Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1605/

Longing for a life abroad and getting a chef’s license (Japanese)

(Japanese) When I was in college, I was working part-time mostly in the food business, like at a bento store. In order to get a chef's license I needed to get approval from the head of the store there and he gave me his signature. With that, I passed the test and got my license. So I had it with me. I got my license simply because I thought I could get on a cargo ship or a cargo-passenger ship for free and cross the ocean, with my license. But that didn’t happen and when I got here, before I started working as a gardener, when I went to Japan Town, I found that there were only two or three Japanese restaurants. And when I told them I had a chef’s license, they freaked out, and they didn’t want to hire me for that reason. They were like, we don’t want someone with skills that high.


California licenses Los Angeles migration United States

Date: August 4, 2015

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Mitsue Watanabe

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

Interviewee Bio

In 1969, he arrived in America for the first time. He lived in Los Angeles for a year and a half, traveled to various places around the world for about six months and went back to Japan. As he was deeply inspired by the life in a foreign country, however, he decided to go back and moved to America with a tourist visa. He had a job as a helper for gardeners for about two years at first, and then started working on his own. With an official visa, he got a foot in the restaurant industry. He currently runs a Japanese-style drinking place and diner, Honda-Ya, a restaurant chain in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. (August 2018)

Nishimura,Shunji

Going to Brazil to escape debt (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

Nishimura,Shunji

Early life in Brazil (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

Kasamatsu,Emi

Treatment of Japanese Paraguayans during World War II (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Kasamatsu,Emi

Inclusiveness of the first Japanese colony in Paraguay (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Kasamatsu,Emi

Nikkei contributions to Paraguayan agriculture (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Matsubara,Yumi

Leaving for the States without telling my parents (Japanese)

Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship

Shimizu,Henry

Grandmother convinced his mother to return to Canada

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shimizu,Henry

Government urged Japanese Canadians to go to Japan

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shinki,Venancio

We go to America (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

Mizuki,Peter

Not wanting to stand out as a foreigner

Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner

Kodama,Ryoichi

Moving to Brazil wanting to see the world (Japanese)

Kasato-maru immigrants

Kodama,Ryoichi

In the boat on the way to Brazil (Japanese)

Kasato-maru immigrants

Kodama,Ryoichi

Experiences in the farmlands (Japanese)

Kasato-maru immigrants

Kodama,Ryoichi

The first Japanese driver in Brazil (Japanese)

Kasato-maru immigrants

Shigekawa, Sakaye

Differences in discrimination

(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California