R.I. D-2660 GSE Team Leader Member of Osaka-Kitayodo Rotary Club President, Work Academy, Inc.
Soccer, F1 racing, samba and the Rio Carnival. As far as we Japanese are concerned, unfortunately, this is about the extent of our general knowledge of the country of Brazil.
Today, there are many Brazilians of Japanese descent living in Brazil, and despite the fact that they are closely related to us, it is probably best to say that we know almost nothing about them and their country.
It was these Brazilian Rotarians of Japanese descent who gave us such a warm and overwhelming welcome. Brazil is a faraway and mysterious place to the Japanese. We only had a month there, but I would like to share with you, in an as easy-to understand way as I can, about the things we learned while in Brazil on our GSE program.
Brazil is located in the eastern part of the continent of South America, and it is a vast nation. It is the fifth largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada, USA and China. It is about 23 times larger than Japan, making up 47.3% of the total land area of South America (8,512,000 sq. km).
The climate of Brazil is varied, with a tropical region along the Amazon, a sub tropical region in the central highlands and coastal plain, and a temperate region in the south, which is the most fertile agriculture land in Brazil. To put it another way, it is a nation that experiences the sweltering summer sun and falling snow at the same time; a vast nation that we Japanese are unable to imagine.
At present (1996), the population of Brazil is approximately 160 million, with a population density of about 18 people per sq. km.
Brazil is said to be a cultural melting pot, with a large proportion of the population made up of people of Portuguese, African and Mulat descent. There are also those of Italian, German, Indian, Japanese, Jewish and Arab descent, and each ethnic group has created its own unique community.
Brazil was discovered by Portuguese explorers about 1,500 years ago, and it became a Portuguese colony. At that time, there were many trees being forested for use in red pigment, and those trees are called "pau brazil." Eventually, the country came to be called "Brazil," after these trees.
In 1530, Portugal began opening up the country to immigration mainly for the purpose of sugar production and cattle raising. The main labor force consisted of the original Indian inhabitants and Africans, and by the mid-1800's, the country had been developed to just about its modern-day borders.
In 1808, Napoleon sent troops into Portugal in retaliation for Portugal's helping Britain fight against France. With the help of the British, the royal family fled to Brazil, and in the following year made Rio de Janeiro the capital of Portugal. In 1816, Prince John was crowned king of Portugal, and he used this occassion to pronounce Brazil and Portugal as an allied kingdom. In 1820, Napoleon was overthrown, and as a result the royal family returned to Portugal, leaving King John's son, Don Pedro, to rule Brazil. In 1822, however, desiring to return Brazil to its original status as a colony, Don Pedro declared independence from Portugal and became the first emperor of Brazil (Pedro I).
After this, immigrants flocked to Brazil, and coffee production flourished. In 1888, however, slavery was abolished, and the powerful land owners revolted against Pedro II. The military took control in 1889, abolishing the emperor system, and declared Brazil a republic.
In 1964, General Branco became president of Brazil, and military rule continued until 1985. In January, 1985, a civilian president, Tancredo Neves, was elected by the electoral college, putting an end to 21 years of military rule.
Today, the Federal Republic of Brazil consists of 26 states, and it has a national organization similar to that of Japan, with three branches of government ˜Ï the executive, legislative and judicial. Brazil's present constitution was ratified in September of 1989.
In 1994, former Finance Minister Cardoso was sworn in as president, and immediately implemented new policies to help stabilize the economy, which had experienced a 50% rate of inflation during the first six months of the year. This policy called for the introduction of a new currency. Up until his election, the monetary unit had been the cruzeiro-real, But Cardoso made the real the unit of currency and set its value at US$1.00 exactly. As a result of this fiscal policy, inflation has been brought under control.
The three major industries are agriculture, manufacturing and mining. Brazil is known as the world's largest coffee producer, and its agricultural exports (including processed food) make up for about 25% of Brazil's total exports. The largest share of exports goes to the manufacturing sector (automobiles, cement, etc.) which accounts for about 70% of total exports.
Brazil is blessed with abundant natural resources, and it has a flourishing mining industry centered around chrome, iron ore, manganese and other minerals.
As I mentioned earlier, inflation is now being controlled, but it still faces a number of economic difficulties, such as unemployment and a cumulative debt of over US$100 billion. Despite the fact that the average laborer earns just $120 a month, prices are not much lower than those in advanced nations, leading to the problem of a poor middle class.
However, with its abundant natural resources and its vast underdeveloped regions, future development and growth could be limitless.
With some 160 million people of Japanese descent living in Brazil, there are more Japanese people living there than any other country other than Japan. About 10 percent of these are first generation immigrants, and second and third generation Japanese-Brazilians account for 70 percent of the total, and with each generation changing considerably in comparison to the previous one. The collapse of Japanese society in Brazil increases with each passing generation. One reason the Japanese are being assimilated into Brazilian culture is the marriage of the second and third generation Japanese to non-Japanese Brazilians. Another reason is that just before, during and after World War II, the Vargas government made a policy that made the study of the Japanese language illegal. Also, in the last ten years, a large number of young Japanese-Brazilians have left for Japan, and, at least temporarily, the number of young Japanese-Brazilians has decreased.
In regard to this problem, I would like to tell you in a little bit more detail about the Japanese community in Brazil, which is what holds the key to continuing the friendship which has existed all these years between Japan and Brazil.
Since 1908, when the first boatload of emigrants to Brazil arrived in Santos Bay on theKasado-maru about 250,000 Japanese have emigrated to Brazil. At that time, immigrants from Germany and Italy were filling the need for labor that had been created with the end of the slavery system, but as working conditions grew more and more harsh, and pay became more inadequate, immigrants stopped coming from Europe. As a result, the coffee plantations in Sao Paulo faced a serious shortage of laborers.
At the same time, limits were placed on Japanese emigration to North America, and finally it was prohibited. The government of Sao Paulo opened the way for Japanese immigration and even gave assistance to those desiring to emigrate. The majority of Japanese immigrants signed on as paid workhands on the Sao Paulo coffee plantations. The number of immigrants who came with the assistance of the Sao Paulo government totaled 33,000 by the time the assistance ended in 1923. After that, the Japanese government began to earnestly encourage emigration to Brazil in a number of ways, such as helping to pay travel expenses, setting up emigration camps in Kobe, passing the emigration law, and the giving of an emigration allowance to those wishing to emigrate. Due to this pro-emigration policy, the number of emigrants to Brazil surpassed 150,000 by 1941.
At first, many of the new immigrants, who started as tenant-farmer status, were able to purchase their own fields and be self-employed. As more and more immigrants were able to do this, more and more regional communities of Japanese immigrants were formed.
From the end of World War II up to 1965, the government of Japan strongly encouraged people to emigrate. After 1975, however, economic growth here in Japan and the increased standard of living it created brought about a marked decrease in the number of Japanese interested in emigrating to South America.
After the end of the war, many Japanese began moving into the big cities and began seeking education and work in specialized fields such as law, economics and medicine. Behind this movement to the cities was the desire of the first generation immigrants to see that their children received, above all else, a high level of education. Today, the majority of Japanese-Brazilians are in the middle-class, and some have even risen to the position of government minister, mayor and state representative. Such active progress is truly remarkable. The number of Japanese involved in the Rotary is comparatively high compared to the rest of the population, and the governor of District 4430 is Mr. Mori of the Suzano R.C.
Just one step off of Paulista Avenue, the business center of San Paulo, one can find an amazing place where there are street lamps made in the shape of red lilies and rows of Japanese-style Shinto gates. You can find Japanese books, Japanese food, Japanese barber shops, and more, and you can hear Japanese being spoken. This is Bairro da Liberdade, the famous Asian shopping district where many Japanese reside.
Japanese emigration to Brazil began in earnest in 1908, but there was a Japanese man who came to live in Sao Paulo two years earlier. His name was Saburosuke Fujisaki, and he founded "Fujisaki Shokai" and began selling Japanese merchandise in Brazil. In the building he rented in Liberdade as the location for his business, he and his wife, who were both chefs, opened a hostel house for Japanese who had left the farms to live in the city. In addition, they opened up a boarding house in Liberdade, and soon more and more Japanese began living in the area. The rent was cheap in the underground rooms, and several men lived in each room. The smells of typical Japanese cooking, like miso soup and sardines, began to give the area a unique aroma, and soon the place grew into its own small society referred to as "Japantown."
After this, other Japanese who gave up farming to take up other professions moved into the area. After the end of World War I, a movie theater which showed Japanese movies was built there, and just 20 years after Fujisaki-san had moved into the area, it had taken on the appearance you see today.
Today, the area is not inhabited only by Japanese. There are also Chinese and Koreans living there, and instead of Japantown, it is now called Asiatown. Also, today there are many shops operated by Japanese-Brazilians. However, as Sao Paulo builds more modern shopping centers in the center of the city, the business foundation which once existed in Bairro da Liberdade is being eroded. How terribly unfortunate it would be if this area, with its old and modern faces, were to die out in the years ahead. Hopefully, the area will experience a renewal in the near future.
As I mentioned before, the Japanese-Brazilian population is passing out of the second and third generation. Many of the first-generation immigrants are fond of Japanese food, they understand the Japanese language and take pride in the fact that they are Japanese. Not only are they living in rows of houses like those found in Japan in the good old days, but it seemed to me that Japan still existed within their hearts. Many of them want to make sure that their Japanese descendents live on in Brazil by seeing to it that the younger generation marry Japanese-Brazilians. In reality, however, the third- and fourth-generation Japanese-Brazilians do not understand Japanese, they enjoy American junk food (like young people all over the world do), and they listen not to Japanese folk songs or Brazilian samba, but rather, like all young people, they listen to rock music and new music.
However, even though one might be able to say that such conditions are certainly bringing about the destruction of the Japanese community in Brazil, the changes taking place in the younger generation are not taking place only in Brazil. If those living in Brazil take a good look at present-day Japan, wouldn't they be able to say that we modern Japanese are not "pure Japanese" either? I think the number of Europeans and Americans who still think of the Japanese wearing kimonos and carrying around swords are few in number, but I think even though the image of Japanese people being dutiful, hard-working and serious still exists, despite the fact that such qualities are hard to find in today's younger generation of Japanese. Even in Japan, it is hard to maintain the good, traditional customs of the past, and many have completely lost such traits and ways.
Taking all these things into consideration, even here in Japan, despite the fact that we are an island nation surrounded by the ocean, foreign cultural influences are being felt as a result of the introduction of such things by the media. It is only natural, then, for those of Japanese descent living in the midst of a variety of Brazil's varied cultures to gradually find themselves and their culture being assimilated.
Japanese-Brazilians believe that a very important element in the preservation of the Japanese community in Brazil is "Japanese culture." In the future, we Japanese must take an active role in cooperating to help pass on Japanese culture to the younger generations of Japanese-Brazilians. Don't you agree that an important catalyst in helping to develop close ties between Japan and Brazil are the many Japanese Brazilians who are coming to live and work in Japan? There is no doubt that these young people have much potential in the area of cultural exchange. How should we Japanese relate to the Japanese Brazilians living in Japan? There are 150,000 to 160,000 of them in Japan, but I feel we are doing far too little to make contact with them.
The Japanese-Brazilians we came into contact with during our GSE project were in the upper class, with many of them being doctors, lawyers, shop owners and factory owners. For the most part they were self-employed rather than salaried workers, working independently. This is due, perhaps, to the fact that it was very hard for Japanese-Brazilians become anything more than just a cog in the gears of Brazil's existing industrial organization, and to the fact that the first generation immigrants, because of the economic hardships they experienced working as laborers, did all they could to see that their children received the highest degree of education possible and made use of that education in their careers.
Despite the fact that the Japanese-Brazilians attained such a high standard of living, why is it that so many of them want to come to Japan to work as laborers?
The first reason is the large discrepancy between wages in Japan and Brazil. The entrance of Japanese-Brazilian laborers into Japan's second- and third-tier manufacturing industry was a new phenomenon that began after 1986. In the 1980's, Japan had a strong economy. The economic boom and strong yen, coupled with a shortage of workers, was the main reason why many foreigners came to work in Japan. In addition, Latin America was in the midst of a recession in the 1980's, and this had a severe impact on the middle-class. As a result, many of these people left their homeland in search of a better standard of living. Perceiving a way to make a lot of easy money, middlemen began appearing and started to expoit these laborers who wished to come and work in Japan. These agents placed ads in Brazilian newpapers promising high salaries, attractive working benefits, housing assistance, language and cultural study, and a chance to come and learn about the land of their ancestors, and as a result, Japanese-Brazilians flocked to Japan to work. Most of the advertisements were highly exaggerated, though, and the promised wages, to say nothing of Japanese lessons, never materialized. On the other hand, between 1987 and 1992, Japanese economic growth began to slow down, and many companies began to go bankrupt due to a shortage of laborer willing to do dangerous, dirty and difficult work. Because of the need for laborers, Japanese businesses turned to these middlemen to provide them with foreign laborers. These Japanese-Brazilians were popular with Japanese industry because they were highly educated, submissive, had customs and habits similar to the Japanese, and could easily blend into the Japanese working environment. For these reasons, Japanese-Brazilians poured into Japan.
At present, the number of Japanese-Brazilians who came to Japan to work number between 150,000 and 160,000. Many of them are doing the kind of jobs that Japanese workers are unwilling to do those that are dirty, difficult and dangerous. According to the memoirs of one Japanese-Brazilian laborer, they were provided with a house to live in, along with some other South American workers, and by working long hours of overtime, were able to earn about 300,000 per month. With living expenses coming to around 100,000 or so, they were able to save 200,000 a month and return to Brazil after saving what they came to save after about 2 or 3 years. Most likely this worker had been hired by a comparatively honest, upright middleman. Not a few of the middlemen resemble gangsters, and many foreign workers receive about half the pay of their Japanese counterparts. As a result, many foreign workers must spend more than twice the amount of time in Japan than they had planned, and to them, such a Japan seems a very cold and severe place. We met a number of people in Brazil who had such bitter experiences when they came to work in Japan.
Today, the Japanese economy is not doing so well, and in the midst of these conditions, Japanese industry cannot help but rely upon foreign workers to perform the dirty, difficult and dangerous jobs that Japanese will not do. The Japanese government has begun instituting a number of policies aimed at foreign workers, such as revision of the Immigration Law, and the establishment of a "Service Center for Workers of Japanese Descent" and a "Foreign Workers' Service Center" within government-run employment security offices. Still, in order to help Japanese Brazilian laborers from being exploited and harmed by dishonest and deceptive middlemen, wouldn't it be a good thing if there could be more "Overseas Laborer Information Centers" established in Brazil which were supported by both the Japanese government and Japanese industry?
Through the recent GSE visit to Brazil, we discovered many new things. Japanese industry has been looking almost exclusively to Asia when moving business operations overseas. But Central and South America, including Brazil, are now experiencing noticeable economic growth. In the past, the countries of Central and South America were constantly experiencing military takeovers, skyhigh inflation and massive cumulative debt, but today the situation is vastly different. It is becoming more and more important for Japan, both economically and politically, to have good relations with a large country like Brazil, which is blessed with many natural resources and has a good agricultural and industrial base. Now that Japanese-Brazilians have established a respectable position in Brazilian society, the soil is prepared for economic and cultural expansion between Japan and Brazil based upon mutual cooperation.
One indication of this is the news this summer that Honda Motor Co., Ltd. plans to build a plant in Brazil. We visited five plants during our GSE trip this summer, and all five of them seemed to be more than 10 years behind Japan technologically. But the people there have a good understanding of Japanese technology, and they are eager to adopt it. In the future, as a result of the Japanese industry moving into Brazil, Japan will be introducing into Brazil the latest technology and business management expertise. To be sure, there is always some criticism about something or other when foreign countries expand economically into another country, but in the case of Brazil, what they desire from Japan more than anything else is for Japanese industry to move into Brazil.
Now that I know that there are many people living on the other side of the world who have Japanese blood coursing through their veins just as we do, I want to help build a cooperative relationship between Japan and Brazil which will, with the strength of the Japanese-Brazilians, result in a new generation of partnership between our two nations.
