Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1791/

What made your parents decide to move to Brazil?

My father's family had seven members, but at one point five of them went to Brazil. There was a girl called Ninomiya Koto, who was my father's older sister. Then there was Ninomiya Tokuichi, who was two years older than my father. All of these people went to Brazil in 1926 or 1927 as part of the family of my uncle, Kumatsu Harumi.

So, Ninomiya Koto married a man named Shimuta, who was from Fukuoka Prefecture, in Brazil.

The Shimuta couple, who came to Japan at the end of 1952 or the beginning of 1953, seemed to be incredibly wealthy, and when they saw our lifestyle, they must have said something like, "You'd be better off in Brazil. Japan had already lost the war, and there was no future for Japan, so come to Brazil and you'd be able to live a good life." So, how should I put it, my parents were persuaded by their words and said, "Well, then, let's go to Brazil."

We left Yokohama on a ship called America Maru on November 28, 1953, and arrived in Santos on January 16, 1954.


Brazil migration postwar World War II

Date: September 19, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Masato Ninomiya was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1948 and moved to Brazil at the age of 5 with his family. He currently maintains a legal office in São Paulo, and in addition to working as a Law Professor at the University of Sao Paulo, also serves as Special Assistant to the President at Meiji University and as Visiting Professor of Law at Musashino University. Since its founding in 1992, he has served as President of CIATE (Center for Information and Support to Workers Abroad), Advisor to the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) for Central and South America, and also a Committee Member of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Additionally, he is considered a Nikkei community leader in Brazil, supporting various activities such as improving the working conditions of Brazilian Dekasegi, and the education of Japanese-Brazilian children. . (May 2021)

Shizuko Kadoguchi
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Kadoguchi,Shizuko

Choice to move east or go to Japan

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

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Seiichi Tanaka
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Tanaka,Seiichi

Coming to America

(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.

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Enson Inoue
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Inoue,Enson

The reason for coming to Japan

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

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Bill Hashizume
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Hashizume,Bill

Reason to come back to Canada in 1954

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

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Masako Iino
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Iino,Masako

Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

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Mónica Kogiso
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Kogiso,Mónica

History of her family's immigration (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

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Vince Ota
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Ota,Vince

Moving to and living in Japan

Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan

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Vince Ota
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Ota,Vince

The reason to stay in Japan after his third year

Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan

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Roberto Hirose
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Hirose,Roberto

Growing up with some Japanese families (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

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John Naka
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Naka,John

Avoiding the Japanese military

(1914-2004) Nisei Bonsai master in the United States

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Michie Akama
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Akama,Michie

Reasons for immigrating to Brazil (Japanese)

Issei, Pioneer of women's education in Brazil

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Michie Akama
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Akama,Michie

Opening a Japanese-style all-girls' school in Brazil (Japanese)

Issei, Pioneer of women's education in Brazil

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Paula Hoyos Hattori
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Hattori,Paula Hoyos

The arrival of her grandpa (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

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Ryoko Hokama
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Hokama,Ryoko

From Japan to Argentina (Japanese)

(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Takagi,Kazuomi

Decided to leave Japan to Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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