The Nikkei of Latin America and Latino Nikkei

Dec. 14, 2007 - Feb. 14, 2022

Lic. Alberto Matsumoto examines the many different aspects of the Nikkei in Japan, from migration politics regarding the labor market for immigrants to acculturation with Japanese language and customs by way of primary and higher education. He analyzes the internal experiences of Latino Nikkei in their country of origin, including their identity and personal, cultural, and social coexistence in the changing context of globalization.

Stories from this series

Measures to strengthen cooperation between Japanese descendants in Latin America and Japan

Aug. 4, 2017 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

Since the inauguration of the second Abe Cabinet at the end of 2012, the Prime Minister has been proactively holding talks with local leaders and people involved in the Japanese community whenever he visits South American countries. At the same time, Japanese embassies and JICA offices have also begun to interact more with Japanese descendants and are seeking ways to strengthen future cooperative relationships. This is because in Latin American Japanese communities, where a generational change is underway, third and …

interpersonal relations Japan Latin America

The challenges faced by second-generation Japanese Latinos living in Japan

May 31, 2017 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

A quarter century has passed since Japanese workers from South America came to Japan. If we include those who have been here since before the 1990 revision of the Immigration Control Act, it has been 30 years already. During that time, many have come and gone due to the economic situation in Japan and the world, as well as the economic recovery of South American countries, and some have returned in recent years after having once left Japan. In any …

Argentina Brazil culture discrimination education identity interpersonal relations Japan languages Peru students

Japanese Community and the Japanese Millennial Generation in the Global Digital Era

May 22, 2017 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

The generation born between the 1980s and the early 2000s is called the "millennials." Those born and raised during Japan's bubble economy (December 1986 to February 1991) are undoubtedly millennials, but in addition, those who are graduating from high school or university in 2017 also fall into this category. They are a generation born into this generation. How to manage this new generation of young people, how to develop them as human resources useful to society or the company, and …

British Columbia Burnaby Canada educational exchanges exchange students generations international education Juntos!! Japan-Latin America and the Caribbean Exchange Program millenials Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre student exchange programs students volunteerism

Japanese Americans in Sports: Proud Challenges and Alliances

May 5, 2017 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the local Japanese community supported Japan in various ways. Not only did they provide medical support1 and volunteer guidance for the thousands of Japanese spectators who came to Brazil, but they also cheered on the Japanese athletes at each event, even preparing carp streamers for the women's marathon. Behind the scenes, the official mascots, Vinicius and Tom, were created by Luciana Eguchi, a Japanese Brazilian, and the torch for the Olympic torch relay was designed …

baseball Brazil communities identity soccer sports

The momentum of international students from Asia is helping Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises expand overseas

March 3, 2017 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

Last September, I received a request from the Kanagawa International Foundation to participate as a lecturer in a seminar for Asian international students, even though I had been training Japanese-descended students from South America. I was surprised, but I was also curious to know more about Asian international students, so I gladly accepted. The project was organized in collaboration with a vocational school, a Japanese language school, and a Vietnam Association in Kanagawa Prefecture, and included presentations on the experiences …

Asian students Japan Japanese Latin Americans Nepal Redress movement Vietnam

Japanese Language Education in Japanese Communities in South America

Jan. 24, 2017 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

In my previous column , I pointed out that there are 4 million people studying Japanese in the world, but how many students are there in the Japanese community overseas? According to a 2012 report by the Japan Foundation, there are 443 Japanese language education institutions in South America with 1,652 instructors teaching 32,968 students. This is less than 1% of the world's learners. The number of Japanese students in South America is even smaller, and it can be estimated …

education Japanese language schools language schools Latin America

Author in This Series

Alberto J. Matsumoto @albertomatsumoto

Nisei Japanese-Argentine. In 1990, he came to Japan as a government-financed international student. He received a Master’s degree in Law from the Yokohama National University. In 1997, he established a translation company specialized in public relations and legal work. He was a court interpreter in district courts and family courts in Yokohama and Tokyo. He also works as a broadcast interpreter at NHK. He teaches the history of Japanese immigrants and the educational system in Japan to Nikkei trainees at JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). He also teaches Spanish at the University of Shizuoka and social economics and laws in Latin America at the Department of law at Dokkyo University. He gives lectures on multi-culturalism for foreign advisors. He has published books in Spanish on the themes of income tax and resident status. In Japanese, he has published “54 Chapters to Learn About Argentine” (Akashi Shoten), “Learn How to Speak Spanish in 30 Days” (Natsumesha) and others. http://www.ideamatsu.com

Updated June 2013