Japanese immigrant agroforestry in the Brazilian Amazon : a case study of sustainable rural development in the tropics

848 Pages·1999·31.1 MB·English

by  Yamada, Masaaki, 196

JAPANESE IMMIGRANT AGROFORESTRY
IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON:
A CASE STUDY OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT
IN THE TROPICS
By
MASAAKI YAMADA
A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
r ; • UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
1999
Copyright 1999
by
Masaaki Yamada
Dedicated to Elma Yukari Tsukimata Yamada, my daughter,
born in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. in 1997; Helena Sayuri
(Tsukimata) Yamada, Elma's mother and a physician, born at
Tome-Agu, Para, Brazil in 1966; Ikuko (Ishikawa) Tsukimata,
Helena's mother born in Palau Island, today's Republic of
Belau, in 1938 and arrived at Tome-Acu in 1956; Shin'ichiro
Tsukimata, Helena's father and a farmer born at Tome-Acu in
1936 and murdered by robbers at Abaetetuba, Para in 1984;
Yutaka Tsukimata, Shin'ichiro's father and a farmer, born in
Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan in 1909, arrived at Tome-Acu in
1930, and died there of malaria in 1939; the Tokuda family
who raised the orphaned Shin'ichiro; the Ishikawa family who
raised the orphaned Ikuko; and all relatives and friends of
these people, dead or alive, who made their way from distant
lands, filled with dreams of a better life, and struggled
for survival in the Amazon rain forest.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ^
I am thankful to the Ecology Study Group {Ecology wo
Kangaeru Kai), YMCA {Gakusei Kirisuto-kyo Seinen-kai) of the
University of Tokyo {Tokyo Daigaku), and the Japanese NGO
Center for International Cooperation (JANIC [NGO Katsudo
Suishin Center]), for the opportunity to be part of rural ;.
development work in Southeast Asian countries. My work with
the JANIC charcoal project, under the guidance of Sadakichi
Kishimoto and Ginji Sugiura of Sumiyaki-no-kai, in
cooperation with the Dian Desa (YDD) and Dian Tama (YDT)
Foundations of Indonesia, inspired me to undertake
agroforestry studies in the United States. Thomas Fricke,
then working for the US-based NGO Cultural Survival, ^ ^,
recommended the University of Florida. Colum Muccio of
JANIC helped me write a strong application in English.
My course work, field research, and dissertation
writing was made possible by financial support from the
International Development Center of Japan (IDCJ [Kokusai
Kaihatsu Center]), the Foundation for Advanced Studies on
International Development (FASID [Kokusai Kaihatsu Koto
Kyoiku Kiko] the Tropical Conservation and Development
),
iv
(TCD) Program of the University of Florida, the .
International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) of the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest
Service, the Florida-Japan Institute, and the National
Geographic Society.
It was my good fortune to be a student of Henry L.
Gholz, professor of forest ecology at School of Forest
Resources and Conservation (SFRC), Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) of the University of Florida.
Dr. Gholz helped me bring together a helpful inter-
disciplinary committee made up of Peter E. Hildebrand of
farming systems as cochair, Marianne C. Schmink of Latin
American studies, P.K. Ramachandran Nair of agroforestry,
and Clyde F. Kiker of environmental economics.
For their help and hospitality, I am deeply grateful to
friends in the US and in Brazil, especially E. Paul and
Virginia Campbell, Donald Flickinger and Jennifer Silveira,
C. Kenneth Smith and Deborah Mcgrath, Kenneth Clark, Karen
Kiner, Chieko Koyama, Charles Perrone, Alfredo Mateus and
Deise Dutra, Peter Polshek, Lisa Gregory, Uilson Lopes and
Karina Gramacho, Roberto and Noemi Miyasaka Porro, Shinjiro
Sato, Christopher Uhl of Pennsylvania State University,
Scott Subler of Ohio State University, Emilio Moran and
Eduardo Brondizio of Indiana University, and F. Assis de
Olivaira and Hortencia Osaqui of Federal Agricultural
v
College of Para {FCAP [Faculdade de Ciencias Agrarias do
Para]].
This research could not have been accomplished without
special support from Tsuyoshi Eida and his wife, Haruko.
Mr. Eida was born in 1933, graduated from Tottori University
{Tottori Daigaku) with agronomy major. He worked for the
Japan Emigration Service (JEMIS [Kaigai Iju Jigyddan]) from
1964 to 1974 and the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA [Kokusai Kyoryoku Jigyodan]) from 1974 to 1994. He
was stationed in Paraguay (1967-70 and 1985-88) and Brazil
(1970-72, 1975-79, and 1982-85), with his latest term in
each country as chief of the JICA-founded agricultural
research institute. When I first met him, he was the
director (1988-94) of Tsukuba International Agricultural
Training Center {Tsukuba Kokusai Nogyo Kenshu Center).
After he retired from JICA, he was named leader (1994-97) of
the Amazonian Agricultural Research Cooperation Project in
Belem, Para, a joint endeavor of JICA and the Center for
Agroforestry Research in the Eastern Amazon {CPATU [Centra
de Pesquisa Agroflorestal da Amazonia Oriental]) of the
Brazilian Enterprise for Research in Agriculture and Cattle
Ranching {EMBRAPA [Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa
Agropecuaria]). Mr. Eida facilitated my contacts with
resource people in Brazil and Japan, and introduced me to
vi
,
the leaders of the Japanese settlements in the Amazon and
Northeastern Brazil. He furnished me with useful
information, published and unpublished. His office gave me
the task of translating EMBRAPA documents, work which
required me to develop my Portuguese language abilities.
When I occasionally came to Belem, exhausted from field 'V,.
work, I was sheltered and revitalized at the Eidas' home.
They attended my wedding in Belem in 1996 as substitutes for
my parents {padrinhos) . After I returned to Florida and the
Eidas went back to Japan in 1997, Mr. Eida continued to help
with my research, looking up information in archives in
Japan, and sending numerous inquiries to people in Brazil
and Japan. •
The many others whom I wish to thank include: •„
Japan:
TKearzuuoo WNaadgaai;(inKemnejmiorIisahmi)ba;shYio;ichMiakoKtoiokeS;awMajais;aoANkiihsihrmoa;
Matsumoto; Kazumi Watanabe; Fumio Yamazaki^ Yoko
Yoshida; Setuo (in memoriam) & Setsuko Kato; Shoji
Saito; Katsumi Yuasa; Noriko Tanaka; Misa Masuda; Seiji
Yoshinaga; Tsuyoshi Hirowaka; Yuri Kato; Takashi and
Emiko Kaneko
Brazil: '
Sao Paulo:
Sao Paulo: Mauricio & Candida Dutra; Juro Umeji & Keiko
Furukawa; Susumu Miyao; Tetsuya Tajiri (in memoriam);
Masuji Kiyotani; Tetsuro Nakasumi; Koichi Mori; Hiroshi
Uehara; Toshitsugu Kohayakawa (in memorium)
Mogi das Cruzes: Akinori Nakatani '
Bahia: " '"'
Itabuna: Tsumoru, Nakako, Felix & Raildes Yamada
Una: Goichi & Fuiui Nishimoto; Katsuteru Kamoshida & his
family (in memoriam)
vii
: :
Itubera: Kiyoshi, Miyoshi & Seiji Yogo; Takehiro
Miyamoto; Ernst Gotsch
Taperoa: Tatsumi & Shizue Mochida; Kalvin & Kumi
Ogomori
Salvador: Kazuhisa Maekawa; the people of Japanese-
Brazilian Student Dormitory
Amazonas
Manaus: Masao, Yuriko & Kiyoshi Nagaoka; Yasuko Yamane
de Albuquerque; Yaeko Sawada & the people of the West
Amazon Japanese-Brazilian Association [AssocisQao Nipo-
Brasileira da Amazonia Ocidental)
Para
Santarem: Keisuke & Hamako Okada
Monte Alegre: Yasuo & Elcenir Kishi; Kumekichi & Mario
Ishiguro; Kazuo & Haruo Takatani
Belem: Dona Estela & Dona Vanda of Casa Padre Guido del
Toro; Gota Tsutsumi & people of the Pan-Amazonia
Japanese-Brazilian Association [AssociaQao Pan-Amazonia
Nipo-Brasileira]; Takushi Sato; Nobuo Ezawa; students
of FCAP
Igarape-AQu: Yoshiyuki & Hiroko Uesugi; Kesayuki &
Sumiko Miyagawa
Tome-Agu: Noboru, Toshiko, F. Wataru & Haruko
Sakaguchi; Qenzo & Yaemi Ito; Chiyoko (in memoriam) &
Nobuo Seki; Shuji (in memorium) & C. Yukiko Furumoto;
Kaoru & Yoneko Kato; Takashi & Mariko Okabe; Takeshi &
Kono Taketa; Riuemon & Reiko Yokoyama; Nobuyoshi^
YKaozkuomkiura& M(aisnakmoemoMraitasmu)ya;maH;ideMoa,sukYokuMa&kiNneolso&nSKuosnudmou;
Enoki; Yasuaki & M, Satomi Matsuzaki; Ayako & Celma
Kato; Claudio Ohashi; Akio & Mitsuko Shioya; Shuji &
Kazue Tsunoda; Rev. Hitoshi & Kathleen Yamada; Yuichiro
S&uzKuukmie;koHiSdhiebaaktia;& KS.ojiM,iwaTkoomokIos,hikEarwnae;stoMot&osShuisan&aMichiko
Takada; Toshihiko & Shizu Takamatsu; Isao & Ryoko
Ishikawa; Hideo & Ayako Kaiya; Fumio (in memoriumW
Emiko, Evandro & Alice Kikuchi; Akio & Miwako^Kudo;
Kozaburo & Taeko (in memoriam) Mineshita; Taro &
Toshiko Tokuhashi; Yukio & Masako Eikawa; Tsunetoshi &
Sumiko Hashimoto; Ayako Ikeda; Yoichi & Meiko Inada;
Tamio & Eiko Ito; Isao & Junko Tanaka; Megumi & Teruko
Tokumaru; Noriaki & Keiko Aral; Isao & Mariko
Fujihashi; Tooru & Kanako Kishi; Michinori & Amelia
Konagano; Yuko & Kyoko Sasaki; Yukio & F. Hatsue
Sasaki; Shigeru, Setsuko, Koji & I. Toshiko Inada;
Jorge & Gessilda Ito; Shozo, Kirie, F. Masashi & Diana
Miyagawa; Hironori & Reiko Ono; Shigueyo Iwama; Shozo,
Hisae & Valter Oppata; Chiyokichi, Ivan & Sandra Saiki;
viii
) ,
mSKeeimyiooyrsaihai&m,)I.,I.TKiaYzguukueis,ea,TTaaTkksaaukakika;isaS(ai&knuNjmoiermiok&roiMaiHmsa)aroa,yaMOsinoeh;kiok,iI;kuoTor(amo
H&irTaommiizkuo;HiHdiarkoas;hiSh&i_gCehyiuikkio,MuKraooiru;,GoSnhjiigreoru&&AMi.koHeNilwean;a
Mitsuharu & Satomi Onuki; Tomio, Kuniko, Edgar & leda
Sasahara; Toragoro (in memoriam), Mie, Yoshiaki & M.
Rainha Sasaki; Nario & D. Miyoko Sugimoto; Haru,
USwhaimgoureio;&KaEtlszuajmiir&TMaakrahiaksohiF;utaRtoskuumsoornio;&HiE,deoYur&iAkemi
Kawamura; Shinobu, Miyoko, Kazuo, & Celia Kubota;
M&asKaanzoubeuNa&mbMui;yokTosuMnaeeoda&;MiTcahkiuryoo &SuEgatysau;koKMuankiim;itsTuaka&shi
Yasuko Onishi, Hidenori & M. Teresa Sugita; Hiyoshi,
Seiichi & Hiroe Tsubaki; all other people who responded
to my interviews; the clerks of the Japanese Cultural
Association [ACTA [AssociaQso Cultural de Tome-AQU])
Agriculture Promotion Association {ASFATA [AssociaQao
CFooompeenrtaotiAvgerlc{oClAaMTAde[TCoomoep-eArQaut]iva, AthgerlAcgorliacuMlitsutraalde Tome-
ACqouo]p)er,attihveeEl{eCcOtErRiTfAic[aCtoioopneraantdivaRurdaelETleelterpihfoinceagao e
Telefonia Rural da Regiao Geoecondmica de Tome-Afu
Ltda.]), and the Hospital {Hospital Amazonia de Quatro
Bocas); and ACTA's dog 'Xuxa' & her pack that guarded
my residence.
I thank my grandmother, Etsuko Yamada, grand uncle and
aunt, Shigeo (in memoriam) and Fumiko Sugaya, and my
parents, Mitsuo and Yasuko Yamada, who have waited for me
during the six years and eight months since I left Japan,
and my sister, Makiko Kojima and her husband, Yukio Kojima,
who have looked after the elders during my absence.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
ABSTRACT xxii
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. JAPANESE IMMIGRATION TO BRAZIL 13
Introduction 13
Portuguese Exploration of Asia and the Fi^rst
Japanese Emigration 13
The Return of Westerners and the Modernization of
ImmigrJaatpianon to Hawaii and the United States .... 131^
Immigration to Brazil 46
Background
Pre-World War II Immigration 51
Post-World War II Immigration 74
The Japanese-Brazilian Community and Its
Contributions to Agriculture 87
Ethnic Community 87
Japanese-Brazilian Agriculture 103
Summary 118
3. JAPANESE IMMIGRATION TO THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON .... 122
Introduction 122
Advent of the Conquistadores and Early Development
of the Brazilian Amazon 122
Initial Japanese Immigration into the Amazon:
The River Descenders 129
Post-Rubber Eoom Land Concessions and the Japanese
Response 135
X