In November 2024, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba commemorated the 125th anniversary of the first Japanese immigration to Peru. Both leaders expressed a commitment to building up their relations while honoring the contributions of the Nikkei community in Peru. While a seemingly small part of the Peruvian population, it is estimated that these 200,000 Japanese-Peruvians are the third largest Nikkei, or Japanese descendants, population after Brazil and the United States. 

As the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with Japan in 1873, immigrants to Peru were initially welcomed and even encouraged to supply necessary labor, particularly on coastal sugar and cotton farms. At the same time, Japanese people facing unemployment and poverty were eager to sign labor contracts in hopes of making money and returning to Japan in a few years. The first 790 Japanese immigrants arrived in April 1899. 

During the 20th century, Peru instituted restrictive immigration laws in response to Peru workers’ protests that Asian immigrants would compete for jobs, lower wages, and monopolize industries. However, Chinese and Japanese still represented the largest groups of immigrants in Peru in the early 20th century. For example, in the capital Lima and neighboring Callao Japanese 

accounted for 33% and Chinese accounted for 20% of the immigrants according to the 1931 census. Peruvian citizenship for Peruvian-born children of immigrants was even taken away in 1936 and eventually reinstated in 1962. 

By the time World War II began approximately 240,000 Japanese had arrived in Peru. These Japanese in Peru were subjected to the same hostility as those in the US. Peru, aligned with the Allied Powers and the US seized Japanese assets, forbade groups to assemble, and sent close to 1,800 Japanese-Peruvians to internment camps in Texas. Eleven Latin American countries sent Japanese to US internment camps but the majority, 84%, were from Peru. Notably, Brazil with the largest Japanese community in Latin America refused to deport them. 

Despite the negative sentiment, many Japanese-Peruvians remained in Peru and focused on acculturation. To this day Japanese influence can be felt in Peru’s culture and food with Nikkei cuisine blending Japanese cooking with Peruvian flavors for a unique fusion. The Japanese-Peruvian community also had an impact on politics with the election of Alberto Fujimori who held office of President from 1990 to 2000. While his presidency remains divisive due to allegations of corruption and human rights violation it nevertheless highlights the prominence of Japanese-Peruvians as a part of Peru’s make-up. 

From the early arrivals of the Japanese laborers to their contributions in business, politics and cuisine the Japanese-Peruvians impact is woven into Peruvian history. The stories of Peru and its immigrant communities, like the Japanese, are important in understanding how immigrants integrate, shape their new home countries, and contribute to national identity. The rich and complex history of Japanese-Peruvians highlights the cultural and diplomatic bridge that connects these two nations.

Works Cited

Kushner, Eve. “Japanese-Peruvians-Reviled and Respected: The Paradoxial Place of Peru’s Nikkei.” NACLA, 25 Sept. 2007, 

nacla.org/article/japanese-peruvians-reviled-and-respected-paradoxial-place-peru%27s-ni kkei. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025. 

Palma, Patricia. “Peru’s Historical Anxiety about Asian Immigration May Have a Contemporary Twist.” Migrationpolicy.org, 13 June 2024, 

www.migrationpolicy.org/article/peru-asian-immigration-history. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025. Wallace, Nina. “Photo Essay: Japanese Peruvian Lives before World War II.” Densho: Japanese American Incarceration and Japanese Internment, 18 Apr. 2022, 

densho.org/catalyst/photo-essay-japanese-peruvian-lives-before-world-war-ii/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.