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

Thumbnail for Japanese descendants in Japan and South America: The challenges of managing organizations for young people and the new generation

Japanese descendants in Japan and South America: The challenges of managing organizations for young people and the new generation

April 13, 2016 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

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 …

associations communities Hawaii Japanese Americans Nikkei United States

Poverty Rate in Japan and Permanent Foreign Residents

March 30, 2016 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

Recently, several Japanese print media outlets and blogs have featured articles on the poverty problem in Japan.1 According to analyses by experts and data compiled by aid organizations and research groups, the relative poverty rate in Japan, in other words, the proportion of people living below half the median per capita income, is one in six, giving the poverty rate at 16.1 %. Comparing the poverty rates of 30 OECD member countries, Japan ranks fourth with a high poverty rate, …

Japan Latin America Nikkei in Japan poverty

Japan's total fertility rate among foreign women is lower than expected

Feb. 24, 2016 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

Foreign immigration to combat declining birthrates: Is its effect in Japan limited? It is said that the problem of low birth rates and aging populations will become more serious in many developed countries, including Japan, and this trend is likely to be unavoidable even in Latin American countries, where the total fertility rate is often thought to be high. In the United States, when national elections come around, candidates emerge who emphasize the benefits of immigration, such as "immigrant women …

human fertility immigrants immigration migration Nikkei in Japan

What should Japanese children living in Japan study?

Jan. 20, 2016 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

So far, I have written about the educational progression status of Japanese descendants and international students in Japan, the skills they are seeking in the labor market, and the hiring situation.1 Foreigners and children of people with foreign roots and their parents are interested in what the labor market in Japan or their home country expects and what skills it is looking for. At seminars for those wishing to enter higher education, I am often asked questions such as "What …

education Nikkei in Japan schools

Japanese people in Cuba and their future challenges

Jan. 5, 2016 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

This was my first visit to Cuba, a Caribbean country. After participating in the Pan-American Japanese Convention in the Dominican Republic, I arrived in the capital, Havana, via Mexico. There are several direct flights a week from Santo Domingo, but they are quite expensive, so I took a little detour. Thanks to that, I was able to meet Cubans living in Mexico and other countries at Mexico City's international airport, and was able to gather quite a lot of useful …

Cuba Hawaii Japanese Americans Nikkei United States

Dominican second generation immigrants and COPANI 2015

Dec. 2, 2015 • Alberto J. Matsumoto

In August 2015, I visited the Dominican Republic for the first time for five days. I went to participate in the 18th Pan American Convention of Japanese descendants (COPANI) held in the capital, Santo Domingo, and as a result, I was able to deepen my interactions with Japanese descendants in the country. Several years ago, JICA Japanese descendants trainees started coming from the country, and I had become quite close with some of them, so I had been looking forward …

Caribbean Conventions of the Association of Pan American Nikkei COPANI 2015 Dominican Republic generations Nisei Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)

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