Sushi and Samba

With an inversion in the etarian pyramid, a state’s resources are stretched to the limit, meaning that more workers are needed at the younger end of the population scale to support those at the top, on retirement pensions and more likely users of the public health and welfare systems.

With the dramatic situation that the Japanese demographic situation is in, Japan opens the doors to Brazilians, many of these the sons and daughters of Japanese emigrants to Brazil. There are 1.3 million Japanese descendants in Brazil, this being the largest Japanese emigrant community abroad.

Most of these are descendants of Japanese migrant workers who started to arrive in Brazil in 1908, to work on the country’s coffee plantations. As for the Brazilian community in Japan, the number has risen to 250,000. Permanent visas are being offered to these immigrants, enticing them to stay.

The Brazilian Ambassador in Japan, Ivan Cannabrava, said that “There are no historical problems” between Japan and Brazil. “There is no intention for the Brazilians to feel isolated. For Japan, this is a unique experience of a foreign community trying to integrate in the country”.

The strange mix of sushi and samba seems to be working. More permanent visas are being offered by the Japanese authorities to the Brazilian community because Brazilians are generally considered as excellent immigrant workers. Usually, they do not stay in the host country, but rather save enough money to go back to Brazil to open a business.

Marcia MIRANDA PRAVDA.Ru BRAZIL