Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/904/

Looking back on my 50 years in Brazil (Japanese)

(Japanese) I was, well, about 20 when I came to Brazil. When you calculate from that, it’s been 50 years here in Brazil, and all this time I’ve walked on a single path, so there’s absolutely no regret on this path that I’ve taken. Of course, financially speaking, there might have been a better way to have gone about things, but I feel that I am very blessed that I was able to do what I wanted to do for 50 years. If you ask me what I would do if I could go back in time and go through it again, I think I would keep the mistakes that I’ve made in the back of my mind, and improve the journey so that I could have an even better experience.


Brazil immigration

Date:

Location: Brazil

Contributed by: Caminho da memória - 遥かなるみちのり. São Paulo, Brazil: Comissão de Elaboração da História dos 80 Anos de Imigração Japonesa no Brasil, 1998. VHS.

Interviewee Bio

Hideto Futatsugui was born in Nagano in July 1911. He came to Brazil aboard the “Montevideo-maru” in 1932, and enrolled at a school in Sorocabana in 1936. He was employed as a teacher at Taisho School from 1937 to 1942, and continued to teach even after the school was shut down. In 1946, along with the Rikkōkai, he established the São Paulo Student Association. In 1953 he contributed to the establishment of the Harmony Student Dormitories, and since then has worked there for 27 years. His efforts were recognized by the Japanese government, receiving the 5th Class Zuihōshō (Order of the Sacred Treasure), and in Brazil, where he has been designated as an honorary citizen of São Bernardo do Campo. (1998)

Funai,Kazuo

Coming to America (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

Kawakami,Barbara

Going back to Hawaii

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Kawakami,Barbara

Picture brides and karifufu

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

Yokoyama,Wayne Shigeto

Working at the magazine

(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.

Matsumoto,Roy H.

Kibei schoolchildren in Hiroshima, Japan

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Hongo,Etsuo

The reason he came to the United States (Japanese)

(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California

Shimomura,Roger

Grandfather's arrival in the U.S., experiencing discrimination

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

Kanemoto,Marion Tsutakawa

Mother's immigration to U.S. as a treaty merchant

(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.

Kutsukake,Rose

Why her parents came to Canada

(1918-2004) Interned in Slocan during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community.

Sasaki,Fred

Family background of Fredrick Yoshihide Sasaki

(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada

Wakabayashi,Kimi

Arranged marriage

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

Wakabayashi,Kimi

Her early life in Canada

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

Tanaka,Seiichi

Coming to America

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

Inoue,Enson

The reason for coming to Japan

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

Hashizume,Bill

Yobiyose system in Canada

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