Shindo Renmei: The Japanese-Brazilian Resistance to the End of World War II

World War II, with its devastation and global impact, was not confined to the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific. Its repercussions crossed oceans and continents, even reaching the peaceful colonies of Japanese immigrants in Brazil. One of the darkest and least discussed episodes of this period was the rise of the Shindo Renmei, an organization that refused to accept Japan’s defeat and transformed into a resistance movement within Brazilian territory.

The Context of Japanese Immigration to Brazil

Japanese immigration to Brazil began in the early 20th century, with the arrival of the ship Kasato Maru in 1908. The Japanese who came to Brazil sought better living conditions and job opportunities, but the reality they found was far different from what they had imagined. Amid coffee plantations and the harsh rural life, they faced discrimination, work conditions nearly akin to slavery, and a society that knew little about or understood their culture.

During the Estado Novo period under Getúlio Vargas, the situation for immigrants worsened. Vargas’s nationalist policies restricted the use of foreign languages and imposed severe limitations on the cultural practices of immigrants. The Japanese community, like other immigrant communities, was heavily impacted by these measures. However, it was after the end of World War II that the situation reached a boiling point.

Shindo Renmei and the Refusal to Accept Defeat

With the announcement of Japan’s surrender in August 1945, many Japanese immigrants in Brazil refused to believe the news. To them, defeat was inconceivable, and in their disbelief, conspiracy theories emerged that fueled the creation of Shindo Renmei, an ultra-nationalist organization aimed at keeping alive the idea that Japan had emerged victorious from the war.

Shindo Renmei, whose members were known as “kachigumi” (victory believers), began spreading rumors that Japan’s surrender was a hoax propagated by the Allies. They believed that Emperor Hirohito would never surrender and that Japan’s victory was being concealed by the United States and its allies. For many members of the Japanese community in Brazil, accepting defeat meant betraying their homeland and losing their honor.

Acts of Violence and Internal Terrorism

The refusal to accept reality led Shindo Renmei to commit a series of violent acts against fellow Japanese who accepted the defeat, known as “makegumi” (defeatists). These acts included threats, intimidation, and even murder. Those who dared to challenge Shindo Renmei’s narrative were marked for death.

“The fear was palpable. We knew that by accepting the truth, we would expose ourselves to the hatred and violence of those who still believed in victory. But we could no longer live in a lie. I lost friends, saw the community split, and families destroyed over a war that had already ended,” recalled one survivor.

The violence perpetrated by Shindo Renmei peaked in 1946 when members of the organization murdered dozens of compatriots. The Brazilian government, alarmed by the situation, intensified its repression of the Japanese community, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of suspects and the dissolution of Shindo Renmei.

The Consequences and Legacy of Shindo Renmei

The episode of Shindo Renmei left deep scars in the Japanese community in Brazil. The division between “kachigumi” and “makegumi” created an abyss among immigrants that took decades to heal. Moreover, the violence and government repression contributed to the marginalization and isolation of the Japanese community in the country.

On the other hand, this episode also revealed the complexity of immigrant identity, as they found themselves torn between loyalty to their homeland and the need to adapt and survive in a new country. Shindo Renmei, though viewed as a terrorist organization, was also a reflection of the desperation and confusion that marked the end of the war for many Japanese in Brazil.

Today, the story of Shindo Renmei serves as a painful reminder of how war can extend beyond the battlefields, infiltrating the lives of those who, in theory, were far from the conflict. It is a story of resistance but also of tragedy, one that continues to echo in the collective memory of the descendants of Japanese immigrants in Brazil.

This history reminds us that the consequences of war are not limited to the nations directly involved in the conflict. They spread, like waves, reaching even the most distant shores and impacting lives in unexpected and often devastating ways.