2026.05.14
Every year, around 50 junior high school students of Japanese descent (Nikkei) visit JICA Yokohama, divided into two groups that travel in summer and winter.
This year, a group of 36 students came to Japan from January 13 to February 5.
JICA Yokohama welcomes many participants from around the world for various training programs, but hosting junior high school students is particularly special.
In this blog, I introduce what makes this program unique, along with the background behind it.
This program invites students from Japanese language schools overseas—equivalent to junior high school students in Japan—who are expected to play a leading role in the future of Nikkei communities around the world.
Through learning about the history of Japanese migration, experiencing life at Japanese junior high schools, participating in homestays, and engaging in a variety of cultural activities, participants deepen their understanding of Japan and their own roots.
The program also provides an opportunity for them to rediscover and reaffirm their identity as members of the Nikkei community.
Launched in 1987, this junior high school invitation program has welcomed more than 1,500 participants to date.
Today, approximately five million descendants of Japanese migrants (Nikkei) live around the world, including about three million in Latin America.
Over the years, these Nikkei communities have built strong bonds of trust with Japan and are often regarded as some of the world’s most knowledgeable and friendly supporters of Japan.
As generations shift within Nikkei communities in various countries, it is essential for younger generations to develop a strong sense of identity as Nikkei in order for these communities to remain sustainable and continue to grow.
JICA supports Japanese-language education and the passing down of cultural traditions in Nikkei communities, while also focusing on nurturing the next generation of leaders who will carry these communities forward.
JICA’s predecessor organization, the Japan Emigration Service, promoted overseas migration as a national policy in the post-war period, sending many Japanese migrants to Latin America.
This has become the foundation of the strong ties that continue to connect Japan and Nikkei communities today.
Nikkei university students enjoying a Japanese calligraphy experience
Nikkei high school students enjoying a Japanese calligraphy experience
Since the Meiji era, many Japanese migrants set out for the wider world from the Port of Yokohama, laying the foundations of Nikkei communities in North America as well as Central and South America.
Yokohama was also the place where migrants received language training and prepared for life abroad.
Because of this history, JICA Yokohama is home to the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum, making it a place where visitors can learn about the history of Japanese migration and the journey of Nikkei communities.
Here, participants gain insight into how their ancestors survived and built new lives in unfamiliar lands, and deepen their understanding of their own roots.
Many participants, who carry identities tied to both their home countries and Japan, have grown up hearing stories about Japanese society from older relatives and members of their local Nikkei communities.
Coming to Japan and experiencing it firsthand, each participant joins the program with a wide range of thoughts and emotions.
The indigo dyeing experience shown in the photos is one such activity. As participants see, touch, and experience Japan for themselves, they encounter moments of joy and excitement, while also facing questions and challenges related to their own identity.
Over the 24-day program, these junior high school students at a highly formative stage of life share their feelings, exchange perspectives, and reflect together. On the final day, they present their learning and insights through group presentations.
Following the final presentation session, the participants come together for a farewell gathering, where they sing a Japanese song they practiced throughout the program—bringing their shared experience to a warm and memorable close.
Nikkei junior high school students experiencing traditional Japanese indigo dyeing
Many participants shared heartfelt reflections on their experience.
Some said, “I joined the program because I wanted to learn more about my roots. Through attending a Japanese junior high school and interacting with local students, I was able to truly feel the differences in culture. I hope to become a bridge between my country and Japan in the future.”
Others commented, “I learned so much about Japanese culture, and it made me want to cherish it even more,” and “By learning about the history of migration, I came to understand what my grandfather may have felt when he left Japan.”
There were also voices saying, “I realized that being Nikkei is an important part of my identity,” and “These three weeks have been an unforgettable experience in my life. Even after we return to our respective countries, I hope we can treasure our friendships and meet again someday—whether in Japan or somewhere else in the world.”
Through their final presentations, I could clearly sense the joy of learning about their roots, the bonds formed with new friends, their deepened understanding of Japanese culture, and their growing respect for different cultures. Each participant demonstrated remarkable personal growth.
These junior high school students left their families on the other side of the world to take part in a program lasting more than three weeks. Watching them take on this challenge, it is impossible not to feel excited about what the future holds for them.
In fact, I have even met a Latin American diplomat who once participated in this very program. It truly embodies JICA’s vision of “Leading the world with trust.”
If you are interested in Nikkei or the history of Japanese migration overseas, we warmly invite you to visit the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum at JICA Yokohama.
Under the theme “Dedicated to Those Japanese Who Have Taken Part in Molding New Civilizations in the Americas,” the museum explores the history of Japanese migration and the daily experiences of their descendants—ancestors of the participants—who crossed the oceans in an era without the internet, venturing into unknown places to establish new lives abroad.
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