Japanese Descendants Research Articles

What is new about Japan’s new migration policy? From recruitment of “nonlabor” workers to selection by neoliberal meritocracy

Abstract Japan experienced major reforms in its migration policy in 2018. This study aims to examine the novelty of the new migration policy by tracing the shift in the legal status of two “nonlabor” migrant workers: fourth-generation Japanese descendants (Nikkeijin) and technical interns. While fourth-generation young adults have been allowed to work in Japan since 2018, their rights are more restricted than those of third-generation Nikkeijin. Simultaneously, the government prepared a path for technical interns to upgrade their visas to specified skilled workers. The new migration policy is characterized by the convergence of the status of the two groups. Superficially, the reformed immigration program appears to signify a shift toward a more liberal immigration policy that allows previously excluded groups to settle in the country. A more important feature is the rise of the neoliberal meritocracy as a new principle of admission. Both groups have the potential to improve their legal status; however, long-term settlement is unattainable until they undergo rigorous selection. They are expected to overcome hurdles independently because the government is reluctant to provide commensurate support with higher demands for changes in legal status.

Memories, relationships and identity: food-related narratives and memory among Japanese descendants in Broome, Western Australia

ABSTRACT This article addresses how food cooked by Japanese first-generation migrants, both its making and meaning, is remembered and re-interpreted by their descendants in the remote coastal town of Broome, northern Western Australia. From the 1880s to the 1960s Japanese migrants flowed into Broome for its pearl-shelling industry and related businesses. Some, mostly men, intermarried with local Indigenous people, resulting in mixed heritage descendants who now live dispersed among their non-Japanese family members, seemingly assimilated into the multicultural society that constitutes Broome. In conversations with these Japanese descendants, memories related to food cooked at home by their Japanese first-generation ancestors often surfaced despite these foods being rarely eaten. Though these memories are not of the food itself, but of the family meals and social relations accompanying them, mentioning “food” helps them express their diverse relationships with their Japanese ancestors, support their nuanced identification with Japanese heritage, as well as respond to various images of “Japanese-ness” they encounter in the globalized world. A key finding of the research is that these Japanese descendants utilized food-related memories to articulate and position themselves in different contexts, despite not exhibiting strong Japanese cultural traits, including eating or cooking the aforementioned “food.”

Floating sentiments: silence and memory in the encounter between the celebration of Tooro Nagashi and the intangible cultural heritage policy in Brazil

ABSTRACT Tooro Nagashi is a cultural practice performed by groups of Japanese descendants in the Ribeira Valley in Brazil. Based on the notion of ‘friction’, the paper describes the encounter between the Brazilian policy of intangible cultural heritage and the celebration. It identifies points of engagement through which new accounts and unsuspected silences involving the performance and its history emerge, revealing how historical traumas associated with global war and state repression inform the experience of these groups of Japanese descendants. In acknowledging this sensitive history, the analysis also discloses the complexities of the celebration of Tooro Nagashi challenging the standards of the Brazilian intangible cultural heritage.

Raced to Death in 1920s Hawai‘i: Injustice and Revenge in the Fukunaga Case

Raced to Death in 1920s Hawai‘i: Injustice and Revenge in the Fukunaga Case

Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Japanese Immigrants and Descendants: The Need to Strengthen Preventive and Control Measures.

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Hepatitis B virus infection among Japanese immigrants and their descendants from São Paulo (SP), and to verify the occurrence of occult hepatitis B and coinfection with HCV, Delta, and HTLV. All samples (n = 2.127) were tested for HBV serological markers by electrochemiluminescence. HBsAg and/or total anti-HBc positive samples were tested for HBV DNA by real-time PCR, and genotyped by sequencing using the Sanger methodology. The prevalence rate of HBV exposure was 13.4% (CI 95%: 11.9–14.9%), and 22 (1.1%) were HBsAg positive. A high rate of susceptibility to HBV infection was found (67.4%; CI 95%: 65.4–69.4%). In contrast, only 19.2% (CI 95%: 17.6–20.9%) presented a serological profile analogous to that elicited by Hepatitis B vaccination. HBV isolates (n = 8) were classified as genotypes HBV/B1 (62.5%), HBV/C2 (12.5%), HBV/F1b (12.5%), and HBV/A1 (12.5%). Hepatitis B vaccination strategies and educational measures to control this infection should be considered.

Spinocerebellar Ataxia 36: From Mutations Toward Therapies

Spinocerebellar ataxia 36 (SCA36) is a type of repeat expansion-related neurodegenerative disorder identified a decade ago. Like other SCAs, the symptoms of SCA36 include the loss of coordination like gait ataxia and eye movement problems, but motor neuron-related symptoms like muscular atrophy are also present in those patients. The disease is caused by a GGCCTG hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the gene Nop56, and the demographic incidence map showed that this disease was more common among the ethnic groups of Japanese and Spanish descendants. Although the exact mechanisms are still under investigation, the present evidence supports that the expanded repeats may undergo repeat expansion-related non-AUG-initiated translation, and these dipeptide repeat products could be one of the important ways to lead to pathogenesis. Such studies may help develop potential treatments for this disease.

Dietary Vitamins A, C, and Potassium Intake Is Associated With Narrower Retinal Venular Caliber.

IntroductionThe retinal vasculature, a surrogate for the systemic microvasculature, can be observed non-invasively, providing an opportunity to examine the effects of modifiable factors, such as nutrient intake, on microcirculation. We aimed to investigate the possible associations of dietary nutrient intake with the retinal vessel caliber.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a total of 584 participants in a medical survey of Japanese descendants living in Los Angeles in 2015 underwent a dietary assessment, fundus photographic examination, and comprehensive physical and blood examinations. Retinal vessel caliber was measured using fundus photographs with a semi-automated computer system and summarized as central retinal artery and vein equivalents (CRAE and CRVE). The association between dietary nutrient intake and retinal vessel caliber was analyzed using a multivariate linear regression model adjusted for two models including potential confounders. The first model was adjusted for age and sex. The second model was adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, history of coronary heart disease, and history of stroke.ResultsAfter adjustment of potential confounders, compared to the quartile with the lowest intake, the difference in CRVE for the highest quartile was −5.33 μm [95% confidence interval (CI): −9.91 to −0.76, P for trend = 0.02] for vitamin A, −4.93 μm (95% CI: −9.54 to −0.32, P for trend = 0.02) for vitamin C and −3.90 μm (95% CI: −8.48 to 0.69, P for trend = 0.04) for potassium.ConclusionsA significant association was observed between higher vitamins A, C and potassium intakes and narrower retinal venular caliber.

One Consideration of “Diplomatic Policy with a Panoramic Perspective on the Terrestrial Globe” and Partnership with Nikkei (Japanese Descendant) Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Towards Universal Solutions

One Consideration of “Diplomatic Policy with a Panoramic Perspective on the Terrestrial Globe” and Partnership with Nikkei (Japanese Descendant) Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Towards Universal Solutions

Riding the Wave: Daily Life and Religion among Brazilian Immigrants to Japan in the Age of COVID-19 Pandemic

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.

Remarkably Low KIR and HLA Diversity in Amerindians Reveals Signatures of Strong Purifying Selection Shaping the Centromeric KIR Region.

The killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) recognize human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules to regulate the cytotoxic and inflammatory responses of natural killer cells. KIR genes are encoded by a rapidly evolving gene family on chromosome 19 and present an unusual variation of presence and absence of genes and high allelic diversity. Although many studies have associated KIR polymorphism with susceptibility to several diseases over the last decades, the high-resolution allele-level haplotypes have only recently started to be described in populations. Here, we use a highly innovative custom next-generation sequencing method that provides a state-of-art characterization of KIR and HLA diversity in 706 individuals from eight unique South American populations: five Amerindian populations from Brazil (three Guarani and two Kaingang); one Amerindian population from Paraguay (Aché); and two urban populations from Southern Brazil (European and Japanese descendants from Curitiba). For the first time, we describe complete high-resolution KIR haplotypes in South American populations, exploring copy number, linkage disequilibrium, and KIR–HLA interactions. We show that all Amerindians analyzed to date exhibit the lowest numbers of KIR–HLA interactions among all described worldwide populations, and that 83–97% of their KIR–HLA interactions rely on a few HLA-C molecules. Using multiple approaches, we found signatures of strong purifying selection on the KIR centromeric region, which codes for the strongest NK cell educator receptors, possibly driven by the limited HLA diversity in these populations. Our study expands the current knowledge of KIR genetic diversity in populations to understand KIR–HLA coevolution and its impact on human health and survival.

Migration infrastructure, moral economy, and intergenerational injustice in mother-and-child migration from the Philippines to Japan

ABSTRACT In this paper, I discuss how a legal amendment in Japan’s Nationality law, in force since 2009 and celebrated as a victory for children’s rights, soon opened new opportunities for labour brokers to send Japanese-Filipino offspring and their Filipina mothers to work in Japanese care-giving facilities and in factories. While the processes of recruitment, selection, training and placement resemble those commonly followed by commercial migrant brokers in the Philippines, Japanese descendants and their Filipina parent travel to Japan on family-related visas enabling their brokers to skirt some of the regulations set by the Philippine state. The recent cross-border mobility of Japanese-Filipinos and their mothers to Japan shows that migration infrastructure is a patchwork stitched from regulatory loopholes and opportunities, commercial responses, humanitarian counter-dynamics, and individual plans and desires. I address how migration infrastructure is interrelated with the perpetuation of socio-economic inequality and the moral economy of migration, as (would-be) migrants’ limited recourse to legal instruments and cross-border mobility creates a dependence on intermediaries.

“I Don’t Feel Very Asian American”: Why Aren’t Japanese Americans More Panethnic?

Because Japanese Americans are among the oldest Asian American groups, they would be expected to have a high level of panethnicity since they apparently have much in common with other U.S.‐born Asian Americans. However, most Japanese Americans interviewed for this paper did not identify panethnically with their Asian co‐ethnics, but felt separate and distinct as Japanese Americans. Research on panethnicity has not sufficiently examined why some Asian Americans are not panethnic. Although Japanese Americans are homogeneously racialized as “Asians,” they also resist their panethnic racialization by insisting on their distinct identity as Japanese descendants. They also continue to experience cultural and generational differences with other Asian Americans. In addition, even third and fourth generation Japanese Americans are not immune to the interethnic prejudices, hostilities, and homeland tensions that continue to simmer among different groups of Asian Americans. Finally, my interviewees were not interested in panethnic activism because they apparently no longer had compelling experiences of racial injustice and socioeconomic marginalization. Nonetheless, national‐origins ethnicity and panethnicity should not be regarded as mutually exclusive opposites.

The Complexity of Generational Status and Ethnic Identity of Japanese Americans

Japanese Americans comprise multiple generations, with a first wave of immigrants entering the United States in the 1800s. The current generation of Japanese American descendants today includes over five generations. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the ethnic identity of fourth- and fifth-generation Japanese American adults. Forty participants were interviewed as part of a larger study and deemed exempt by institutional review board. Results indicate that ethnic identity for multigenerational Japanese American adults is complex, with factors that include the impact of historical and intergenerational ties to World War II, continuance of family and cultural traditions, and identity as American but perceived as “forever foreigner.” Family counselor recommendations include considering historical background of Asian American and minority groups, rethinking educational curriculum through transformative social and emotional learning.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in KIR2DL1 Is Associated With HLA-C Expression in Global Populations.

Regulation of NK cell activity is mediated through killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) ability to recognize human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules as ligands. Interaction of KIR and HLA is implicated in viral infections, autoimmunity, and reproduction and there is growing evidence of the coevolution of these two independently segregating gene families. By leveraging KIR and HLA-C data from 1000 Genomes consortium we observed that the KIR2DL1 variant rs2304224*T is associated with lower expression of HLA-C in individuals carrying the ligand HLA-C2 (p = 0.0059). Using flow cytometry, we demonstrated that this variant is also associated with higher expression of KIR2DL1 on the NK cell surface (p = 0.0002). Next, we applied next generation sequencing to analyze KIR2DL1 sequence variation in 109 Euro and 75 Japanese descendants. Analyzing the extended haplotype homozygosity, we show signals of positive selection for rs4806553*G and rs687000*G, which are in linkage disequilibrium with rs2304224*T. Our results suggest that lower expression of HLA-C2 ligands might be compensated for higher expression of the receptor KIR2DL1 and bring new insights into the coevolution of KIR and HLA.

Breast cancer in twin pregnancy

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm among pregnant women, and occurs in up to 0.04% of pregnancies. There are only few short and long term results about the intrauterine exposure to antineoplastic agents, and treatment should follow the same guidelines as the one for non-pregnant women. Surgery is possible during the entire pregnancy. Radiotherapy is not indicated in pregnancy, but it is possible for selected patients. Chemotherapy is usually safe during the second and third trimesters, with interruption of the treatment three weeks before the probable date of birth; however, hormone therapy and anti-HER2 agents are contraindicated during pregnancy, and can be postponed until after birth. Objective: To report the case of a patient with breast cancer in the first trimester of a monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy, 13 years after thoracic radiotherapy due to Hodgkin's lymphoma. Methods: Medical chart review, interview with the patient, photographic record and literature review. Results: Thirty-four year old Japanese descendant woman, born in São Paulo, nutritionist, married, primiparous. In the eighth week of spontaneous twin pregnancy, she complained of a palpable, fast-growth nodule in the left breast superomedial quadrant. She took combined hormonal contraceptives from the ages of 17 to 33 years. Negative family history for neoplasms. Physical examination showed a nodule in the left breast superomedial quadrant measuring 9.0x7.5 cm – T3N0 (initial clinical staging IIB). Propedeutics: Obstetric ultrasound with topic monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy, compatible with 13 weeks and 5 days; breast US showed a complex irregular nodule in the left breast at 9h, measuring 54x40x40 mm: Birads 4. The ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy showed invasive carcinoma without expression of hormone receptors, negative HER2, 95% KI67 (triple negative). Negative staging for metastasis. She was referred to clinical oncology: received five sessions of Carboplatin (AUC 2) and Paclitaxel (80mg/m2). Despite the treatment, the tumor progressed to 12x10.5 cm, with large areas and negative axilla. The choice was for mastectomy with axillary lymphadenectomy. Anatomopathological: absence of residual neoplastic cells and neoplasm in axillary nodes (0/8): pathological complete response. A Cesarean section was performed after 36 weeks of pregnancy, and two female infants were born, weighing 2030g and 2455g, Apgar 8/9 and 9/9, respectively. Conclusion: Breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis during pregnancy are not well established. Considering that, this study collaborates with others that were conducted to better understand this pathology in twin pregnancies.

Encefalodurogaleosinangiose em Doença de Moyamoya Associada a Neurofibromatose Tipo 1. Relato de caso

Apresentamos o caso de um mulher com quarenta e um anos, de descendência japonesa, nascida na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, com antecedente de doença de moya moya, neurofibromatose tipo 1 e embolização aneurismática prévia, referindo cefaleia holocraniana diária, refratária ao tratamento clínico, associada a crises epileptiformes parciais e disestesias em dimídio esquerdo. A angiotomografia computadorizada do crânio evidenciou afilamento difuso e bilateral das artérias carótidas interna e cerebrais posteriores, sinais de lesões isquêmicas antigas nos lobos frontais com mínima ectasia compensatória do sistema ventricular supratentorial, assim como suboclusão proximal das artérias cerebrais médias com estenose acentuada e proeminência bilateral das artérias lentículo-estriadas, tálamo perfurantes e vasos piais, sugerindo padrão moyamoya. Foi realizada revascularização cirúrgica indireta, conhecida como encefalodurogaleosinangiose e a paciente evoluiu assintomática e sem déficits neurológicos

Indonesian Language Acquisition for Japanese Descendants in Sanur-Bali

In social interaction with indigenous people (Indonesian people), Japanese people must equip themselves with Indonesian language skills to establish good communication. The same is true of the descendants of those who will make association with Indonesian children. In this case Indonesian is very important to be taught so that children of Japanese descent can interact and live well with the surrounding community. This is what attracts researchers to find out, patterns or ways of Japanese society in teaching Indonesian to their children. This research was conducted in the Sanur area, Denpasar City, Bali. This study uses the theory of sociology of language, teaching Indonesian, and using a questionnaire as a tool to obtain data. The results of this study reveal that the teaching pattern used consists of two types, namely the naturalistic and the formal type. While teaching Indonesian to his children, he found several problems. One of them is the complexity of using polite language and special expressions when communicating to each person in their respective positions. From the parameters of language skills, the most important thing to be taught to children of Japanese descent is the ability to speak (conversation).

The paradox of diaspora engagement: a historical analysis of Japanese state-diaspora relations

ABSTRACTStates increasingly engage with diasporas. While diasporic ties are often sought in the name of shared culture or ancestry, such ties are selective and variable in reality, shaped by specific geopolitical contexts. In this paper, I examine why states engage with various diaspora communities differently by looking at the case of Japan. The Japanese state has recently rekindled its interest in cultivating ties with later-generation Japanese descendants abroad, collectively known as Nikkeijin. Its policies target Latin America, focusing less on Nikkeijin in other regions, including those who ‘return’ to Japan. The selective diaspora engagement, I argue, is embedded in the duality of diaspora as both insiders and outsiders. I analyse how such a diasporic population –Nikkeijin– came about out of Japan’s century-long diaspora engagement through emigration, diaspora conventions, and return-migration, and why it matters to Japan.

Noise Complaints between Japanese Neighbors and Migrants in Rural Japan: From the Perspectives of Noisemakers

This paper focuses on the narratives and embodiment of noisemakers in noise complaints in a small town of rural Japan. By building on the intersection of sound studies, body, and migration, this paper aims to critically address the longstanding concept of ‘noise’ through the overlooked perspectives of migrants who are perceived as ‘noisemakers’ in the neighbor relations between Japanese neighbors and migrants. This study was conducted through months of fieldwork in a small town in Japan, wherein an ethnic concentration of Japanese descendants from North Sulawesi, Indonesia has been established for almost two decades. Sensory ethnography was adopted in addition to participant observation and in-depth interviews that presented the narratives of five Japanese descendants working in seafood processing factories. The findings suggest that perception of the ‘unwanted’ bodily presence becomes a salient metaphorical sense of ‘noise’ which is embodied in migrants as byproducts of the psychological noise of the hearers. This ‘noise’ evokes series of complaints which also escalate into space control in the neighborhood. More than just neighbor relations in negotiating private–public spaces, the phenomena of noisemaking and noise complaints in this study are layered with overlapping unequal social and power structures concerning neighbors, workers, and migrants with stigma of gaijin and ‘noisemakers’.

KIR and HLA ligands demonstrate genetic inheritance diversity in Japanese descendants from Paraná, Brazil

In order to investigate killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their ligands, human leukocyte antigen (HLA), diversity in the Brazilian population influenced by migrations, unrelated Brazilian Japanese descendants were selected and genotyped for the KIR genes and HLA class I allele groups. Genetic heterogeneity in Brazil Paraná Japanese was observed for KIR genes, whose frequency distributions demonstrated similarity with mixed Brazilian populations and with the Japanese population, suggesting gene flow. The data contributed to the identification of the genetic constitution of the Brazilian population influenced by immigrations and two new genotypes were defined.