A Sociological Study of Japanese Brazilians in Urban Settings : With a Special Reference to the Relationships between Brazilians and Local Residents

在过去的十年里，由于劳动力短缺，日本的巴西人在日本城市地区迅速增加。他们逗留的时间越来越长，其中一些人应该永久居留。然而，巴西人和日本当地居民之间的接触仍然没有发展。首先，他们集体住在公司提供的某些公寓里。第二，形成了一个民族社区，民族企业使巴西人能够像在巴西一样舒适地生活。所以，他们可以不与日本当地居民接触，但他们不能在小日本完全孤立地生活，特别是他们制造的噪音和垃圾会带来文化摩擦。当然，语言问题、价值观念、生活方式的差异也会造成文化摩擦。日本当地居民习惯于见到巴西人，但很难亲自认识他们。但我想指出，通过志愿者活动、中小学生和宗教网络，可以在巴西人和日本人之间建立友好关系。

For the last ten years, Japanese Brazilians have rapidly increased in urban areas of Japan due to the shortage of labor force. The period of their stay are become longer and some of them are supposed to stay permanently. However, the contact between Brazilians and Japanese local residents has remained undeveloped.Structural factors for segregation are as follows. First, they live collectively in certain apartment houses provided by companies. Second, an ethnic community is formed and ethnic businesses enable Brazilians to live as comfortably as they are in Brazil. So, they can dispense with contact with Japanese local residents.But they cannot live in a perfectly isolated situation in small Japan ; cultural frictions are brought about especially by the noises and trashes they make. Cultural frictions are resulted, of course, from language problems, different senses of values, life style differences.Japanese local residents are accustomed to see Brazilians, but very difficult to become acquainted with them personally. But I would like to point out that it is possible to create a friendly relationship between Brazilians and Japanese through volunteer activities, primary and middle school children, and a network of religions.