Abstract
In March 2020, the world folded before an imminent pandemic. Community gatherings, events, and rituals quickly moved online. Jobs halted or were conducted remotely. The fear of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted different areas of daily life. In this article, we propose examining and analyzing the experiences and narratives of Brazilian migrants in Japan. With the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act amendment on 8 December 1989, thousands of Japanese descendants born and raised in the Americas migrated to Japan. They are the offspring of Japanese immigrants who established colonies in the Americas in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Over time, the community of Brazilian immigrants in Japan fluctuated from being a minority to become the fifth-largest ethnic group of immigrants. Our analysis focuses on two areas of concern in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: daily life—including gender, and religion. On the one hand, daily life became cumbersome due to issues related to language and the hardships of accessing health services in a foreign land. On the other hand, we state that in the process of adaptation to the new society, the role of faith communities has been notable in offering support to these immigrants. Religious institutions, in particular, confronted the fact of moving their support and activities online with the consequent difficulties for those who are not tech-savvy or lack reliable connectivity. Both situations impacted Brazilian immigrants in different ways during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the agency they displayed in coping with its consequences.
Highlights
How the Story BeganJapanese authorities detected the first case of COVID-19 in early January 2020
We focus on the concern surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic when challenging daily life issues
That, combined with the vast fear surrounding our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, made me very worried because it became clear that most Brazilians are not in Japan to acquire a solid economic base
Summary
Japanese authorities detected the first case of COVID-19 in early January 2020. According to media reports, the first case was a man of Chinese nationality living in Kanagawa Prefecture who returned from Wuhan on January 6 and was hospitalized on January 10 (Kyodo Staff Reporter 2020). Religions 2021, 12, 943 government announced a subsidy of JPY 100,000—about USD 1000—to residents of Japanese territory (Busetto 2020) This emergency aid—granted to all persons without age restriction—included all foreign residents registered with the prefectures of their places of residence. We emphasize that you will not be allowed to use public transport to leave the facilities designated for your residence This information joins the guidelines announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (2021). It was common to hear foreign residents questioning what Makiko, one of our interviewees, states: “How do the Japanese authorities think that a foreigner will arrive in Japan and be able to leave the airport without using public transport? We are in the second phase, which includes another group of ten interviewees and possible in-site participant observation if the social distancing and health ministry recommendations allow for that
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
