The 46th Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad
Convention Declaration
We, volunteers and representatives of Nikkei and Japanese living in various countries
abroad, on 13-14 September 2005 opened the 46th Convention of Nikkei and JapaneseAbroad in Tokyo. Based upon the general theme of “Challenging the new era: Nikkei
communities abroad, their goals and issues,” the convention will debate the following
five issues: (1) Establishing trans-generational Nikkei communities, (2) The Conventionof Nikkei and Japanese abroad: its future and vision, (3) Development of the Kokusai
Nikkei Net, (4) Expectations and support for Nikkei workers, (5) Other issues (thecentenary celebration of the Japanese immigration to Brazil, the 50th anniversary of theJapanese-Mexican Association, atomic bomb victims living overseas, old-age pensions
for the elderly, the promotion and expansion of overseas voting, support of abandoned
Japanese-Filipino children, the understanding and strengthening of relations between
Japan and the Republic of Korea, requests for the archiving of resource materials
concerning the War Brides’ Conferences in the Overseas Emigration Resource Museumand so on). The convention has formed resolutions for these issues along the lines of thefollowing four areas, and by putting together our requests to the relevant government
agencies and Japanese society, issue an eight-point declaration in the name of thisconvention.
【Resolutions】(1) We will strive to establish Nikkei communities corresponding to the reality of
today’s Nikkei people, including the younger generation.
Since the beginning of the migration of Japanese in the Meiji period and up until today,
we, the Nikkei people, have been working to promote the nurturing of our descendants,
and endeavoring to ensure that Nikkei communities are maintained and developed andthat exchange with Japan does not disappear. However, as these descendents become
third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation, it is impossible to deny the reality that a gap isappearing between the younger generation and the middle-aged and elderly generations,with the younger generation’s sense of identity as Nikkei becoming weaker and anincreasing tendency for them to pull away from the Nikkei community. At thisconvention, we earnestly debated this problem; and with the objective of making Nikkei
communities more inclusive of this group as the younger Nikkei generation, we haveconcluded that the following points are necessary: (1) Most importantly, humanresources development, the heart of which is Japanese language education, (2)Regarding the employment of Nikkei in Japan, finding solutions to the various issues
connected with this and ensuring that such employment is simple and stable, (3)Japanese companies expanding their businesses overseas should be proactive inemploying skilled Nikkei in responsible positions of great importance, (4)Strengthening exchanges between the younger generation and Japan, and allowing themto maintain and develop Japan’s great culture. We intend to put forth our every effort inthe cause of these objectives and issues. In particular, regarding the preeminently
important issue of Japanese language education, following on from the resolution of lastyear’s convention, we will cooperate with our mother country Japan to strongly promote
the enhancing of Japanese language education for Nikkei. With regard to this, we willcontinue to offer our comprehensive cooperation to the Japanese government’s
economic and technical cooperation operations that emphasize such issues as humanresources development programs for children of Nikkei which include Japanese
language education, and policies for the elderly.
(2) The Nikkei communities must endeavor to play a proactive role in the stagingof the Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad.
The Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad, held once a year in the Japanese
capital Tokyo, is a vital tie between these communities and the mother country Japan,
and we feel that continuing it is extremely important for the maintenance anddevelopment of the Nikkei communities. Currently, at the Convention of Nikkei andJapanese Abroad, which was, with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs andthe Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), held under the auspices of theNikkei Foundation, the Nikkei who attend are in a sense attending in the position of“guests.” However, for the Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad to be true to its
name, the Nikkei must take a proactive role. The chairing of the convention by a Nikkei
since the 45th Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad last year is an indication ofprogress in this regard. However, this year’s conference debated keenly as to what
specific policies were needed in order to promote this further. It was agreed that astrengthening of ties between the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad and theNikkei communities was necessary. The Steering Committee meeting “For partnership
between the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad and overseas Nikkei
communities” held on the morning of the first day of the convention and the YouthConference held at the initiative of the younger Nikkei generation under the theme “Therole of the next Nikkei generation,” represent a first step towards this.
(3) We will continue to promote the establishment of the “Kokusai Nikkei Net.”On 2 February 2005, with the president of the Nikkei Foundation as its chair, theKokusai Nikkei Net Council, which centered on the Association of Nikkei and JapaneseAbroad and has as its aim the establishment of the “Kokusai Nikkei Net,” a global
information network linking Nikkei communities all around the world, was establishedwithin the Yokohama Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad as we agreed in theresolutions of last year’s 45th Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad. Active efforts
are being made to establish the network. Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka
Machimura said yesterday in his greetings to the Convention of Nikkei and JapaneseAbroad, “I believe that in an international society in which globalization andinterdependent relations are progressing step by step, establishing an information
network that will strengthen ties by creating links between Nikkei communities and also
between Nikkei and the Japanese is of the utmost importance.” We also believe this;thus, by giving support across the board to the activities of the Kokusai Nikkei Net
Council, using the already existing networks of the Pan American Nikkei Associationand the Brazil Japan Culture Association as a reference, and with the cooperation of
those organizations, we are continuing to make progress towards the establishment ofthe Kokusai Nikkei Network. The activities of the council are currently receiving a great
deal of support. However, according to the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad
which is the core of the council, regarding the administration of the establishment of thesystem, the association has reached a state where it can no longer depend upon funds
donated by companies as was its original policy, and the association has difficulty
covering activities with its own funds. The association explained that the council must
therefore approach the various relevant national and local government organizations
with its basic policy of endeavoring to establish this network, an idea that was assented
to by the convention.
(4) We welcome Nikkei in the role of workers in Japan, and are making every
possible effort to find solutions to the various problems which have arisen fromsuch employment, and to make their employment simple and stable.
We strongly welcome the contribution which the employment of Nikkei within Japanmakes towards the strengthening of understanding and good relations between Japanand overseas Nikkei communities, and through this, Nikkei communities’ adopted
countries. For this reason, and in order to make the employment of Nikkei in Japan
simple and stable, we believe that the most important thing is preparatory education
prior to Nikkei’s arrival in Japan. In particular now, with regard to a significant problem
that has been raised regarding this employment, namely “a feeling that there is a lack ofharmony between Nikkei and Japanese,” we will make every possible effort to ensurethat Nikkei participate in specific activities such as the payment of public welfare
expenses like taxation, health insurance and pensions, in order to ensure such harmony.
Regarding the various problems of Nikkei worker employment, social welfare and the
crucially important education of children, we are now endeavoring to provide solutions
to problems by enhancing and strengthening still further both the quality and quantity ofthe ongoing gathering of information, and of the preparatory education for Nikkei prior
to their arrival in Japan, as well as thoroughly eliminating immoral agents.
【Requests】(1) For the establishment of Nikkei communities corresponding to the reality of thenew age
For the establishment of Nikkei communities which correspond to the reality of today’s
Nikkei people including the younger generation, we desire that Japanese companies beproactive in employing skilled Nikkei for responsible positions of great importance, andrequest the support and cooperation of Japanese government, relevant Japaneseorganizations, and Japanese society regarding the strengthening of exchanges between
Japan and Nikkei communities and the employment of Nikkei within Japan.
(2) For the promotion of Japanese language education
We continue to request the assistance of the Japanese government, relevantorganizations and particularly Japanese companies and universities with regard to thepromotion of Japanese language education.
(3) Cooperation and assistance for the centenary celebration of Japaneseimmigration to Brazil

In recognition of the importance of the 2008 centenary celebration of the Japaneseimmigration to Brazil which will take place in three years time, we again ask forcooperation and support.
(4) Cooperation and assistance for the 50th anniversary of the Japanese-MexicanAssociation in 2006
Next year (2006) on July 27, the Nikkei community in Mexico will celebrate the 50thanniversary of its foundation. It is impossible to imagine the present Mexican Nikkei
community without the existence of the Japanese-Mexican Association. The
association’s 50th anniversary is of great significance with regard to the future
maintenance and development of the Mexican Nikkei community, and we request thecooperation and assistance of Nikkei communities around the world including ourmother country Japan.
(5) Relief for aging first-wave immigrants and atomic bomb victims
It is said that although a few of the first-wave immigrants to Brazil have been very
successful, many others would not be able to enjoy a decent quality of life if it were notfor the generous relief of the Japanese government, and in particular the conditions forthe victims of the atomic bomb would be harsh. The Japanese government is providing
these people, if they come to Japan, with old age pensions and atomic bomb victim
aftercare; however, we urge taking this one step further and making it possible for suchpeople to register at their local consulate or embassy and be provided with such relief.
(6) Promoting participation in overseas voting
It is wonderful that in the fifth balloting by overseas voters in the election of the Houseof Representatives held in September, the numbers of voters rose; however, theestimated rate of registration was just over 10%, while the voting rate was no more than
one quarter of that number. We call upon our fellow overseas Japanese to take part inoverseas voting; however, the reason for the low registration and voting rate is thecumbersome procedure still used in the postal voting system. We strongly request thereformation of the system to make overseas voters more willing to vote and also make itpossible for overseas voters to vote in local elections. It was ruled in the High Court thatto disallow overseas voting in local elections was unconstitutional. Based upon this, wedesire the Japanese government to enact as soon as possible the bill which will allow
overseas voters to vote in local elections as well. Also, it may be added that as a resultof the experience of the overseas voter who ran in the regular election of the House ofCouncilors in July last year, there is an increasing awareness among overseas voters thatinterest of voters within Japan towards overseas voters is extremely low, and that therealization of overseas voting in local elections is the only way to make the voice ofoverseas voters heard directly in the Diet.
(7) The War Brides’ Conference resource materials
The international marriages which followed World War II and involved primarily
Japanese women constitute but one portion of the story of Japanese emigration.
However, we were requested by the War Brides’ Conference that the valuable resource
materials on this topic, including related newsletters, be archived in the JICA Yokohama
Overseas Emigration Museum. This convention supports this request, and asks that theJICA office deal with the request accordingly.
(8) Extending caring support towards Japanese-Filipino children abandoned byJapanese fathers
In the Philippines, there are many Japanese-Filipino children who have been abandoned
by Japanese fathers who were stationed in the country as employees. Whilst imploringthese fathers to reflect upon their actions, we also appeal for Japanese society to extend
its caring support towards these children.
September 14, 2005
The 46 Converntion of Japanese and Nikkei Abroadth