Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1553/

The reason why he immigrated to Japan (Portuguese)

(Portuguese )

It’s been 28 years. I came – I arrived here in nineteen hundred and ... huh ... I think ‘88, ya know? And ... Why did I come here – to Japan? It's that, it's ... In Brazil, ya know, I’ve always, like ... I wanted to open my own business, and out of the blue a friend of mine came one day – I mean, he came to Japan and all that, and he got to know Japan, and he began working here, ya know, and he liked Japan. ... Then he said, “Oh, what if you came to Japan; it’s interesting here, you can make some money. And I believe it's gonna be great, ya know?” So I took advantage of this opportunity, and ... I came here planning on staying a year, but I ended up liking it. I ended up liking it and I'm still ... still here today. [laughs]


Brazil Japan

Date: October 19, 2016

Location: Gunma, Japan

Interviewer: Shigeru Kojima

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Antonio Shinkiti Shikota was born on September 12, 1962, in the city of Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil. His parents were born in Japan. Wanting to start his own business, he followed a friend’s advice and went to Japan. Initially, he worked as a factory worker and ended up liking it so he stayed in the country. Today, he lives in the city of Oizumi and he is the owner of an itinerant Brazilian products store in Japan. The itinerant store is a truck that offers a variety of Brazilian products directed mainly at the Nikkei public. Antonio is very fond of living in Japan and the city of Oizumi. (February 2018) 

Uesugi,Takeo

Returning to Japan after studying in New York

(1940-2016) Issei Landscape Architect

Hirano,Paulo Issamu

The difference between Nikkei community in Oizumi and Brazil (Japanese)

(b. 1979) Sansei Nikkei Brazilian who lives in Oizumi-machi in Gunma prefecture. He runs his own design studio.

Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Unique Identity from Having Multiple Backgrounds

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

Ninomiya,Masato

Foreign language education was severely restricted during the war

Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)

Yonamine,Wally Kaname

The privations of living in post-war Japan, 1952

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

Sakata,Reiko T.

Parent’s Marriage

(b. 1939) a businesswoman whose family volunterily moved to Salt Lake City in Utah during the war.