Abstract Japan Society of Social Science on Latin America (JSLA) has celebrated its 60th anniversary. During this time, the members have conducted research in the fields of politics, economics, and society based on social sciences, and disseminated the results to society. This paper aims to review JSLA’s research from its inception to the present, and to indicate future issues. The research topics reflect the changes in Latin American society. When JSLA was established, the topics were modernization and development (industrialization), from the 1960s to the 1980s, populism, military rule, and debt crises, from the 1990s, economic liberalization and globalization, and from the 2000s onwards, social issues such as poverty, distribution, and social security have become the subject of research. What are the future challenges for JSLA? One is to confirm the research attitude. All research combines philosophy (view of humanity and society), science (theory), and non-neutrality (social participation), and Latin American studies are no exception. Diversity in research is important, but there may be issues that should be focused on. In Latin America, these would be democratization, poverty and inequality, and the new theme of climate change and natural disaster. JSLA is facing a stagnant membership and, even more so, a lack of awareness of Latin American studies. To overcome these issues, it is necessary to appeal the importance of Latin American studies to academia and society.

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The lecture explores the evolving economic and geopolitical relationship between China and Brazil amidst China’s rise as a global manufacturing powerhouse and Brazil’s pivotal role as a resource-rich economy. It highlights China’s unique trajectory in technological innovation and global engagement, particularly through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, and examines the mutual benefits and challenges in the China-Brazil partnership. While Brazil benefits from increased trade and investment, particularly in commodities and energy, the relationship underscores dependency issues, environmental concerns, and the lack of industrial diversification in Brazil. The speaker also discusses the potential for cooperation in green energy, infrastructure, and technological innovation but notes the absence of coordinated industrial policies under the dominance of agribusiness in Brazil’s economic structure. Finally, the lecture raises critical questions about Brazil’s strategy in navigating geopolitical tensions, fostering sustainable development, and leveraging opportunities for economic transformation.

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Before the Great Depression, the coffee industry was a major industry that drove Brazil’s domestic economic development and significantly contributed to the development of other sectors. Several factors have been identified as driving the coffee industry’s development. Recent studies have highlighted the actor’s role, which has previously been overlooked, using the commodity chain approach. However, the role of intermediaries has not been sufficiently examined. This study examined the role of comissários, using the global commodity chain approach. Comissários have been positioned as agencies that supply coffee to the market, but their role has been underestimated. This study reveals the importance of coffee processing by comissários, using records from the Bolsa Oficial de Café held by Arquivo Público do Estado de São Paulo, transaction records of comissários, and magazines held by the Museu do Café. By processing the produced coffee to meet the market’s needs, comissários have been able to commercialize Santos coffee. Furthermore, this study argues that the Santos market before the Great Depression was built on a mutual dependency between buyers and producers, contrary to the claim that coffee commodity chains were buyer-driven.

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