At least 90 Japanese who immigrated to the Dominican Republic more than 40 years ago are preparing to sue the Japanese government next month to seek compensation for their hardships in the Caribbean country, their representatives said Monday.
Contrary to promises by Tokyo, most farmland provided to emigrants under its program turned out to be wasteland, said Toru Takegama, 62, and Takeaki Hidaka, 57.
The two men, both hailing from Kagoshima Prefecture, were visiting Japan to meet lawmakers to ask for relief legislation as well as officials of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations for their help.
Aside from the 90 emigrants, all first-generation Japanese, they plan to increase the number of plaintiffs by enlisting the support of Dominican Republic workers in Japan.
The Japanese government invited emigrants to the Dominican Republic between July 1956 and September 1959, during which about 250 families, or 1,300 people, moved there believing they were going to what both Japanese and Dominican Republic governments touted as a "Caribbean paradise."
The government decided in 1961 to bring the emigrants back to Japan. However, about 60 Japanese families making up more than 200 people still live in the Dominican Republic.