Tatiana Maebuchi
@tatianamaebuchiBorn in São Paulo, Tatiana Maebuchi is a third generation Japanese Brazilian on her mother’s side, and fourth generation on her father’s side. She is a journalist with a degree from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica in São Paulo, and has written for magazines, websites, and media marketing. She is also a travel blogger. As a member of the communications team of the Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Welfare (Bunkyo), Maebuchi helped contribute to the dissemination of Japanese culture.
Updated July 2015
Stories from This Author
Kariyushi Eisá Daiko—The Group Preserves and Disseminates Okinawa’s Cultural Legacy
March 26, 2024 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Nisei on his father’s side and Sansei on his mother’s, Tadashi Gabriel Nishihira Katsuren, 31, traces his roots to the Okinawa Prefecture and is the owner of a soba restaurant that is commonly found in that part of the world. He has played taiko since his adolescence, thus totaling 16 years of experience. In 2008, he became a member of the group Kariyushi Eisá Daiko of Campo Grande [in the midwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul], of which he …
8 things I learned writing about Nikkei
June 14, 2023 • Tatiana Maebuchi
My story in the Nikkei community began in 2008, exactly in the year in which the Centenary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil was celebrated – which I consider late, as I was about to finish journalism school. Over the next two years, I underwent a transformative cultural immersion that became the foundation for the discoveries that were to come. I spent a period of time away from the community due to work until I became a collaborator at Discover Nikkei. …
Facts and curiosities about Brazilian Nikkei names
May 10, 2023 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Is your name compound? You can spell it? Do you only have a last name? These are some of the questions I've heard about my name that, over the years, have left me intrigued. Now comes the time when I come to make observations about Brazilian Nikkei names, with their particular characteristics that deserve to be explained. I warn you that this text is not intended to be a scientific study, but rather to approach the topic in a curious …
Telma Shiraishi Gives a Unique Flavor to Japanese Cuisine with Brazilian Ingredients
Nov. 7, 2022 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Born in the city of São Paulo and with roots in the Japanese prefectures of Wakayama (her paternal grandfather) and Iwate (her maternal grandfather), chef Telma Shiraishi, 52, attended preschool at a Japanese school and received her elementary education at a state school. At age 10, she moved with her parents and two younger sisters to the countryside. After experiencing several robberies, her father, a branch manager of the old State Bank—his branch was located in Largo da Batata, in …
Douglas Mitsuyuki Ito is the Creator of a Network that Connects Young Nikkei from All Over Brazil
Aug. 30, 2022 • Tatiana Maebuchi
On the paternal side, his great-grandfather’s parents came from the Hokkaido Prefecture and his great-grandmother’s from Gunma. On his mother’s side, his great-grandfather’s parents were from Miyagi and his great-grandmother’s from Yamaguchi and Hiroshima. These are the family origins of the 25-year-old Yonsei Douglas Mitsuyuki Ito, who holds a degree in Information Technology Management. Family culture “I feel that up until my grandparents’ generation there was a very strong Japanese cultural presence, with the practice of Buddhism and old customs, …
Graziela Tamanaha: Young Leadership and Inspiration in the Brazilian Nikkei Community—Part 2
Feb. 24, 2022 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Read Part 1 >>Bunka Matsuri—Bunkyo’s Japanese Culture Festival“The following year, I was invited to join the communications team at Bunka Matsuri to promote the movie Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. For me, it was a great challenge,” she acknowledges, “because until then I hadn’t been part of any commission that had such a major impact on the community.” The Bunka Matsuri has always had a traditional format; however, from 2018 onwards it started to change, bringing in more [elements from the realm …
Graziela Tamanaha: Young Leadership and Inspiration in the Brazilian Nikkei Community—Part 1
Feb. 23, 2022 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Her father’s family is from Nishihara, Okinawa; her mother’s is from Hokkaido, Japan. Her grandparents were very engaged in cultural activities and following in their footsteps is their granddaughter, Graziela Tamanaha, a 26-year-old Sansei. Boasting an impressive 7-year trajectory in the Japanese-Brazilian community, she started out by attending the main events once a year, then gradually increasing her presence until finally reaching its current full commitment. Family Roots “I grew up with two cultures at home,” she says, “Japanese and …
Amigurumi intertwines colors and lives
Jan. 3, 2022 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Two yonsei who studied together and maintained their friendship, even with one of them changing schools in high school. One is the daughter of a Japanese mother and a mixed-race father (Japanese grandmother). The other is the daughter of a mixed-race mother (Japanese grandfather) and a non-descendant father. And a common interest between Thaysa Yuri Endo, 30, and Larissa Kakizaki de Alcantara, 29, brought them even closer. Hobby turned craft One day, Larissa's mother – who crocheted as a hobby …
The origin
April 23, 2021 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Since childhood, I have made friends of both different and oriental ancestries – not only Japanese, but also Chinese and Korean descendants. Today I wonder if what brought us together was the fact that our cultures of origin were similar or if our unconscious made us feel more comfortable with our fellow humans, because we had a “familiar face”. I started to notice, during my adolescence, in the 1990s, the groups of “Japanese” friends who were concentrated in greater numbers …
Japanese-Brazilian mix that sweetens and seasons
Nov. 17, 2020 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Anyone who passes by Rua Estela, in the Paraíso neighborhood, in São Paulo, might not imagine that a house with a green facade holds 26 years of history. Located at number 257, the property gives life to Kaeru Foods, a small business opened by the Nisei couple Masao and Ana Ishii. Since 2019, they have had their son Rafael, 35 years old, to manage the savory and sweets store. A third-generation descendant, he began to have a connection with Japanese …
