Lima Tomonkai

About the Lima Tomonkai

In 2010, Lima Tomonkai marked its 40th anniversary. It was established in 1970 by 37 Waseda graduates living in Peru. At the house of the 1st chairperson, Junkichi Takei, a big initiation reception was held, participated by more than 100 people including Japanese and Korean ambassador to Peru, Japanese corporations entered into Peru, businesspersons of wholesale companies.

For the past 40 years, 8 Peruvian presidents have taken office. Each of their policy was significantly different, and economic policies have been changed many times. We heard gloomy news such as hyperinflation reaching at 700 – 800% and the murder case of JICA’s Japanese expert. The most dreadful news would be the Japanese embassy hostage crisis in 1996 in which 4 Waseda graduates were involved. Two of those graduates, 1)Tadashi Iwamoto, then chairperson of Lima Tomonkai and Director of Lima Export Office of TOMEN Corporation, and 2)Akira Miyashita, then President of Mitsubishi Peru S.A., had been taken hostage for 127 days.

Activities of Lima Tomonkai have been swayed by the turbulent social situation of Peru. There was a time when we had only 10 members or less. Not a few members got full of emotion to welcome the 40th anniversary in 2010.

The attractive points of Lima

Lima is said to be the greatest gourmet town in South America. In the neighboring country, Chile, weekend gourmet package tour to Lima is popular. Seafood is especially tasty in Lima.This city has restaurants of various countries’ cuisines, including about 20 Japanese restaurants. The striking point is that most of the ingredients for Japanese cuisine is not imported from Japan but produced domestically in Peru. Lima produces natto (fermented soybeans), tofu (bean curd), miso (fermented bean paste), soy sauce, and Japanese pickle. Even the Japanese expats in neighboring countries come to Lima to buy those ingredients.

For entertainment, we have about 10 karaoke boxes. Fee for playing golf or tennis is relatively inexpensive. As we have low precipitation, you do not have to worry about rain while playing them.

Lima is appreciated by Japanese expats for its beneficial climate, affluent Japanese foods; they say Lima is very comfortable to live.

Message from the Chairperson

Some people may think Peru is a very dangerous country which has many terrorist attacks, but it is not true. Though we have general crimes such as robbery, terrorism has almost been eradicated, and the public order has significantly improved compared with other Latin American nations.

Peru has many attractive spots to visit; Machu Picchu, Nazca Lines, pure white Cordillera de los Andes, the city Iquitos encircled by Amazon River, Chan Chan -the largest pre-Columbian city in South America, Las Shicras -a temple built 4,800 years ago- which was discovered by Hiroshi Sakane, Director and Chief Curator of Museo Amano (Amano Museum).

As one of the Latin America lovers, especially as a Peru lover, I want even one Waseda graduates to visit or have interest in Peru!
Tastuya Shimizu (Graduated in 1966, School of Political Science and Economics)

About Peru

Represented by Machu Picchu and Nazca Lines, Peru has many exotic attractions in tourism. The country has registered 7 cultural, 2 natural, and 2 mixed heritages on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is no direct flight from Japan to Peru, and you have to face a long journey through Los Angeles. Despite such inconvenience, Peru always mesmerizes many travelers.

Peru is the first South American nation that established diplomatic relations with Japan, which was in 1873. It is said that there are about 80,000 – 100,000 Japanese Peruvian. Official immigration to Peru started in 1899, earlier than that to Brazil.

In 1990, the world’s first Japanese Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori took office. President Fujimori converted the conventional economic policies into the “market economy-oriented” ones. He also accomplished many reforms such as inflation control, return to the international financial society, foreign currency introduction, eradication of terrorism, etc. Thanks to his reforms, Peru was gradually stabilized and started to pave the way toward modernization. His successors, Alejandro Toledo, and Alan García (2nd term in 2006) took the similar economic policies as Fujimori did, and the Peruvian economy has been getting on the right track. Today, Peru’s index of macro economy is excellent. Its average economic growth for the past 7 years is 6%, achieving 9% growth in 2010.

Many people may associate the country with tourism, but Peru boasts for its top-notch production in many kinds of minerals and foods. Peru occupies 17% of silver production, No.1 in the world. Besides silver, the country is abundant in copper, lead, zinc, tin, molybdenum, and gold. Peru is also No.1 in fishmeal (fish powder) production indispensible for mariculture which is becoming popular throughout the world. For agricultural products, Peru is famous for asparagus, Paprika, organic coffee, fresh mango, avocado, grape, etc. The country is also famous for one unique thing; cochineal extract that has been used for dyeing clothes and accessories from the era of Inca Empire and currently used for coloring foods in many countries. More than 80% of cochineal extract in the world is produced in Peru.

Covered in Waseda Gakuho, April 2011 Issue

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