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Japan–Peru relations

{{Infobox bilateral relations|title=Japan-Peru relations|map=Japan–Peru Locator.svg|party1=Japan|party2=Peru|mission1=Embassy of Japan, Lima|mission2=Embassy of Peru, Tokyo|filetype=svg}}

Japan–Peru relations are the historical and bilateral ties between Japan and the Republic of Peru. Both countries are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Forum of East Asia–Latin America Cooperation, the World Trade Organitation and the United Nations.

History

=Early relations=

Early knowledge of Japan and Peru would have been through Spanish merchants who traded via the Manila Galleon from Acapulco, Mexico and Manila, Philippines as well as through Spanish missionaries. In Manila, the Spanish traded with Japanese merchants and brought their products to Spanish America (as Peru was part of the Spanish Empire at the time). In 1821, Peru declared its independence from Spain and in October 1868, Japan entered the Meiji period and began fostering diplomatic relations with several nations, after decades of isolation.

Prior to establishing formal diplomatic relations; in June 1872, Japan and Peru had a diplomatic incident when a Peruvian ship called the María Luz set sail from Macau to Callao carrying 232 Chinese indentured labourers for Peruvian plantations. On the way to Peru, the ship encountered a severe storm which caused some damage to the ship and called on the Japanese port of Yokohama for repairs. At port, one Chinese laborer managed to escape and jumped to shore. Once on shore, the laborer complained about severe mistreatment and asked for protection and the rescue of his fellow laborers on board. After a second laborer escaped from the ship, Japanese authorities boarded the ship and discovered that the Chinese nationals were being confined against their will under inhumane conditions. Many had been kidnapped, and most had no idea of the location of their final destination. The Japanese courts charged the captain, Ricardo Herrera, of the María Luz with wrongdoing and in violation of international law and set free the Chinese nationals.[https://www.academia.edu/1110706/El_Perú_contra_el_Imperio_del_Sol_Naciente_Conflicto_diplomático_por_la_barca_Mar%C3%ADa_Luz_y_la_Inmigración_china_al_Perú El Perú contra el Imperío del Sol Naciente (in Spanish)] A year later, in 1873, Japan and Peru formally established diplomatic relations by signing a Treaty of Friendship and Navigation.{{Cite web |url=http://www.pe.emb-japan.go.jp/esp/relaciones_bilaterales.htm |title=Reseña Histórica: Japón-Perú (in Spanish) |access-date=2017-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228032956/http://www.pe.emb-japan.go.jp/esp/relaciones_bilaterales.htm |archive-date=2017-12-28 |url-status=dead }}

In 1899, 790 Japanese migrants, aboard the Sakuramaru arrived to Peru. Most of the migrants came to the country to work on the various plantations.[https://nacla.org/article/japanese-peruvians-reviled-and-respected-paradoxial-place-perus-nikkei Japanese-Peruvians-Reviled and Respected: The Paradoxial Place of Peru's Nikkei] By 1936, 23,000 Japanese migrants immigrated to Peru. During World War II, Peruvians sacked, looted, and burned more than 600 Japanese homes and businesses in Lima, killing 10 Japanese and injuring dozens. In January 1942, Peru broke diplomatic relations with Japan over the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Soon afterwards, Peru deported over 1,700 Japanese Peruvians to the United States where they were placed in internment camps after growing pressure from the U.S. to secure Latin America from "dangerous enemy aliens." After the war, Peru re-established diplomatic relations with Japan and in 1959, Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi paid an official visit to Peru. In 1961, Peruvian President Manuel Prado Ugarteche became the first Peruvian and Latin-American head of state to visit Japan.{{Cite web |url=http://embajadadelperuenjapon.org/resena-historica/ |title=Reseña Histórica (in Spanish) |access-date=2017-08-25 |archive-date=2014-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141123084313/http://embajadadelperuenjapon.org/resena-historica/ |url-status=usurped }}

=Presidency of Alberto Fujimori=

File:Réplica embajada Japón.jpg

In July 1990, Alberto Fujimori became the first Peruvian President of Japanese origin. Some months after President Fujimori's election, several Japanese and Peruvians of Japanese origin were assaulted, kidnapped or killed by Peru's two main guerrilla groups, the Shining Path and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement.[https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/09/world/80000-uneasy-people-all-prisoners-of-peru-crisis.html?mcubz=0 80,000 Uneasy People, All Prisoners of Peru Crisis] In 1992, President Fujimori paid a visit to Japan.[http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-66693 Japon Fujimori, de Visita (in Spanish)]

On 17 December 1996, 14 members of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement stormed the Japanese Ambassador's residence in Lima as they were celebrating Japanese Emperor Akihito's 63rd birthday, and took hostage more than 400 diplomatic, governmental and military officials. The insurgents believed that President Fujimori would be in attendance at the party.{{cite web |title=How Peruvian Hostage Crisis Became Trip Into the Surreal (Published 1997) |website=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605055139/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/26/world/how-peruvian-hostage-crisis-became-trip-into-the-surreal.html?mcubz=0 |archive-date=2023-06-05 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/26/world/how-peruvian-hostage-crisis-became-trip-into-the-surreal.html?mcubz=0}} When they discovered that he was not present, they demanded from the Peruvian government the release of 300 jailed comrades.[http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9612/20/peru.update/ Peru officially silent on hostage crisis] The incident became known as the Japanese embassy hostage crisis and lasted until 22 April 1997 when Peruvian commandos entered the residence and killed all 14 insurgents. During the siege, supreme court judge Carlos Giusti died in the operation and two soldiers were killed. Japanese Prime Minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto, thanked Peru for the release of the hostages{{cite web |title=Hostages freed as troops storm Lima embassy |date=1997-04-23 |website=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325001606/https://www.theguardian.com/world/1997/apr/23/japan.alexduvalsmith |archive-date=2023-03-25 |url-status=live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1997/apr/23/japan.alexduvalsmith}}

In November 2000, President Fujimori flew to Brunei to attend the 12th APEC summit. After the summit, he flew to Japan and faxed his resignation of the Presidency as a corruption scandal was collapsing his government. In Japan, Fujimori requested and was granted Japanese citizenship based on his origins. The Peruvian government, under President Alejandro Toledo requested Japan to extradite Fujimori to face 20 criminal charges, however, Japan refused to extradite one of its citizens, which harmed relations between both nations. In 2006, Fujimori left Japan and flew to Mexico and to Chile where he was arrested; he had been trying to return to Peru to run for President.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/07/AR2005110700298.html Peru's Fugitive Ex-President Is Arrested in Chile]

=Post-Fujimori=

In the 1990s, Japan changed their immigration law and allowed the return of "Dekasegi" (people of Japanese origin born abroad) to return to Japan and receive permanent residency. Approximately 60,000 Peruvians of Japanese descent left the country for Japan, making them the second largest Latin American community in Japan (after Brazil).[http://expansion.mx/nacional/2011/03/16/los-latinos-son-el-segundo-grupo-mas-grande-de-inmigrantes-en-japon Los Latinos son el Segundo Grupo más Grande de Immigrantes en Japón (in Spanish)] In 2013, Japan and Peru celebrated 140 years of diplomatic relations.[http://www.mofa.go.jp/la_c/sa/pe/page3e_000261.html Japan-Peru Summit Meeting]

High-level visits

File:Foto Oficial APEC 2016 (LIMA PERU).jpg attending the 28th APEC Summit in Peru hosted by Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.]]

;High-level visits from Japan to Peru

;High-level visits from Peru to Japan

Bilateral relations

Japan and Peru have signed several bilateral agreements/treaties such as a Trade and Financial Agreement (1949); Agreement on the elimination of visas (1971); Technical Cooperation Agreement (1979); Cooperation Agreement on Agriculture Development (1987); Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments (2008); and an Agreement on Japanese donations on the protection of Peruvian Archeological sites (2016).{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170826225035/http://embajadadelperuenjapon.org/acuerdos-bilaterales/ Acuerdos Bilaterales (in Spanish)]}}

Trade

In 2013, trade between Japan and Peru totaled US$3.5 billion.[http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/peru/data.html Japan-Peru Relations (Basic Data)] Japan's main exports to Peru include automobiles, auto parts, tires and steel; ane Peru's main exports to Japan include copper, fish meal, silver and zinc. That same year, Japanese direct investment in Peru totaled US$238 million. Several well known multinational Japanese companies such as Honda, Sony, Toshiba and Toyota (among others) operate in Peru. In 2010, Japan and Peru signed an Economic Partnership Agreement.[http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/peru/epa1011/joint1011.html Joint Statement on the Conclusion of Negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and Peru] Both nations were party to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Japanese cultural and media exports to Peru include anime, J-pop, video games, language education, and food, all of which have had a significant impact on many young Peruvians.

Resident diplomatic missions

  • Japan has an embassy in Lima.{{Cite web |url=http://www.pe.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_es/index.html |title=Embassy of Japan in Lima (in Japanese and Spanish) |access-date=2017-08-25 |archive-date=2017-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105070208/http://www.pe.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_es/index.html |url-status=dead }}
  • Peru has an embassy in Tokyo, and consulates-general in Tokyo and Nagoya.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080304111446/http://www.embajadadelperuenjapon.org/ Embassy of Peru in Tokyo (in Japanese and Spanish)]}}

File:Embajada de Japón en Lima, Perú.jpg|Embassy of Japan in Lima

File:Embajada del Perú en Tokio, Japan.jpg|Embassy of Peru in Tokyo

File:Prédio dos consulados do Brasil e do Peru.jpg|Consulate-General of Peru in Tokyo

File:Ark Shirakawa Koen Building 20200802-01.jpg|Consulate-General of Peru in Nagoya

See also

References

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{{Foreign relations of Japan}}

{{Foreign relations of Peru}}

{{Portal bar|Politics|Japan|Peru}}

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Peru

Japan