Everything started in the early 20th century when Japan was overcrowded after being completely isolated from the rest of the world for approximately 200 years. With the end of this period, Japan began to modernize, which caused unemployment for thousands of peasants, leading to economic and social problems. Therefore, the Japanese Government decided to encourage the emigration of its inhabitants through agreements with other countries such as the USA, Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. The first Japanese in Brazil arrived around 1908, with an average of 783 workers for the farms; by 1973, the number of nikkeis in Brazil was close to 200,000.
Nikkei (Japanese and descendants living outside Japan). Brazil is currently the country with the highest concentration of Nikkeis, with about 1.6 million of them.
• Issei – Japanese who came to Brazil – first generation;
• Nissei – Child of the Japanese – second generation;
• Sansei – Grandchild of the Japanese – third generation;
• Yonsei – Great-grandchild of the Japanese – fourth generation;
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Visa for yonsei
In 1980, Japan needed labor, and laws began to be created to facilitate the entry of foreign workers into the country. In 1990, the “immigration control law” was amended, allowing Nikkeis up to the third generation (sanseis) and their spouses to enter the country and engage in any paid activity with a relatively long visa for residence. However, for yonseis, it is more complicated as they can only go to Japan if they are minors (after the age of 16, it becomes more complicated for the yonsei to obtain the visa) and are accompanied by their parents.
Work visa for yonseis
What many yonseis want and have managed to demonstrate to the Japanese authorities is the right to a work visa in the same way that the second and third generations have. Currently, this does not happen, as yonseis can only obtain dependent visas, but with the increasing need for labor among other things, the Japanese Government has brought the proposal for a broader visa for yonseis to the country’s parliament, which has been analyzing the proposal. However, the initial expectation is to release the working holiday visa.
Working holiday visa
This type of visa allows the applicant to stay for a certain period in the country, during which it is possible to study and even find a job to help with expenses. The working holiday visa is granted through a reciprocal agreement between two countries to encourage travel and the exchange of experiences among their citizens. But this type of visa has some restrictions such as:
• Age limit for the applicant (usually from 18 to 35 years);
• Time limit for work (EX: 3-month contract, with 20 hours per week);
• The applicant must have enough money to support themselves (while looking for a job);
• The applicant must have some form of travel or health insurance during the stay (unless the country will cover it);
These are just examples of how the Working Holiday visa generally works.
Working Holiday visa for yonseis
The Japanese deputy Jiro Kawasaki from the PLD party (Liberal Democratic Party) is part of the committee that deals with the labor shortage and the incentive for entry into the job market. Here’s what the deputy said about the yonsei to Silvia Kikuchi from Alternativa Online:
“We started with an immediate proposal for Working Holiday and with the condition of learning Japanese, we want to increase the number of yonseis. We are hopeful. Under the Working Holiday system, people come and stay for a year in Japan to work, just like scholarship holders. But we are thinking of extending the period to three years only in the case of nikkeis. First of all, we are happy with the arrival of nikkeis, but our main concern is with the education of children. The Working Holiday will be quick; it won’t take that long.”
Silvia asked: -Maybe a year?
The deputy’s response: -Yes!
The expectation is that within a year (the interview aired on 06/16/2017), the visa for yonseis, which will initially be a Working Holiday, will be released.
How Japan benefits from the arrival of yonseis
Japan has been suffering from an aging population and a labor shortage, among other problems. With the arrival of yonseis, the labor shortage can be easily resolved, and with the Japanese Government’s proposal to offer (it will be more like a requirement, perhaps even compulsory) Japanese language education, this labor force may become qualified, as the Japanese Government wants greater integration of immigrants with Japanese society so that the problems currently afflicting the Japanese people can be resolved once and for all. In other words, yonseis could end up being a great help to Japan and even to Brazil, as the relationship between the two countries tends to be strengthened and increasingly encouraged.
Article submitted by Matheus Takeda
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