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
Nikkei small businesses face challenges in the coronavirus pandemic
Aug. 10, 2020 • Tatiana Maebuchi
São Paulo, capital. Economic center that brings together several local establishments managed by Japanese-Brazilian entrepreneurs. Similarities and peculiarities emerge in the impacts resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the coronavirus. As an example, four business creators share their experiences in this scenario. * * * * * United family “The pandemic made us come together to work as a family”, says Cristiane Haruyama Sampei, creator of the Na-Na-Ya Pâtisserie bakery, in Vila Mariana. Her husband is helping her full …
Sweet hobby: from dream to reality
June 5, 2020 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Sweet facade, geek decor. Through the door, the person who was being waited for passes. At first glance, the serious expression does justice to the responsibilities of a micro-entrepreneur. However, in a more informal conversation, another side is discovered: the joy of a girl who loves what she does. The youngest of three brothers, Melissa Takami, aged 34, is the founder and administrator of Moti Confeitaria. The anime -themed t-shirt indicates his interest in Japanese culture – which comes mainly …
Stereotype, the mistake of thinking that all Nikkei are the same
Dec. 30, 2019 • Tatiana Maebuchi
When the subject is society, we automatically talk about history. Human relationships are analyzed and discussed by scholars from Antiquity to current times. British sociologist Stuart Hall, for example, reminds us that “nations are always made up of different social classes and different ethnic and gender groups”. Brazil would be no different. In fact, the country is marked by multiculturalism, a result of the former slave society and immigration policies, mainly in relation to the arrival of Japanese people. As …
Japanese technique and art give shapes and beauty to clay in Cunha
Oct. 21, 2019 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Knowledge acquired in Japan when used in clay has the power to create and transform. Nisei Marcelo Yoshinori Tokai, 46 years old, dedicates himself to just that, the art of ceramics. A descendant of Hokkaido and born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, the artist went to his parents' homeland to delve deeper into traditional techniques and, later, went to the city of Cunha (SP). Learning in Japan “My wife Luciane Yukie Sakurada and I studied ceramics in Japan, in …
Roots and memories in Vale do Ribeira
July 1, 2019 • Tatiana Maebuchi
It was in the city of Registro, in the Vale do Ribeira region, in São Paulo, where my family on my father's side settled. As do many Japanese immigrants. Originally from there and a fan of rice and beans, my great-uncle, Issuo Maebuti, 94 years old, tells the family story in his cheerful and good-humored way. Trajectory of Katsuji and Toki, precursors in Brazil My great-grandfather, Katsuji, came from Japan with my great-grandmother, Toki. They disembarked in Santos and went …
Sweet and refreshing inspiration
Feb. 27, 2019 • Tatiana Maebuchi
A trip changed a Nikkei 's life. Sansei Emília Tayra, a 60-year-old former bank employee, discovered new flavors in a sweet with a Japanese touch. Certain that it would also please the taste of São Paulo residents, especially those of Japanese descent, she decided to bring the idea directly from the United States. How did the idea for ice cream mochi come about? “On a trip to New York in 2013 I tried some ice cream mochi and was enchanted …
A gastronomic tradition from father to daughter and from Nikkei to Brazilians
Dec. 18, 2018 • Tatiana Maebuchi
A smiling lady behind the counter where the cashier is located welcomes and thanks those who enter and leave the place, in the middle of the Liberdade neighborhood. Owner of the traditional Japanese pastry shop Yoka, Luiza Yokoyama, 65 years old, has a surprising family story. Nisei dedicated himself completely to raising and educating his children. To this end, he even prepared harumaki dough to sell. Until the age of 44, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his …
Michie Akama, a dreamy educator ahead of her time
Aug. 3, 2018 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Born in Japan and graduated in Education, Michie Akama came to Brazil in the 1920s with her family to work on the coffee farm. Here, she is faced with a reality that is very different from the one she knew in her homeland, as people did not have access to school. “Her dream of wanting to do something within an educational context starts from there.” The person telling this story is Irma Akamine Hiray, former teacher and current general director …
A sweet Japanese corner
May 30, 2018 • Tatiana Maebuchi
A descendant of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Shizuoka and Saitama, businesswoman Miriam Ishikava, 36, who is Sansei , says that “it has always been a colony”. Childhood and adolescence were phases full of activities, which included piano and keyboard; going out to karaoke, where he sang only Japanese songs; karate training; as well as swimming and table tennis. She also participated in Seicho-No-Ie for seven years, which brought her together with other young people in a hip hop ( street …
A community leader with Japanese values — Ronaldo Yuzo Ogasawara
April 10, 2018 • Tatiana Maebuchi
Ronaldo Yuzo Ogasawara, 39, is a real estate businessman, sansei and part of his roots are in the province of Hokkaido, in the far north of Japan. Since the age of four, he has lived in the Jardim da Saúde neighborhood, in São Paulo, where he works alongside residents and people of Japanese descent as president of the Health Security Council-Vila Clementino and Rotary Saúde. He also participates in other Japanese-Brazilian entities, such as Bunkyo – Brazilian Society of Japanese …
