Second in a series When Shoko Takano opened a Japanese-language school in Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture, in October 1991, Japanese-Brazilians working at local factories flocked in to seek her advice on living in Japan.
"They came for consultations over various problems," ranging from unpaid wages and accidents at the workplace to their living environment, said Takano, 62, who runs the Oizumi Nippaku Center.
Five years later, as many Japanese-Brazilian workers settled in the area with their children, Takako launched a second project: a class to teach the kids Portuguese so someday they can also live in Brazil.