Even creating a power of attorney that can be used in a foreign country sometimes requires extensive prior coordination work.
It is true that Japanese people are said to be "guaranteed" (meaning highly reliable), but it is no easy task to act as a mediator between countries with different legal cultures, administrative structures, and procedures. Even if the Japanese person is a lawyer or accountant and has local connections, that alone often does not make things go smoothly. Dealing with government offices where the application of legal provisions is unclear and corruption is rife requires a great deal of skill in negotiation and careful information gathering (checking and confirming). It is a very risky job even for Japanese people, and it is a job that does not pay very well considering the effort it requires.
On the other hand, the Japanese side attempting to advance or expand their business must not just leave everything to the other side just because they do not understand, but must patiently cooperate and support the other side's work. Managers of small and medium-sized enterprises with little overseas experience or those advancing overseas for the first time often take a "hands-on" attitude and say "I'll leave everything to you," but unless both parties respond by worrying and learning, good results will not be achieved no matter who is acting as the intermediary.
Over the past century, Japanese people have fought discrimination and prejudice in the countries they have emigrated to, but have also earned the trust and respect of others. In South America, they have built this trust and friendship by testing each other. Although their relationships may seem cheerful and friendly, they are often quite unstable, jealous, and quite troublesome. They get together regularly on weekends and engage in social activities together, not just for themselves, but to confirm their trust in others. They will betray even their amigos (friends), and it is precisely because they are amigos that they need to be constantly on the lookout.
When local Japanese people support projects by Japanese companies, they may sometimes get caught up in conflicts of interest or misunderstandings (falsehoods or unfounded rumors). It is important for the Japanese side to remember that building bridges is a nerve-wracking job.
On August 2nd of last year, at an event for the Japanese community in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Prime Minister Abe emphasized , "progresar juntos, liderar juntos e inspirar juntos" (loosely translated, "developing together, leading together to face difficulties, and pursuing dreams while deepening bonds"). To achieve this, however, it also means taking risks together, learning together, and sharing the results.
Note
1. Children born in prewar Asian colonies of Japanese immigrants (Manchuria, the Korean peninsula, Southeast Asia, etc.) can also be considered Nikkeijin, but they are often distinguished from Nikkeijin in South America. Also, those who stayed on as merchants or trading company employees rather than agricultural immigrants can also be considered Nikkeijin, but there is also a view that they are different from other Nikkeijin. Even if they are ethnically "Nikkeijin," how they are perceived varies depending on each individual's identity.
2. As many of the countries to which Japanese emigrated were pro-Allied, Japanese people were also subject to crackdowns, and their property was either forced to be disposed of within a short period of time or confiscated in unreasonable ways. Over 1,700 Japanese leaders in Peru were deported to internment camps in the United States. Japanese language schools, Japanese associations, and journals in the Japanese community were also closed, and meetings and events were banned. The extent of the crackdown varied from country to country.
3. There were many examples of successful immigrants before the war, but the situation was still not sufficient in terms of the social advancement of the second generation and others. In the United States and Canada, the number of university graduates was increasing despite fighting discrimination and prejudice, but the war temporarily closed off that possibility. There were some cases of postwar immigration that were not very successful due to a lack of advance preparation and local coordination (Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Paraguay, and some of the immigration projects in Argentina), but even so, many agricultural settlements now serve as models for the agricultural and industrial industries of their countries. Many of the second and subsequent generations received higher education, and made achievements in various fields, even if they were not very conspicuous.
4. From March 16th, eight people from Central and South America came to Japan for a busy week-long trip. The week before, 11 Japanese-American leaders from the United States visited Japan and paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Abe.
-Meeting with Japanese Americans
- " Courtesy call by the next generation of Japanese leaders in Latin America ," which describes the courtesy visit of eight Japanese South Americans to Prime Minister Abe
" Courtesy call on Prime Minister Abe from the Next Generation Japanese American Leadership Council "
-Video of eight Japanese South Americans who paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Abe
- Facebook Latin America Nikkei Network established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Latin America Bureau's South America Division
5. " Advancing into Latin America by Utilizing Japanese People of Japanese descent ," JETRO Sensor, February 2013 issue, pp. 56-57
" Brazil - A Bridge for Japanese-Brazilian Talent " by Ken Yoshida, JETRO Sensor, December 2012 issue, pp. 70-71
These suggestions would later lead to several business development missions.
6. Content of Prime Minister Abe's speech in Sao Paulo on August 2, 2014.
The PDF file also contains Spanish and Portuguese translations.
© 2015 Alberto J. Matsumoto
