Peruvian and Brazilian Tastes in Japan: Food, Migration, and Identity in Jōsō

• In Event: Latin American Migration to Japan

Abstract

In Jōsō, a peri-urban city in Ibaraki Prefecture, Latin Americans comprise 40% of the migrant population (Matsumoto & Okumura, 2019). This study argues that Peruvian and Brazilian food markets, as well as temporary food stalls, serve as vital social and cultural hubs for migrant communities. Key sites, such as the markets TK Store and Brazilian Plaza, offer packaged goods from Brazil and Peru (Kanasiro, 2015), as well as artisanal foods produced in Japan that incorporate both local and imported ingredients. These food spaces provide access to familiar flavors and serve as meeting points (Wessendorf & Farrer, 2021), reinforcing social ties and fostering cultural continuity among migrants.

Through participatory photomediated methods, including photowalks and visual ethnography, this research examines the spatial dynamics of Latin American foodscapes in Japan, highlighting the role of migrant-led markets and food stalls in shaping local landscapes and offering an alternative to the dominant discourses on multiculturalism in Japan. While previous research has explored the influence of Japanese migration on Peruvian and Brazilian cuisine (Takenaka, 2019; Funabashi, 2021), the impact of Latin American migration on Japan’s foodscape remains understudied.

By centering on how food, beyond its visual presence, engages the senses of taste, smell, and sound as part of a broader cultural experience, identity, and adaptation in a Japanese peri-urban context, this work dialogues with critical debates on visibility and representation. Finally, this research challenges the marginalization of Latin American food practices within Japan’s culinary and social imagination, making these migrant spaces and their cultural contributions visible within a broader discussion of diaspora, integration, and urban belonging.

Author

• Marita Ibañez Sandoval, University of Tsukuba