The 45th Convention of Japanese and Nikkei Abroad – Convention Declaration
We, the representatives and supporters of Nikkei abroad all over the world, held the45th Convention of Japanese and Nikkei Abroad on October 27-28, 2004, in Tokyo.
During the Convention, under the general theme of “To strengthen the collaboration
between Nikkei communities and Japan, our mother land,” we discussed the fivesub-themes of (1) Japanese language education, human resources development, andcollaboration on economic and technical cooperation projects of the Government ofJapan; (2) Nikkei working and residing in Japan; (3) construction of an International
Nikkei Net; (4) overseas voting; and (5) other issues (that of atomic bomb survivors,etc.), and approved the four resolutions below. We declare in the name of theConvention that we have summarized these four resolutions into a request to theGovernment of Japan and related organizations.
The Convention also expresses its deepest sympathies to the people who lost their lives
in the Chuetsu Earthquake whose aftershocks have been continuing since October 23,
and sincerely hopes that the people in the afflicted region will be able to reconstructtheir lives as soon as possible.
[Resolutions](1) Promotion of Japanese language education and full cooperation with theeconomic and technical cooperation projects of the Government of Japan
From the Meiji Era to the present day, we immigrants have maintained an environment
conducive to Japanese language education for the second, third and fourth succeeding
generations and have endeavored to carry out human resources development of Nikkei
communities. Japanese language education is extremely important for the maintenanceand development of Nikkei communities and for exchanges with Japan. We willcontinue to strongly promote Japanese language education for our successors incollaboration with Japan, our mother land. In relation to this, the Nikkei communities
abroad will provide full cooperation to the economic and technical cooperation projectsof the Government of Japan that place priority on human resources development for thechildren of immigrants, including Japanese language education, and measures for theelderly, etc.
(2) Efforts to resolve issues relating to Nikkei workers
We will endeavor to resolve the various issues of Nikkei workers relating toemployment, welfare, education, etc. For example, we will expand and strengthen both
qualitatively and quantitatively the current programs for information gathering and prioreducation for Nikkei before they come to Japan, and will clamp down on organizations
that illegally dispatch workers to Japan. However, the cooperation and support of theGovernment of Japan and Japanese society are essential to achieve this. The October 5report of the “Overseas Exchange Council,” a consultative body to the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, also indicated the importance of resolving issues such as Nikkei(newcomer) employment, schooling of Nikkei children, etc.
(3) Promotion of the construction of “International Nikkei Net”
We assent to the establishment of the “International Nikkei Net Council” tasked withthe construction of the “International Nikkei Net,” a global information network linking
Nikkei communities all over the world through the Internet and centered on theAssociation of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad, and we will promote the construction of thisnet. We will build a system to enable the voices of we Nikkei to be linked to Japan, ourmother land, enable communication between Nikkei communities abroad and Japan andcommunication among the Nikkei communities all over the world, and further
strengthen the relationships between all these groups.
(4) Strengthening campaigns for the promotion of participation in overseas voting
The House of Councillors election in July this year was the third instance of overseas
voting. It included candidates residing outside Japan and received a lot of coverage inthe mass media. However, the electoral roll registration rate and voter turnout for votersresiding overseas remained low, and we consider this to be extremely regrettable. For
this reason, we intend to redouble our efforts to promote voter registration andparticipation in voting, and we will continue to strengthen our campaigns to simplify thevoter registration and election procedures, recognize the right to vote in the constituency
election system, and realize an overseas constituency for people abroad.
[Requests](1) Centenary Anniversary of Emigration to Brazil
We request cooperation and support for the Centenary Anniversary of Emigration toBrazil to be held in 2008.
(2) Project to Invite to Japan Nikkei Residing Abroad
We would like the Project to Invite to Japan Nikkei Residing Abroad, which has been
terminated since this fiscal year, to continue to exist in some form.
(3) Japanese language education
We strongly urge the cooperation and support of the companies and universities ofJapan for the promotion of Japanese language education.
(4) Support for atomic bomb survivors residing outside Japan
We request the immediate implementation of the Ministry of Health, Labour andWelfare’s “Project to Provide Health Care Subsidies to Atomic Bomb Survivors
Residing Outside Japan” which mandates the payment of benefits such as health careallowances, etc. to atomic bomb survivors residing outside Japan based on the landmarkdecision of the Osaka District Court of June 1, 2001 ruling that it was illegal to exclude
atomic bomb survivors residing outside Japan from the scope of the Atomic BombVictims Relief Law and on the Osaka High Court decision of December 5, 2002. We
also request the prompt implementation of the decision of the Nagasaki District Court ofSeptember 28, 2004 making it possible for atomic bomb survivors residing overseas topetition for application of the Atomic Bomb Victims Relief Law without coming toJapan.
October 28, 2004
The 45th Convention of Japanese and Nikkei Abroad