ABSTRACT
The relations between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean could be described in three fields: historical human relations through Japanese immigrants to Latin America, economic relations via trade and investment, and political and diplomatic relations. Japan’s post-World War II policy toward the region has been consistent since the end of the Cold War. The United States remains Japan’s most important military and economic partner; Japan’s military engagements are limited to peacekeeping activities. Japanese immigrants to Latin America, who had contributed to the region’s economy and society for the last century, started to return to their ancestors’ native country Japan, mainly to gain a higher income. Brazilian residents in Japan are the third-largest group of non-Japanese, after Korean and Chinese immigrants who had come to Japan before and after World War II, according to the 2012 data of foreign registration statistics by Ministry of Justice.
