Paper short abstract:

This paper presents a preliminary examination of Japan's presence in South America and south Pacific and the actions taken by Japanese authorities to obtain Chilean minerals (mainly copper) and gain territorial control of Rapa Nui in the 1930s.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines Japan's presence in South America and the Pacific and the actions taken by Japanese authorities to secure Chilean minerals (mainly copper) and gain territorial control of Rapa Nui in the 1930s. As the war in Asia fully unfolded, the Japanese authorities strengthened their connections and interest for the much needed minerals. Through Mitsubishi (and other minor trade companies) and the diplomatic body stationed in Santiago, Japan began a relentless quest to increase their intake of Chilean copper and other minerals. The problem for achieving such a goal was that about the same time, the U.S. led Pan-American system gained new colours and became a coherent block against external Powers, further complicating Japan options to access natural resources in the region. With this situation as a backdrop, the paper returns to the better known topic of Japan's interest in purchasing Rapa Nui, a distant island in the south east Pacific, and reframes it as part of a trans-regional story played at the fringes of two empires, Japan in Asia and the Pacific, and the U.S. in Latin America. The repositories consulted so far included Chile's diplomatic archives and a few sections of Japan's Foreign Affairs historical archives. The relevance of this study is to bridge two fields that have been studied separately: i.e. Japan's military quest in Asia and Japanese presence in South America; and thus, presents a fresh perspective to the global history of the empire of Japan.