Asunción and the Japanese language

Saturday morning.

I hear thunder and see lightning through the wooden slats of my window shutters. Rain is pouring out of the sky!

Today will include a visit to the Asunción Japanese language school and the offices of the Japanese Federation.

Paraguayan scholar and social scientist, Emi Kasamatsu writes: "Young and adult Nikkei in Paraguay are considered to be among the most accomplished speakers of Japanese on the continent, and to live in such a way that most closely represents their ancestors' lifestyle and customs."

One of the principal reasons for this linguistic accomplishment is the Paraguayan Japanese language schools. This is where I went this morning.



Classes include kindergarten to high school. Peeking through the classroom windows.

Look! There's Mari sensei teaching her kindergarten class!

Pr Koki and I also sat in on this teacher's (Yoko's) class. She's serving a two-year volunteer term as a teacher in this Japanese school and doing a great job!

The morning included a nice reunion with my friend, Mana, whom we met during our mission earlier this year in February and March. Mana has also worked for the past year as a teaching volunteer in the Asunción Japanese Language school. She returns to Japan at the end of the year.

According to Kasamatsu, for the Nikkei who live in Asunción or other large cities, integration into the larger society commonly occurs, and later generations have substantially modified their sense of the importance of using the Japanese language. This is the great challenge facing Paraguayan Nikkei today.

This reality may also mean a bellweather change for the community as it seeks its next step toward the future. One thought is the question of where English language studies will ultimately fit in. And will JEMS have a place in filling that need?