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Question
why did most of the japanese immigrants emigrate japan?
Hello.
There were primarily two main reasons for the large scale Japanese emigration from Japan that occurred roughly from the mid-Meiji Era (ca.1890) to the passage of U.S. anti-Japanese immigration legislation in, I believe (please Wiki the date), 1924 (sponsored by a Senator or Congressman from California, IIRC).
One reason/motivation was one shared with emigrants of any culture, in any era, namely, poor socioeconomic prospects at home, and an opportunity to do better elsewhere.
The second is more specific to the Japanese early 20th century context, and that is, many local Japanese governments in crowded, poor agricultural areas encouraged emigration -- particularly to Hawaii, California, Brazil and Peru. The large Japanese-ancestry communities in those overseas locales were directly created as a result of these policies.
In the case of California, the Japanese were at first welcome as cheap labor, but when they began establishing themselves as economic competitors for the white residents of the community, racism-driven politics went to work.
Hope this has helped. Again, I recommend checking up on my facts on Wikipedia. This check will likely also give you additional valuable information.
M.G. Sheftall
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M.G. Sheftall
Expertise
Feel free to ask any general or specific questions you may have about Japanese culture, language or history. My particular expertise lies in Japanese modern history (from Meiji Era to present), especially in areas of military and naval affairs, educational policy, nationalism and the creation of national identity and popular culture. I am also a professional translator, and can answer your specific questions about Japanese language usage (no free translation requests, though, please!).
Experience
I have been living, working and studying in Japan since 1987. I am at present an Associate Professor of Informatics at Shizuoka University, a campus of the Japanese national university system.
Organizations
Japan Association of College English Teachers
Tokko Memorial Society
Association of Former West Point Cadets
Publications
"Blossoms In The Wind: Human Legacies of the Kamikaze", NAL Caliber (Penguin), 2005 (author)
"Zoku Tokko no Shinjitsu (The Kamikaze: What Really Happened, pt.2)", Hara Kobo, Michiyoshi Fukabori, editor (contributing author)
Numerous articles and editorials in academic journals and popular publications
Education/Credentials
United States Military Academy (West Point), 1980-1982
B.A., Fordham University, 1985
M.A., California State University, 1994
M.A., University of Birmingham (UK), 1999
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