Interviews
Thoughts on Japan (Japanese)
(Japanese) Well, when I go as a representative of Peru, the Peruvian government sends a uniform. It’s called a “PROMPERU” (Comisión de Promoción del Perú para la Exportación y el Turismo / Commission for the Promotion of Peru Export and Tourism). And on it, it says Inka country, and has the Peruvian flag. Since I’m going as a representative of Peru, I’m on the Peruvian side, with the flag too. So everyone say things like “Why not add half the Japanese flag?” But I hate that kind of half measure. Peru is Peru. Japan is Japan. But, you know, if I was asked to go on behalf of Japan, as a Japanese man, obviously I’d do it in a heartbeat.
So when we hear “Kimi ga Yo” (Japanese national anthem) …or, you know, when watching the Olympics and Japan wins…or…well it doesn’t matter if they don’t win…when we see them giving it their best effort, of course we feel pride. Also, a long time ago, around the time of Prime Minister Suzuki, he came here when they had the Paris Summit, stopping here on the way home. That was the first time a Japanese airplane landed at the Lima airport. The Japanese flag had arrived. Then the captain of the plane opened the window, held the Japanese and Peruvian flags and waved them like this. You know when you see something like that, the tears start flowing. And furthermore, he’s called the Prime Minister, but while he was here, it just felt like your own dad came to visit. You know you’re Japanese when you feel like that.
Date: April 18, 2007
Location: Lima, Peru
Interviewer: Ann Kaneko
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
A Possible Path towards Happiness… (Spanish)
(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan
What is Nikkei? (Japanese)
Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history
Learning from Nikkei (Japanese)
Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history
Father became trilingual to practice medicine
(1928–2016) Daughter of an Issei doctor
Nickname
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Context affects meaning
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Memories of my infancy: Japanese 1, Japanese 2… (Spanish)
(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter
Testing assumptions of Japanese scholars
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Mistreating the Japanese community (Spanish)
(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter
Finding out about her father's case
(1928–2016) Daughter of an Issei doctor