# Japanese Ancestry

For Japanese-Brazilians, a trip to Japan can be about much more than sightseeing. It can be a chance to discover where your family came from or simply to build your own connection with the country. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese population outside Japan, with an estimated 2 million people of the descent (also called Nikkei). Today, more third-, fourth- and fifth-generation Nikkei are travelling to Japan for different reasons. If you’re thinking about making the trip yourself, you have several options depending on how long you want to stay and what you want to do in Japan. For decades, migration between Brazil and Japan was largely driven by employment, with many Brazilians moving to Japan for factory work as Dekasegi. Today, younger generations of Japanese-Brazilians are also travelling to Japan looking for something more.  This can include, but is not limited to, a heritage trip to the town where your grandparents or great-grandparents lived, looking into family records or just learning the language and traditions that are part of your family history. You could: Trace your family history: Visit your ancestral hometown and look into family records such as koseki. Many ancestral roots can be found in prefectures such as Okinawa, Kumamoto and Hiroshima. Reconnect with the language: Join a short-term Japanese language course and build up language skills that may have been lost over generations. Experience traditional culture: Visit historic temples, take part in local festivals and experience everyday life in the places your family came from.   Which Visa Is Right for You? The best option depends on how much time you want to spend in Japan. Short-Term Trips – Up to 90 Days If you’re a Brazilian citizen, you can enter Japan as a tourist for up to 90 days without a visa. This is the simplest option for a shorter trip. You can visit ancestral towns, explore historical sites, visit family graves and travel around Japan. You can also opt for our unpaid internships, volunteering and short-term language courses to complement your other interests. Working Holiday – Up to 1 Year Starting on December 1, 2026, eligible Japanese-Brazilians aged 18 to 30 can apply for a Working Holiday Visa and spend up to a year living in Japan while funding their stay through temporary work. This gives you much more time to explore your roots while gaining knowledge about everyday life in Japan. You can travel between different regions, improve your Japanese, meet new people and spend more time in places connected to your family history.If you have a valid Japanese passport, you can enter the country without a visa, offering you more flexibility. Depending on your eligibility, you may also be able to take part in World Unite!’s Working Holiday program, which gives you the chance to learn new skills as you carry on with your travels. Make Your Time in Japan Count If you want to combine your trip with living and working in Japan, a Working Holiday gives you the freedom to do both. With World Unite’s Japan Working Holiday program, you can start your travel in Tokyo or Kyoto and get support with visa preparation and important formalities such as resident registration, tax number, health insurance, a bank account and phone contract. You can also get help finding work, with pre-arranged guaranteed jobs available. Affordable sharehouses in Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa give you a place to live while meeting other travellers. You don’t need Japanese language skills to join the program. Many jobs require little or no Japanese, and you can join beginner-friendly Japanese conversation courses, social meetups, cultural workshops and Japanese-English language exchanges. So, whether you want to spend a few weeks tracing your family history or a full year experiencing life in Japan, there are different ways to make your connection to Japan part of your own story. Find out more about the World Unite Japan Working Holiday program, here. World Unite also offers other short-term programs in Japan. Explore the available programs here.