a result of Japanese investment in automotive and associated industries, there has been a significant influx of Japanese immigrants to the Bajío region. The largest increase has been in Guanajuato, which has seen a 400% increase in Japanese residents since 2013. The opening of Honda and Toyota plants in Celaya and a Mazda plant in Salamanca greatly increased the Japanese presence. As a result, branches of Japanese banks as well as the first Japanese consulate-general in Mexico have opened in León. Other centers of Japanese population include: Mexico City, while there is no specific area with a Japanese diaspora, there are many Japanese and Japanese descent people that live in the city. The city has schools mainly for Japanese Mexicans with the part-time school Chuo Gakuen, and the adult school Instituto Cultural Mexicano-Japonés. Acacoyagua, Chiapas, the city is home to the first colonial settlement of Japanese immigrants who tried to start their own colony. Since its inception, the city is still home to long practiced Japanese customs and people of Japanese descent. Prominent Japanese people have also visited the town including the Japanese prince. Guadalajara, while not as prominent as other regions, the Japanese community in Guadalajara is steadily increasing and growing thanks in part to its geographical location. Education The Liceo Mexicano Japonés is located in Mexico City. As of 1983 some Nikkei families living in other Mexican states have their children move to Mexico City and live with their relatives so they can attend this school. In addition, the Escuela Japonesa de Aguascalientes (アグアスカリエンテス日本人学校 Aguasukarientesu Nihonjin Gakkō), an overseas Japanese school, is in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes. As of 2013 it has 59 primary school students and 13 junior high school students for a total of 72 students. Part-time Japanese schools include the Colegio Japones de Guadalajara A.C. (グアダラハラ補習授業校 Guadarahara Hoshū Jugyō Kō) in Zapopan, Jalisco and the Asociacion Regiomontana de Lengua Japonesa A.C. (モンテレー補習授業校 Monterē Hoshū Jugyō Kō) in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León. Colegio Japones de Guadalajara is held at Secundaria y Preparatoria Femenil Colinas de San Javier. Formerly it had its classes held at the Escuela Primaria "Antonio Caso" in Guadalajara. Asociacion Regiomontana was previously based in Apodaca. Literature A novel Mudas las Garzas by Selfa A. Chew is based on the oral histories of Japanese Mexicans in the middle of the 20th century. See also Japanese community of Mexico City Japan–Mexico relations References Further reading