＝The Declaration of the 59th Convention of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad＝Share the Worldwide Nikkei Legacy and Make the Nikkei Network Stronger
June 6, 2018, Honolulu, Hawaii
We, Nikkei,assembled in Hawaii from all over the world for the 59th Convention of Nikkei andJapanese Abroad (June 6, 2018) and discussed the comprehensive theme “Share theworldwide Nikkei legacy for the Future - Commemorating the 150th anniversary ofGannenmono (the first Japanese immigrants) in Hawaii”. We hereby declare this resolution
consisting of the following six items as the achievement of the Convention.
１．【Nikkei Legacy】Honesty, diligence, cooperation and gratitude (okagesamade)― we, Nikkei
abroad, have inherited such values and way of living from our parents and grandparents. Nikkei havecontributed to local communities all over the world in a wide range of fields including agriculture,education, medical care, social welfare, and business network. It has been confirmed that theinherited Japanese culture is impacting the life and culture of the societies where Nikkei reside. Being
proud of the Nikkei legacy, we will continue to pass it down to the next generation of Nikkei and topromote it to the people of societies where they reside.as well.
２．
【Nikkei museums】Nikkei museums around the world are developing activities to preserveand disseminate the Nikkei legacy reflecting the uniqueness of each country. We promote
information exchange and cooperation among those museums in order to share the Nikkei legacyof each region as a common property and to further promote its knowledge. For that purpose, wewill try to establish the Council of Nikkei Museums.
３ ．【 Globalization and Nikkei 】 Having acquired the local language and culture and lived in
multicultural societies, Nikkei are precious human resources who can contribute to Japan’sglobalization. We hope that their comprehensive capacity will be evaluated and applied in global
business development of Japanese companies and international cooperation of Japan’s public andprivate sectors, which will also inspire Nikkei without any direct connections with Japan to develop
an interest in Japan.
４．
【Identity establishment among the younger generation】The younger generation who grew up
with the identity as Nikkei have respected Japan’s sense of values and culture based on therecognition of what are different and same between their home country and Japan. Japanese
language education is an important component of preserving the Nikkei identity. We request that
the Japanese government take more active measures outside Japan on Japanese language
education. Young Nikkei wish to have opportunities to understand about their own roots by learningor working in Japan. To achieve this, we wish for special considerations concerning resident visa
status for Nikkei Yonsei (fourth generation)and subsequent generations as considered for Nisei andSansei (second and third generation). It is important to allow multiple citizenship also, in order tocreate an environment that enables Nikkei to play an active role globally without losing the Japaneseidentity.
５．
【Nikkei community in Japan】In the course of supporting Japan’s economic growth, the dekasegi
phenomenon from Latin America has created a Nikkei community in Japan, and the second
generation are now becoming adult members of Japan’s society. Whether to accept and support thedescendants of the Nikkei who emigrated back to Japan based on Japan’s government policy is oneof the touchstones on how Japan can adapt to the global trend of multiculturalism. We hope for thegenerous understanding and suppot of the Japanese society and government for the Nikkei
community in Japan.
６．
【International Day of Nikkei】The Gannenmono, the first immigrants from Japan, arrived in Hawaii
on June 20, 150 years ago, which is a commemorable day when the Japanese went overseas forthe first time in the modern history of Japan. Having shared the same Nikkei identity, we declare
June 20 as the “International Day of Nikkei” in order to express our appreciation for the efforts of thefirst generation, promote links and collaborations among Nikkei based on the Nikkei legacy of theworld , thus contributing further to the international society .
Last but not least, we would like to express our utmost gratitude to the Nikkei society in Hawaii andall the people who welcomed us with the warmest cooperation and support. Thank you.