Japan’s crown prince honours settlers who built Paraguay ties

Crown Prince Fumihito thanked Paraguay’s 10,000-strong Japanese community as the nations marked 90 years since settlers arrived

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.