Whenever I visit South American countries, I am always looked after by various Japanese organizations and exchange opinions with the executives involved in their operations. In countries that are thriving from economic growth, the Japanese community also appears to be doing quite well. On the other hand, here in Japan, Japanese South Americans who have settled there have established many national-level organizations, but most of them disappear before they are recognized by Japanese society. When an organization is established, it often has its articles certified by the consulate and a commemorative photo is taken with the ambassador or consul general, but a few months later it is often barely functioning. Although they are called "Federación" (Federation) or "Asociación nacional" (National Association), they are organizations in name only and do not represent anything1 .
On the other hand, groups and organizations that aim to promote cultural and artistic exchange remain relatively active, but their continuity depends on how much cooperation they can get from local Japanese people. Activities with clear objectives tend to continue, and recently some organizations have begun to organize themselves. One such group is one that aims to popularize the Peruvian folk dance, Marinera.2 They have classes all over the country, hold recitals and full-scale competitions, and winners can compete in competitions in Peru. Recently, children of Japanese families have also begun to participate, which is also contributing to the rediscovery of cultural identity. Some organizations actively participate in international festivals and other events in various regions, and are operating at a semi-professional level.
Some foreign communities invite big-name artists from their home countries to events such as national days and carry out large-scale projects, but financial troubles and inadequate coordination have been pointed out. Events held within the Vietnamese, Filipino, Brazilian, and Peruvian communities are also sometimes organized by different organizations each time, which makes them lacking in continuity. Yoyogi Park and Hibiya Park, located in prime locations in Tokyo, are run by local governments, so they are affordable to use and have good transportation access, making them easy to attract people. However, reservations must be made quite early, and sometimes a lottery is held. If the organization is not united, it will not be possible to win such a battle for space. It also affects the securing of sponsors and co-hosting with embassies.
Many of the groups are voluntary organizations and do not have legal personality. Some groups have obtained NPO (non-profit organization) status, but they must submit prescribed business and accounting reports once a year, and it is virtually essential to have staff who can speak a fair amount of Japanese to handle the administrative and accounting processes. If they have legal personality and have strong cooperative relationships with the local community, they will be eligible for various government subsidies and will have a higher chance of expanding their activities. However, these public subsidies are not available forever, and each project has a deadline, and sometimes bidding is also required.
Even if they obtain legal status, NPOs run solely by foreigners do not last long, and in most cases they run into problems with unpaid wages for artists and instructors. Rather, organizations and groups that continue as voluntary associations tend to be more highly regarded for their steady work. They can increase their presence by cooperating with local governments and international exchange associations and supporting the social integration of foreigners.3
In fact, there may be so much support from the government and local communities that there is no need for national organizations to represent each and every foreign community. Most such initiatives have been abandoned so far, but this has not resulted in any major disadvantage to the integration of foreigners into society. Rather, it may be sufficient for various organizations and activist groups to contribute in some way to the local community.
On the other hand, Japanese organizations in South America are also changing, and not only is there a change in generations, but there is also a difference in awareness of participation in the management of large organizations. Of course, it differs by country and region, and also by the time of Japanese immigration and the structure of the Japanese society after that. The reality of the Japanese communities in the postwar agricultural settlements (colonias) of Paraguay and Bolivia, and the Japanese associations, Japanese language schools, agricultural cooperatives, etc. that exist there, is quite different from the reality of the Japanese organizations in Peru and Brazil, which have a long history and are concentrated in urban areas. In the latter case, the generation of leaders has shifted from the third generation to the fourth generation, and they are mainly Japanese people who are completely integrated into the local society. In the former case, the generational change to the second generation has just occurred, and the connection and feelings towards Japan are still very strong.
Having visited these countries, the author noticed that while there were some similarities in the priorities and future activities of Japanese descendants, the methods of planning and implementation were different. In the case of Peru, a large Japanese organization is at the center, and it has good control over local organizations. Therefore, even if leaders have differences of opinion, they compromise and cooperate with each other. In Argentina, there is no organization with such a coordinating function, and each person carries out various projects in their own area. Brazil is a very large country, so even though there is an organization called Bunkyo, each local organization has a strong individuality.
In any case, Bon Odori, bazaars, and Japanese festivals place importance on being self-sustaining, and since they do not place a burden on the organization, members and participants have a great deal of freedom. Recently, the key to securing funding for each event has been how many non-Japanese participants they can attract. The funds obtained from these events are used to cover the maintenance costs of facilities, Japanese language schools, etc. The burden of maintaining the buildings and grounds built by the Issei is one of the issues within the community.
The current generation of Japanese people act with a specific purpose in mind, so instead of paying membership fees and joining an organization or supporting an organization by making donations (previously, Japanese people would belong to their local Japanese association and carry out various activities from there), they cooperate with ideas that interest them and donate their efforts. They also raise funds for their own activities through small businesses. Because they dislike being tied down, they are flexible in participating in various activities and value flat horizontal connections. Rather than creating organizations, they promote their groups and their activities through social media such as Facebook, increasing their presence. Also, those who are interested in starting a business will attend study sessions held by seniors and influential people, and will actively introduce new ideas and initiatives.
As one example, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, several people of Japanese descent are taking part in a business that would have been unthinkable before. The business is opening stores in a shopping mall that is mainly attended by Chinese people, Koreans, and people of Japanese descent. A new mall called Chinatown has been developed in the resort town of Tigre on the outskirts of the city, and Nippon Doori (Japan Street) has been built within it, where a dozen stores have been doing business since the end of 2015. It is a very popular place, and a tourist spot visited by hundreds of thousands of people every weekend.4 This type of business would be difficult for people of Japanese descent alone, but it has now been made possible by the appeal of Chinese Argentines.
The vendors who set up stalls are small Japanese restaurants and Japanese food stores, and many of them use the experience they have accumulated from various events for the Japanese community to provide services and products efficiently and in a way that meets the tastes of non-Japanese people. Previously, they would only open drab shops and Japanese restaurants within the Japanese Association, but now they are participating in such ventures and aggressively expanding their businesses.
As relationships with local communities mature, Japanese communities face more challenges. Every Japanese organization is focusing on attracting as many non-Japanese people as possible. In addition, every business requires quality improvement and accountability, and the step from semi-professional to professional is essential. It is not just an internal festival, but it is also important to develop proper services and products by setting expenses and fees and earning a certain profit. Many Japanese communities in South America are currently facing such challenges. Some Japanese are working to revitalize abandoned organizations and facilities, but in order to do so, they must learn from past mistakes and plan what kind of business they will carry out in the future with a clear vision and budget. It is no longer the time for guesswork. If they want to gain the cooperation of influential people in local communities and Japan, transparency is an absolutely essential condition for future organization management.
South American Japanese in Japan also need to speed up the pace, and in particular those who run restaurants and other businesses may not be able to survive unless they further improve the level of their service. Also, unless stores and companies that play a sponsoring role improve their status, it goes without saying that various community organizations will not be able to grow.
Notes:
1. This is a column I wrote five years ago, but the situation has not changed since then, so I will quote it here.
" Japanese Latino Brotherhood Groups in Japan and Their Challenges " by Alberto Matsumoto (August 17, 2010)
2. There are several, but Academia de Marinera “Somos Perú” en Japón is quite well known. Also, Club Libertad Trujillo Filial Tokio is very famous.
3. The Latin community in Kobe is one of them. The representative of the Hyogo Latin Community publishes a monthly magazine called " Latin-a " and is making a great contribution to the local community. (Facebook: Revista Latin-a )
4. Facebook: Nippon Doori
Facebook: ChinaTown Tigre - Official Page
Tigre is the largest tourist destination outside Buenos Aires and is located in the delta of the Paraná River.
© 2016 Alberto J. Matsumoto
