Japan’s crown prince honours settlers who built Paraguay ties

Japan’s Crown Prince Fumihito and his wife Crown Princess Kiko attended a ceremony on Friday marking 90 years of Japanese immigration to Paraguay, with the prince praising in a speech the contributions made by the immigrants and their descendants to the South American country.

In an address at the event near the Paraguayan capital Asuncion, the crown prince, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, touched on how the immigrants overcame hardships and have taken root in Paraguay. Around 650 people including President Santiago Pena and his wife took part.

The crown prince said that the two countries owed much of their close ties to the Japanese immigrants and their descendants and expressed hope they would continue to act as a bridge.

Pena thanked the Japanese community for its contributions to agriculture, education and society, which he said all showed Paraguay’s multicultural identity.

Ahead of the ceremony, the royal couple, who are in Paraguay for an official visit, laid flowers at a memorial for deceased settlers and met members of the Japanese community, now estimated at around 10,000.

The first group of 81 people from 11 families arrived from Japan and founded a new settlement in La Colmena in the country’s south-central region in 1936.

At a nearby hotel, the couple spoke with members of the Japanese community. Ikuko Matsumiya, 87, who moved from Tochigi prefecture in 1956, said: “It’s encouraging that members of the imperial family always come at every milestone.”

The prince previously visited Paraguay in 2006 to mark the 70th anniversary of Japanese immigration to the country.