Hiroshi Shimazawa
Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1955, graduated from the Faculty of Letters at Keio University and joined the Nikkei Shimbun. While he has extensive experience covering the distribution industry, he also covered local issues as the Kitakyushu bureau chief, Shizuoka bureau chief, and editor-in-chief of Nikkei Glocal. In 2010, he became an editorial committee member for the Lifestyle Information Department. He has held his current position since 2015. He is 60 years old. His books (all co-authored) include "Econo Tanteidan" (Nikkei Shimbun), "Kizuna no Fudoki" and "Mou Tokyo wa Iranai" (Nikkei Shimbun Publishing).
(Updated September 2015)
Stories from This Author
Book Review: "Yamato Colony: The Men Who Left Japan in Florida" by Ryusuke Kawai
Sept. 4, 2015 • Hiroshi Shimazawa
"Why are there Japanese people here?" Recently, a TV program that focuses on such unexpected discoveries has become popular. After Japan's isolation was lifted, a huge number of Japanese people emigrated overseas, dreaming of a "new world" or trying to escape poverty. However, while migration to Hawaii, Brazil, and California and Texas on the US mainland is relatively well known, Japanese society in general has had little interest in "those who left." There are many immigrants who have been forgotten …