Tracing the Root of Okinawan emigrants The beginning of actual emigration started in 1885, when people in mainland Japan move to Hawaii. In 1900-approximately 15 years from the initial Japanese migration, 26 Okinawan people traveled to Hawaii as migrant labors for the sugarcane fields. This is considered to be the root of 340,000 Okinawan emigrants although there were a few Okinawans who went to the United States on the same purpose before 1900. Summary of emigration prior to WWII The second emigration to Hawaii from Okinawa took place three years later in 1903 and 40 people were sent there as agricultural free emigrants. The emigrants to Hawaii increased in 1904 and the departure to Mexico and Philippine also started this year. The first emigration to the South America began with Peru in 1906 and Brazil two years later. The large portion of colonists was to Hawaii and the total number of Okinawan migrants was recorded as 4,670 in 1906. The emigration to all over the world had continued and there are more Japanese expatriates before WWII than in the postwar era-especially between the Taisho era (1912-1925) and in the 10s of the Showa era (1936-1943). About 75% of migration from Okinawa lives in the South America. According to the emigration statistics, there are 72,227 Okinawans moved to overseas prior to the Second World War, between 1899 and 1941. It is 11% of all the Japanese emigration-the total number of Japanese colonists is 655,661 during that period, and is the second largest prefecture sending its people to overseas, following Hiroshima prefecture. 96,848 people from Hiroshima traveled to overseas-14.8% of the Japanese emigration during that time period. Okinawans stayed and lived overseas at 1940 accounted 9.97% of resident population of their new home. It is incomparably higher than that of mainland Japanese (1.03%)-9.68% times larger than them. There are six prefectures that are considered to be largest ones sending its people to other countries including Okinawa and Hiroshima (3.88% of the resident population-Kumamoto (that of 4.78%), Yamaguchi (that of 3.23%), Wakayama (that of 2.57%) and Saga (that of 2.08%). One out of ten Okinawans moved to overseas as compared to one out of a hundred in mainland Japan. Their Hometown Most Okinawan emigrants came from mainland Okinawa as well as other islands. Those who moved to Hawaii for the first and the second emigrations were mostly from Kin. The emigration phenomenon moved to Chubu and Shimajiri counties, shifted back to Kunigami county, and then to smaller islands. Very few left for Hawaii and the South America from Miyako and Yaeyama islands although many emigrated to Taiwan and southeastern islands. Causes of Emigration The most essential factor for Okinawan emigration is financial-economic migration and money making. However, other social factors such as the employment of a new land law following the abolition of allocation system, existence of pioneers of emigration and military draft avoidance, also had a great impact on the movement. Moreover, a personal motivation of emigration and interests of entry of new life in a different country sparked them. All the circumstances mentioned above functioned intricately. Regions of Emigration Okinawans residing Brazil at 1940 consisted of 28.4% (16,287 people) of those who moved to overseas (the total number was 57,283). 23% of them (13,146) started living in Hawaii, 18.7% (10,717) in Peru and 17.3% (9,899) in Philippine islands. 87.4% of emigrants from Okinawa dwelled in these four countries/regions. Okinawans moved to 23 different areas including Argentina, Malaysia, China, and mainland U.S. There were 60,000 Okinawans living in the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia, 20,000 in Taiwan, 2,000 in Manchuria during Japanese occupation before WWII. There were also quite a few Okinawans resided in Korea, Sakhalin and Guandong. Okinawan Oversea Societies Articles regarding Okinawan emigrants on newspapers in Okinawa are unique to mainland Japan. It means that Okinawa as a prefecture has strong bond with Issei, Nisei, and Sansei and that emigrant phenomenon have enormous news values to the media. The advance of globalization, the improvement of internationalized and information society is not foreign to us any more. It is possible to know overseas Okinawan societies and their cultures, and there are more opportunities to interact with them. Emigrants are the pioneers of international exchange and contribution, and play major roles oversea communities. It is not exaggerated to say that they are private sector diplomats. Being emigrants from an underdeveloped prefecture, they overcame a number of hardships and worked very hard to improve their life and enjoy their children-fs and grandchildren-fs development. There are a lot of Issei migrants who are accepted as dedicated citizens of good faith and hard work in their new home, enjoy longevity and have a fulfilling life. They helped Okinaw-fs economic devealopment through money transfer before WWII. During the distressing postwar years, those who moved overseas offered their help to their war-damaged motherland. Nikkeijin in the South America There are approximately 2.7 million Nikkeijin around the world and most of them live in the North and the South Americas. The largest group among them live in Brazil (1.5 million)-followed by 90,000 in Peru, 50,000 in Argentina, 20,000 in Bolivia and 10,000 in Paraguay. 1.67 million live in these five countries and it represents 62% of Nikkeijin throughout the world. The estimated Okinawans live in Brazil are 150,000 (10% of Nikkeijin in the region), 63,000 in Peru (70%), 35,000 in Argentina (70%) 12,000 in Bolivia (60%) and 100 in Paraguay (1%).