Together with Nikkei Communities

Throughout Latin America and North America, there are numerous Japanese associations established mainly by immigrant Japanese to provide mutual support. For nearly 40 years since the 1970s, The Nippon Foundation has been providing support to these associations in areas such as the construction, maintenance and improvement of nursing homes, hospitals, gyms, and cultural centers.
Today, these facilities are trusted by people in the local communities and serve as bridges between Japan and the countries where Nikkei have settled.

The Nippon Foundation has provided support for the restoration of Japanese nationality to displaced Japanese and their families who were left behind in China, Sakhalin and the Philippines after the World War II. They were treated as “stateless persons” and were left in search of information on their relatives and their identities.
For example, from 2006 to 2019, The Nippon Foundation provided support for second-generation displaced Japanese left behind in the Philippines, by collecting evidence documents, filling procedures for registration, and arranging face-to-face meetings with relatives.
As a result, a total of 249 affected persons recovered their Japanese nationality.

The Nippon Foundation funds a scholarship program to support young Nikkei leaders to study in Japan with the aim of enabling them to deepen their understanding of Japan and act as bridges between their home countries and Japan. Through the Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship run by the Association of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad, The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship run by the Association of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad, has been awarded to 139 young Nikkei from 11 countries in Latin America and Asia (as of March 2022) . Today, graduates are actively engaged in wide range of fields such as medicine, education, Japanese art and culture. They are contributing to the development of Nikkei communities in their local regions and beyond.

The Nippon Foundation has supported the Discover Nikkei portal site, operated by the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), since its launch in 2005. A global awareness survey of Nikkei, the first of its kind and jointly carried out by JANM and the Foundation in 2019-20, showed that 90% of young Nikkei are interested in building ties with other Nikkei across national and regional borders. At the same time, however, they have few opportunities to connect with other Nikkei outside their own communities. In response to this need in Nikkei society, this online platform facilitates two-way exchanges of information with the aim of creating a stronger network of diverse Nikkei individuals around the world.