Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1793/

Occupations of early Japanese immigrants

At first, everyone was a farmer, moving inland to work on coffee plantations, but when their contracts at the coffee plantations ended, some stayed there, or, how should I put it, they went looking for farms, or, like Hirano Unpei, formed a group and bought cheap land in the interior of Sao Paulo State, developed the land, and started farming. Of course, it wasn't just farming, but also restaurants, like the Kumamashita family I mentioned before, who I went to before the war. Then there were more and more people who worked in laundry, or in the morning market, selling vegetables and other fresh foods at the Fella morning market.

So, when we say that Japanese people have an inseparable relationship with agriculture, it means that people come from that background, start farming, become successful, and gradually more and more people move on to large-scale farming, or move to the city and run small businesses while educating their children.


Allied Occupation of Japan (1945-1952) Brazil coffee coffee plantations farmers farmers' markets generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan migration plantations retail stores

Date: September 19, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Masato Ninomiya was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1948 and moved to Brazil at the age of 5 with his family. He currently maintains a legal office in São Paulo, and in addition to working as a Law Professor at the University of Sao Paulo, also serves as Special Assistant to the President at Meiji University and as Visiting Professor of Law at Musashino University. Since its founding in 1992, he has served as President of CIATE (Center for Information and Support to Workers Abroad), Advisor to the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) for Central and South America, and also a Committee Member of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Additionally, he is considered a Nikkei community leader in Brazil, supporting various activities such as improving the working conditions of Brazilian Dekasegi, and the education of Japanese-Brazilian children. . (May 2021)

Sam Naito
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Naito,Sam

Opening the Made in Oregon store at Portland Airport

(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores

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Bill Hashizume
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Hashizume,Bill

Father’s success in farm business

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

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George Katsumi Yuzawa
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Yuzawa,George Katsumi

Neighbors' sympathy after Pearl Harbor

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Sogi,Francis Y.

Rebuilding Japan

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Michie Akama
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Akama,Michie

Reasons for immigrating to Brazil (Japanese)

Issei, Pioneer of women's education in Brazil

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Michie Akama
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Akama,Michie

Opening a Japanese-style all-girls' school in Brazil (Japanese)

Issei, Pioneer of women's education in Brazil

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Celia Oi
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Oi,Celia

Brazilian of Japanese descents (Portuguese)

Former Director, Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil

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Celia Oi
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Oi,Celia

Japan's impact on the image of Nikkei in Brazil (Portuguese)

Former Director, Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil

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Celia Oi
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Oi,Celia

Change in sense of Nikkei Brazilian identity over time (Portuguese)

Former Director, Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil

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Celia Oi
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Oi,Celia

Nikkei community concentrated in São Paulo (Portuguese)

Former Director, Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil

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Celia Oi
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Oi,Celia

Changing life styles of successive generations (Portuguese)

Former Director, Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil

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Hiroshi Sakane
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Sakane,Hiroshi

A strong Japanese identity (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

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William Hohri
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Hohri,William

Japanese American, not Japanese

(1927-2010) Political Activist

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Edward Toru Horikiri
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Horikiri,Edward Toru

Boarding house life and the Issei (Japanese)

(b. 1929) Kibei Nisei

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Edward Toru Horikiri
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Horikiri,Edward Toru

My father’s venture into the hotel business (Japanese)

(b. 1929) Kibei Nisei

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