Introduction / History

The Japanese Peruvians originated in Japan and either emigrated to Peru or were born in Peru. Peruvians in Japan are the second largest Japanese people group in South America, those in Brazil being the largest.

Peru was the first country in Latin America to have diplomatic relations with Japan and to allow Japanese immigration. Japanese families came to Peru in 1899 first. There were about eight hundred of them. They came from Hiroshima, Okinawa, Osaka, Gifu and Kanagawa. Many came as farmers and later went to live in the cities of Peru like the capital Lima.

After the beginning of World War Two, Japanese Peruvians were sent to internment camps in the U.S.A. They were kept there for more than two years. At the end of the war, only about 80 went back to Peru while 400 stayed in the United States and were classed as stateless refugees.

These days, the Japanese in Peru have different jobs such as having high rankings in finance, academia and catering. They are well educated and have major economic positions. As a result of the Peruvian economy not doing well in the 1980s, many Japanese Peruvians went to the U.S.A. and to Japan with some of them coming back.

The Japanese in Peru have made a big impact economically and culturally in Peru. When the Japanese first came to Peru there was poverty in Japan.

The Peruvian Japanese have strong community associations. They keep to themselves and are proud of their cultural heritage. They work hard and are trustworthy. Economic and social links between Peru and Japan are strong.

Prayer Points

* There are many Japanese evangelical Christians in Brazil. Pray that some may want to go to Peru and evangelize their Japanese neighbors too.

References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/japanese_peruvian
http://www.latinamericalinks.com/japanese_in_Peru.htm