Abstract
In this paper, I first organized geographical studies on ethnic business and locations by three aspects 1) ones related to the identity or representation of ethnic businesses in the area where they are located or clustered, 2) ones related to the possibilities of the area where ethnic businesses cluster, and 3) ones related to the patterns of ethnic business locations and clusters. In many cases, previous studies position ethnic business as an extension of ethnic community studies—as an indication of mature ethnic community in the host society or as part of ethnic town facilities that an ethnic group formed in the host society. Therefore, there has not been much progress with studies on ethnic business location, particularly on locational factor. Therefore, this paper examined the clustering process and location expansion patterns of Brazilian business in Japan from two perspectives: 1) expansion of ethnic business location by the same ethnic group in different regions and 2) expansion of ethnic business location by the same ethnic group in the same region in different time periods. Based on these, I analyzed the differences in clusters by region, development period, and business type in terms the factors for ethnic business location. The results showed that there were two types of factors for ethnic business location, including ethnic location factors which largely involve ethnic elements and non-ethnic location factors which are close to general factors, so to speak, just as in an external general economy. These two types of location factors are combined to drive the location and clustering of ethnic businesses. As a note, regional differences were observed in location factors and the patterns of location expansion for ethnic business even within the same country. They significantly differ by development period, business type, and the strategy of the business even within the same region as well. In particular, it became clear that the “familiar location” factor, which is a non-ethnic location factor, weighs more during the initial stage of ethnic business expansion and, as the expansion progresses, the weight of the “cheap rent” factor—another non-ethnic location factor—and the “clustering of ethnic business” factor—an ethnic location factor—increases. Furthermore, this paper also examined the opportunity structures surrounding the factors of ethnic business location in the host society, presented the existence of negative opportunity structures, such as ethnic group’s assimilation to the host society and reduced living spaces, and positive opportunity structures, such as collective living of ethnic group and the presence of anchor stores and facilities, and demonstrated that ethnic businesses rise and fall as well as change their locations and clustering patterns based on the balance between these two types of opportunity structures.
