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Japanese Bolivians (; , ''Nikkei Boribiajin'') are
Bolivians Bolivians () are people identified with the country of Bolivia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Bolivians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being B ...
of Japanese ancestry or Japanese-born people who reside in Bolivia.


History

Since Bolivia has no coast, the first Japanese settlers came from neighboring
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
where their contracts ended prior to the 1950s. Most Japanese settlers had origins from
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
, while the rest from
Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...
,
Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...
,
Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
and Osaka prefectures. Some of the settlers left Peru for Bolivia after epidemics of disease hit the settlers in Peru. In 1899, Mapiri River Region in
La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
experienced the first entrance of 91 Japanese workers assigned for rubber plantations. Since then,
Andes Mountains The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long and wide (widest between 18°S ...
continued to attract few more hundreds of Japanese laborers, who luckily caught work in mining and railroad construction. The inland Amazon River region appeared as the second main destination for the workers, who also came through Peru to work on rubber plantations in northwestern Bolivia. The end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
shifted Japanese workers in the rubber and mining industries respectively. The only places in Bolivia that survived changes were the town of Riberalta and La Paz, which served as the Japanese commercial activities. In the 1930s, most Japanese remained as settlers and many brought wives from their home country while most married local women; these made difference that divided the community. When
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
began, only 29 Japanese Bolivians were deported to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. But because more than that, the war had not much effect on the lives of residents of Japanese descent in Bolivia, since the local government did not make anti-Japanese measures. Since the end of the war, the government warmly permitted Japanese refugees. Treaties after 1954 guided in a new chapter of Japanese Bolivian history and the massive influx of agricultural settlers from U.S.-controlled Okinawa and
mainland Japan is a term used to distinguish Japan's core land area from its outlying territories. "Mainland Japan" was an official term in the pre-war period, distinguishing Japan proper from its overseas territories (外地, ''gaichi'', lit. "outer lands ...
. The need of relocating surplus populations from war-torn Japan met the Bolivian government's wish to develop the eastern lower lands in Santa Cruz Department. With the financial help of the Japanese government, Colonia Okinawa and Colonia San Juan de Yapacaní were established; the two settlements formed the distinctive communities with separate identities—one Okinawan and the other mainland Japanese—that are also currently in transition from the immigrant to the Bolivian-born generation. While Colonia Okinawa grows soy and wheat, San Juan de Yapacaní has specialized in rice and egg production. Nowadays, many descendants have moved to the nearby city of
Santa Cruz de la Sierra Santa Cruz de la Sierra (; ), commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the largest city in Bolivia and the capital of the Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz department. Situated on the Pirai River (Bolivia), Pirai River in the eastern Tropical ...
.


Language

First-generation Japanese settlers generally use Japanese in their daily discourse, and cannot speak
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
fluently. Subsequent generations had a decreased fluency in the Japanese language, which was attributed to the absence of Japanese-language schools in communes and speak Spanish more fluently than the first-generation settlers. Many first-generation settlers in Colonia Okinawa are still able to speak Okinawan.


Religion

A study done by an Christopher Reichl and Thompson in the 1960s among the Japanese settlers at San Juan de Yapacaní noted that 32% of the Japanese were Buddhist, with an equal number who were Roman Catholics. A minority identified themselves as members of
Soka Gakkai is a Japanese new religions, Japanese new religion led by Minoru Harada since December 2023 based on the teachings of the 13th-century Buddhist priest Nichiren. It claims the largest membership among Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhist group ...
or Shinto. The majority of the Japanese Catholics converted to the faith after reaching Bolivia. Conversion to Catholicism among the Japanese community increased during the 20th century, which Thompson noted was due to the absence of strong Shinto or Buddhist religious institutions which the settlers could emphasise their faith. Among the non-Christian Japanese, some first and second-generation settlers maintained household Shinto shrines, although the sizeable majority became agnostic in religious outlook.


Education

The ''Curso Suplementario del Idioma Japones'' is a supplementary Japanese education program in
La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
.中南米の補習授業校一覧(平成25年4月15日現在)
"

.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The , also known as MEXT, is one of the eleven ministries of Japan that compose part of the executive branch of the government of Japan. History The Meiji period, Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871. In January 2001 ...
(MEXT). Retrieved on May 10, 2014.


Notable people

* Adalberto Kuajara Arandia – Politician * Tito Kuramotto Medina – Painter and sculptor * Michiaki Nagatani Morishita – Presidential Candidate * Pedro Shimose – Essayist, professor and poet * Armando Yoshida – Ambassador to Japan, former Chancellor of Bolivia * Natasha Allegri – Writer, comic book artist, storyboard revisionist for
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's ''
Adventure Time ''Adventure Time'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward and co-produced by Frederator Studios for Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn the Human, Finn (Jeremy Shada) and ...
''


See also

* Bolivia–Japan relations *
Japanese diaspora The Japanese diaspora and its individual members, known as Nikkei (, ) or as Nikkeijin (, ), comprise the Japanese people, Japanese emigration, emigrants from Japan (and their Kinship, descendants) residing in a country outside Japan. Emigration ...
* Immigration to Bolivia


References


Bibliography


Amemiya, Kozy (2001). “The Importance of Being Japanese in Bolivia.” (Japan Policy Research Institute, Working Paper No. 75).
* Boribia Nihonjin 100 Shūnenshi Hensan Iinkai ��リビア日本人100周年誌編纂委員会(2000). "Boribia ni ikiru: Nihonjin ijū 100 shūnenshi ��リビアに生きる. 日本人移住100周年誌. Santa Kurusu ��ンタクルス Boribia Nikkei Kyōkai Rengōkai ��リビア日系協会連合会 * Kikumura-Yano, Akemi (2002). ''Encyclopedia of Japanese Descendants in the Americas: An Illustrated History of the Nikkei'', Rowman Altamira, * (1990). "Un pueblo japonés en la Bolivia tropical: San Juan de Yapacaní en el Departamento de Santa Cruz." Santa Cruz: Editorial Casa de la Cultura "Raúl Otero Reiche". * Masterson, Daniel M. and Sayaka Funada-Classen. (2004), '' The Japanese in Latin America: The Asian American Experience.'' Urbana, Illinois:
University of Illinois Press The University of Illinois Press (UIP) is an American university press and is part of the University of Illinois System. Founded in 1918, the press publishes some 120 new books each year, thirty-three scholarly journals, and several electroni ...
. ; * Mitre, Antonio (2006). "Náufragos en tierra firme. Bloqueo comercial, despojo y confinamiento de japoneses de Bolivia durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial." Santa Cruz de la Sierra: El País. * Parejas Moreno, Alcides (1981). "Colonias Japonesas en Bolivia." La Paz: Talleres de Artes Gráficas del Colegio "Don Bosco". * Siemann, Yvonne (2012). "Descendientes de japoneses en Santa Cruz."In: Villar, Diego and Isabelle Combès: "Las tierras bajas de Bolivia: miradas históricas y antropológicas." Santa Cruz de la Sierra: El País. * Suzuki, Taku (2010). "Embodying Belonging: Racializing Okinawan Diaspora in Bolivia and Japan", University of Hawai'i Press. * Wakatsuki, Yasuo and Iyo Kunimoto (eds.) (1985). "La Inmigración japonesa en Bolivia. Estudios históricos y socioeconómicos." Tokio: Universidad de Chuo.


External links


Migration Historical Overview - Bolivia

Federación Nacional de Asociaciones Boliviano-Japonesas
{{Portal bar, Japan, Bolivia Asian diaspora in Bolivia *
Bolivians Bolivians () are people identified with the country of Bolivia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Bolivians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being B ...
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
Bolivia–Japan relations