Treaties, Laws and Speeches

Japanese Overseas

Bureau of Southern Affairs, Department of Overseas Affairs

Modern Japanese emigration and colonization which began in the year 1868, when a small group of Japanese workers sailed for Hawaii, then an independent kingdom in the mid-Pacific, is now 72 years old. It is marked by a unique contribution to the advancement of civilization, particularly in connection with the agricultural industry, which is one of the basic factors for supplying human needs. From this insignificant beginning the number of Japanese overseas, who are engaged in many useful branches of industrial and commercial activities throughout the world, has today reached 1,000,000. According to the latest statistics available, the number in October, 1939, totalled 1,290,067, which can be classified according to countries and regions roundly as: 500,000 in Manchoukuo, 220,000 in China, 290,000 in the United States (including Hawaii), 240,000 in Central and South American countries, and 40,000 in the South Sea regions. It must be noted, in this connection, that among these countries the United States and Peru closed their doors to new Japanese immigrants, while Brazil and the Philippines have placed certain restrictions on their entrance, whereas China has not restored peace and order to such an extent as to receive Japanese settlers. The only country open to our large-scale colonization today is Manchoukuo. In the near future, however, the South Sea regions will no doubt welcome the contribution by Japanese settlers toward the development of their resources.

North America

Japanese immigration to North America has now become a thing of the past. What we witness there to-day is a marvellous growth of those settled in their economic life as well as in their usefulness to the communities to which they belong. As already mentioned, the origin of Japanese immigration to America dates back to 1868 when 153 Japanese arrived in the Hawaiian Islands. These immigrants were brought to the islands as sugar-plantation hands. Later in 1885, an official of the Hawaiian Government came to Japan and arranged for Japanese immigration en masse. This is the first

instance of officially sanctioned immigration by contract. In the course of 13 years that followed, 30,000 immigrants entered Hawaii. But most of them returned to Japan upon the expiration of their term of contract, except a small number who remained there and started their own business with their savings, or engaged in other independent occupations or went to the mainland of the United States. The zenith of Japanese immigration to Hawaii was from 1901 to 1907, when in the latter year Japan voluntarily limited the number of her emigrants by virtue of the Gentlemen's Agreement. During this period the annual influx of Japanese frequently reached 10,000 to 20,000.

The first record of our immigration to the mainland is found in the sixties when some Japanese students, after finishing their schooling, were engaged in gainful occupations there. It was, however, in the eighties that Japanese workers entered the United States as immigrants. Thereafter, the number of Japanese entering the mainland increased so rapidly that an anti-Japanese agitation based on labour and race problems, broke out in the nineties. The story of the anti-Japanese campaign in California is widely known in this connection. This state of affairs led to the conclusion of the Agreement of 1907, and ultimately to the enactment of the Immigration Law in 1924, which brought the issue of Japanese immigration to an end, though unsatisfactory from our point of view.

TABLE I

With regard to the immigration to Canada, not a few of the immigrants went there as a stepping stone to the United States. To this date no legislation has been enacted against Japanese in that country as in the United States. It cannot be denied, however, that there has always existed a fairly strong anti-Japanese sentiment in Canada. Consequently Japanese immigrants have not increased very much.

In October, 1939, Japanese residents in the whole of North America, totalled 294,072, comprising 272,517 in the United States and 21,511 in Canada. Table 1 shows the occupational distribution of Japanese residents in North America. As shown in the table, Japanese in the Hawaiian Islands today have outgrown the stage of immigrants and are making a valuable contribution to the communities in various fields such as agriculture, commerce, fisheries, banking, building and transportation. The majority of them are of the second and third generations, most of whom, unlike their fathers, are following intellectual occupations. As a matter of fact, a good number of them are regarded as constituting important assets to the political, economic and cultural life of the islands.

On the mainland Japanese are mostly engaged in truck-farming. In Southern California and other parts, however, they are also prospering in commercial enterprises. Here too, the second generation outnumbers the first. Although discriminatory feeling against Japanese is not as strong today as in earlier days, Americans of Japanese parentage, due mainly to race prejudice against them, are so placed that they are practically compelled to seek their jobs in Japanese communities. The chief occupation of Japanese in Canada is also farming, other occupations being those related to fisheries, small traders and employees in commercial and industrial establishments. It is certainly to our credit that, in the face of the current strained international situation, these Japanese residents in that part of the world are remaining calm and absorbed in their own callings, having unshaken faith in the ideal of world peace cherished by Japan.

Central and South America

The immigration to South America became active, incidentally with the ban imposed on Japanese immigration by the United States. The arrival of 790 Japanese contract labourers in Peru in 1899 was the beginning of immigration from Japan into that part of the American Continent. However, since the immigration to Brazil began a year later, Brazil has become the foremost country receiving

TABLE 2

[Table 2 is printed sideways on p. 350.]

Japanese settlers, and the term "South American immigration" became almost synonymous with Brazilian immigration. Its heyday was during the period between 1926 and 1934, the peak years being 1933 and 1934, when the annual Japanese influx was more than 20,000. The immigration to Argentina was carried out one year earlier than that to Brazil; nevertheless, the number of immigrants was negligible.

With regard to the immigration to Central America the beginning was in 1897. Consequent upon the Gentlemen's Agreement between Japan and the United States, Mexico was opened to Japanese settlers, with the result that those who entered that country as contract labourers in 1906 and 1907 numbered 5,000 and 3,700 respectively. Japanese residents in Central and South America in October, 1939, totalled 239,725. Table 2 represents their occupational distribution.

As will be seen in the table, approximately 96 per cent of the Japanese residents in Central and South America are engaged in agriculture, and the rest in fisheries, manufacturing industry, commerce, public services and liberal professions. Thus their annual agricultural output is valued at 170,000,000 yen, while the amount invested by leading Japanese concerns reaches 20,000,000 yen.

As previously mentioned, most of the Japanese settlers in South America are in Brazil. Of the 200,000 Japanese in that country 97 per cent are occupied in farming, whose annual output amounts to 140,000,000 yen, while cotton and coffee, their staple products, being valued at 105,000,000 yen and 32,000,000 yen respectively. The greater part of the Japanese in Brazil live in San Paulo, where they have considerable influence in economic circles. A significant fact, in this respect, is that nearly half of the total cotton crops in San Paulo are being cultivated by Japanese. The production of rice, vegetables, cocoons, bananas and tea undertaken by Japanese also has a promising future. A notable success achieved in the cultivation of jute—a new industry in the Amazon basin—is a positive proof of Japanese perseverance in overcoming physical difficulties. In consequence, trade relations between Japan and Brazil have developed in recent years to the mutual benefit of the two countries. The immigration to that country, however, is today limited to only 3,000 annually, in accordance with the quota system enforced in 1935.

In Argentina also there are Japanese immigrants, who are cultivating vegetables and flowers in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, and their annual production is being valued at 3,000,000 yen and 1,250,000 yen respectively. In respect of the number of Japanese residents,

Peru comes next to Brazil. However, as Peru revised its immigration law in 1936, limiting the number of Japanese settlers to 16,000, and as there are already 20,000 Japanese in that country, the immigration of Japanese is virtually under the ban. In the early days, the immigrants worked on sugar plantations. The agrarian system as well as farming conditions prevailing there, however, rendered it extremely difficult for them to become independent farmers. Accordingly they left the plantations for cities such as Lima, Callao, etc., where they settled down as small traders. This brought them into competition with the medium- and small-scale Peruvian business interests which, to a certain extent, contributed to the unfortunate outbreak of the anti-Japanese incident last summer. Consequently the Japanese Government is advising them to return to the farms. Those Japanese who have settled as farmers are engaged principally in the cultivation of cotton, whose annual production amounts to 22,000,000 yen. Paraguay is another Latin American country where Japanese have possibilities of prospering in future. In the course of the past three or four years, more than 600 farmers have settled down there.

At present it may not be possible to send a large number of emigrants to Central or South America, due to the rigid provisions of the immigration laws in force there. Trade and other economic possibilities, however, are certainly reassuring.

South Sea Regions

The immigration to the South Sea regions began with the sending of miners as contract labourers to Australia and New Caledonia in 1891. It must be remembered, however, that those who actually laid the foundation for Japanese colonization were 3,000 Japanese labourers, employed in the construction of roads in the Philippine Islands in 1903. Upon completion of the construction work their employment ceased. About 180 of them moved to Davao, where they settled down to be pioneers of Japanese colonization. In the Netherlands East Indies traders played a leading role in founding Japanese settlements. At the outset, they peddled medicine to the natives. When the World War broke out in 1914, the islands were cut off from communication with Europe, which afforded Japanese traders an opportunity to supply their goods extensively. The emigration to British Malay, Thailand, French Indo-China commenced with the beginning of the present century and continued to 1914. In recent years British Borneo too have received our immigrants.

Japanese residents in the Outer South Sea region totalled 39,526

in October, 1939. Their distribution by countries is as follows:

As for their occupational distribution, it is given in table 3 below. According to the table, 50 per cent represent members of the family. The rest are engaged in trade, fisheries, farming and forestry. Farming is most popular among Japanese in Davao, where 16,000 of them are raising hemp. Vegetables are cultivated near Baguio, Luzon Island, in the Philippines; hemp and cocoanut in the eastern coast of British Borneo. In the plateau of the Malay Peninsula vegetables are also raised.

TABLE 3

Recently Japanese trade has developed considerably in the South Sea regions. No doubt it is due to the trading activities of 6,000 Japanese, most of whom live in cities, but go from town to town peddling miscellaneous goods and serving the needs of the native population. The capital invested in these commercial activities amounts approximately to 40,000,000 yen, and the annual transactions are estimated at 126,000,000 yen. Japanese investments in

other enterprises in these regions, such as agriculture, mining and fisheries, amounting only to 300,000,000 yen, are insignificant as compared with those of 6,000,000,000 yen, 1,100,000,000 yen and 900,000,000 yen by the Netherlands, Great Britain and China respectively.

Of those investments by Japanese interests, the amount invested in rubber plantations reaching 80,000,000 yen is the largest. The leading rubber producing district is the Malay Peninsula, followed by Dutch Sumatra and British Borneo. There are 35 major Japanese concerns interested in rubber production, while 170 rubber plantations are owned by individuals.

The Japanese investment ranking next to rubber is in the cultivation of hemp, which amounts to approximately 50,000,000 yen. Of the total hemp produced in Davao 75 per cent, and that produced in the Philippines 40 per cent, are handled by Japanese, which include 40 concerns and 4,000 farm households. After 10 years of hard labour, Japanese lately began to produce Manila hemp even in eastern British North Borneo. Other investments in agricultural products include 32,000,000 yen in cocoanut cultivation and 175,000,000 yen in sisal hemp, quinine, pepper, cotton, coffee, and tea.

There are also increasing activities of our forestry interests in the lumbering enterprises, which supply building materials and pulp. The investment in these enterprises amounts to 28,000,000 yen. Some 15 establishments are interested in this industry.

The investment in the mining industry reaches 55,000,000 yen with 30 concerns operating. Among the various minerals produced in the South Sea regions, what the Japanese are interested in are iron, manganese, gold, copper, chrome, nickel, bauxite, tin, mica and oil.

In fisheries approximately 12,000,000 yen is invested, which bring in an annual catch valued at 8,000,000 yen. The principal catches are bonito, tuna, followed by pearl shells and small fishes. Since, however, the countries in these regions, excepting Borneo, do not grant the coastwise fishery rights to aliens, Japanese engaged in this industry have been greatly handicapped in their activities.

Mention must be made, in this connection, of the protective measures carried out by the Government for the promotion of emigration. As early as 1896, 5 years after the first emigration company was established, the Emigration Protection Law was enacted. Since 1923, subsidies have been granted to various organizations related to emigration and colonization. In 1925, the Overseas Emigration Associations Law was enacted, which enabled the landed settlers,

emigrants who would purchase land and undertake colonization to emigrate to various countries. On the other hand, in each prefecture an overseas emigration association was set up. In 1927, a training station was established in Kobe, with a view to giving necessary information and knowledge so as to enable them to live as good and useful members of the communities to which they are to belong. In 1933 a similar institution was established in Nagasaki. In the meantime, the Department of Overseas Affairs was created to take charge of all affairs concerning emigration and colonization. The activities of the Department in guiding and directing the settlers overseas are responsible, to no small degree, for enormous strides made by them, as has been described, not only in their economic status but also in their usefulness to the peoples among whom they live.