Community & Culture

Paraguay with Eyes Open

By John Katagi

September 2008 marked my first opportunity to visit the capital city of Asunción, Paraguay. I had been looking forward to my study trip, and was hoping that I hadn't lost my sense of adventure and the flexibility that would be needed for a two week stay, bookended by two twenty-four hour travel days.

Descubra Nikkei no Brasil - Comemorando o Centenário da Imigração Japonesa

Por Bobby Okinaka

O ano de 2008 marca o centenário da imigração japonesa ao Brasil. No dia 18 de junho de 1908, 793 pessoas a bordo do Kasato-maru chegaram ao porto de Santos para começar uma nova vida numa nova terra. Para os atuais 1.5 milhão de brasileiros de descendência japonesa, o Kasato-maru é o seu Mayflower e um símbolo de sua história e identidade.

2008年とブラジル日系移民の過去、現在、未来（１）

佐々木　剛二

「私たち一人ひとりの中の日本 (O Japão em Cada Um de Nós)」

今年六月、ポルトガル語でそう書かれた広告がサンパウロ市内中心地の地下鉄の駅で多く張り出されたのを見かけた。これは市内で開催された日系移民をテーマとしたある展示会のタイトルである。しかし、「私たち一人ひとりの中のブラジル」とは一体、何のことだろうか。ポスターを通り過ぎたあと、しばらく考えさせられた。

The Transmission of Traditional Culture as seen in Paraná Folklore and Ethnic Festival, Brazil:
Matsuri and the future of Nikkei communities with emphasis on Nikkei identity - Part 2

By Shigeru Kojima
Translated by Emily Anderson

Read part 1

V. “Granny’s Dance” and Folk Dance: A Japanese European Comparison

Having first observed the Paraná Folklore and Ethnic Festival in the early 1980s, I was shocked by something in particular. I believe that everyone who was there felt the same way I did. I saw that the European groups had many child participants and that the young men and women wore traditional costumes. They performed their folk dances very beautifully and at times even acrobatically. In comparison, with the Nikkei group, middle-aged and elderly Japanese women performed Japanese traditional dance and music.

Far East Café Reunion – Memories and Nostalgia - Part 2

By Raymond Chong

Read Part 1

As part of the Far East Café Reunion, I gladly shared with the guests the story of the colorful life of Gim Suey Chong (1922-1979), my father. He had a humble beginning in Yung Lew Gong Village in Hoyping County of China. At nine years old, he took an epic sojourn from the Port of Hong Kong to the Port of Vancouver, across continental Canada aboard the Canadian Pacific Railway, to arrive at the Port of Boston in 26 days. He lived at his father’s Imperial Restaurant in Central Square in Cambridge.

The Transmission of Traditional Culture as seen in Paraná Folklore and Ethnic Festival, Brazil:
Matsuri and the future of Nikkei communities with emphasis on Nikkei identity - Part 1

By Shigeru Kojima
Translated by Emily Anderson

I. Matsuri in Overseas Nikkei Communities

Today, overseas Nikkei communities celebrate traditional matsuri (Japanese festivals) under two types. The public space type is held outdoors in a public space or in the streets. The theatrical type is performed on a stage in a theater or hall.

Far East Café Reunion – Memories and Nostalgia - Part 1

By Raymond Chong

Michael, my brother, and I hosted the “Far East Café Reunion – Memories and Nostalgia.” Our purpose was to celebrate the life of Gim Suey Chong and the legacy of famous Far East Café with relatives and new friends. On Saturday, June 7, 2008, we gathered at the mezzanine of the Chop Suey Café in the landmark Far East Café Building for the program and lunch, the room of countless parties, in two rows of tables.

ボリビア・サンフアン移住地のお祭り 「入植記念サンフアン祭」

伴井 基三恵

ボリビア国東部サンタクルス県に位置するサンフアン日本人移住地は、2005年に入植50周年を迎えました。日系人口およそ750人、現在、三世までが居住しています。

サンフアン移住地の一大イベントである「入植記念サンフアン祭」は、毎年7月後半の土曜日に行われます。この日は、朝から運動会、展示会、盆踊りが催され、移住地の人々総出で朝から晩までお祭りを楽しみます。

"Se Colecciona Suerte": Breve Introducción al Tema De Las Yuta – Parte 2

Por Tilsa Guima

>> Parte 1

El dulce misterio de la vida

La definición de yuta¹ es muy variada, sin embargo el término de adivinadora le queda muy corto. La yuta es la encargada de guiar a las personas en cada una de las tradiciones y los rituales a seguir.

"Se Colecciona Suerte": Breve Introducción al Tema De Las Yuta – Parte 1

Por Tilsa Guima

El mundo era todavía un proyecto por ser creado y entre la multiplicidad de formas y de representaciones surgieron las figuras de Amaterasu y Susanoo. Ambos son dioses y hermanos, y es justamente esa misma unión el nexo que los complementa en sus polaridades.