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A historic decision has restored the honor of Japanese who were treated unfairly in Brazil, a country to which they had immigrated. Hopefully this will be an opportunity to further deepen the relationship between Japan and Brazil.
The Amnesty Commission, an advisory body of the Brazilian government, officially apologized for the first time for the persecution of Japanese immigrants and others in Brazil during and after World War II.
During the war, Brazil sided with the Allies and Japan became the enemy.
About 6,500 Japanese immigrants were ordered to leave Santos, Sao Paulo State, on suspicion of espionage and 172 Japanese Brazilians who did not believe Japan had lost the war even after the end of the war were imprisoned as fanatical terrorists. The commission has acknowledged these incidents as violations of human rights.
Enea Almeida, chairperson of the commission, said, “I apologize for the persecution and racial discrimination your ancestors suffered.”
Nearly 80 years have passed since the end of the war, and there are fewer people alive today who directly suffered the persecution. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the Brazilian government has acknowledged its mistakes and has made efforts to restore their honor.
This is largely due to the change of government in January last year from right-wing former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was a former military officer, to leftist current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has begun to actively examine past human rights violations.
Immigration from Japan to Brazil began in 1908, and today the number of Japanese Brazilians has reached about 2.7 million, constituting the world’s largest community of people with Japanese heritage. However, the history of their hardship in Brazil during and after the war had remained little-known.
This is because many persecuted immigrants kept quiet, fearing that they would be ostracized anew. This time, a third-generation Japanese Brazilian man and others focused their campaign on getting the Brazilian government to acknowledge the persecution and make an apology, without demanding compensation.
Overcoming discrimination, Japanese Brazilians have contributed to postwar Brazilian society in a wide range of fields, including politics and business, the arts and agriculture. These steady efforts have spurred the Brazilian government to resolve its “negative legacy,” in some respects.
While the Lula administration has expressed its willingness to strengthen ties with Japan, it is also emphasizing relations with China on the economic front. China is Brazil’s largest trading partner, and both countries are members of the BRICS group of emerging economies.
Brazil’s total trade with Japan has been shrinking in recent years, but Brazil still has high expectations for Japan’s technology and funds in environmental areas such as the conservation of Amazon forests.
Japan and Brazil are also members of the Group of Four countries seeking to reform the U.N. Security Council. It is hoped that Japan will try to contribute to the stability of the international community by making use of its ties with Brazil, a major member of the emerging and developing countries known as the Global South.
