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I’m American, but my home is Japan

I’m American. I live in Japan. I love Japan. I love the Japanese people. I love the Japanese beliefs—the way they’re very honest, they’re loyalty. But I don’t know what it is. I’m American, and I’m proud to be an American. I’m proud to be a part of the United States. And I’d die for the country. And I couldn’t say I would be able to go into the military here and die for Japan. So that way, I’d say I’m American.

This is my home. It’s weird. It’s like I’m being hypocrite about everything. This is my home. I have a house here. My family’s here. I have a dog. I have three cars here. Everything’s set here. I go home to Hawaii, I don’t feel like I live there. I don’t feel like I belong there. I feel like I’m a outsider.

I see that Hawaii style, that American style, and I don’t like it. We drive to the gasoline stand, and we go to full service and they look at me like, “Why are you guys driving full service? Go self?” It’s like they come walking out like, “Huh.” And you come to Japan, there’s no tip in this country. They come out running, “Thank you for coming to our stand.” They’re wiping our window, doing everything they can for the car. So I love that. I love Japan. It’s my home.

But I’m…if you have to put it down simply, I’m American with Japanese blood living in Japan and taking the country as his home. And in a sentence, if you want to phrase Enson Inoue, that’s what I would say.


Finding Home (film) identity Japan

Date: October 14, 2003

Location: Saitama, Japan

Interviewer: Art Nomura

Contributed by: Art Nomura, Finding Home.

Interviewee Bio

Enson Inoue was born and raised in Hawai`i and attended college there for 3 years studying psychology. At age 23, he went to Japan to play racquetball in a two-week tournament without any intention of living there. He won the tournament and then stayed for 3 months to give racquetball seminars. Thereafter, he continued to live in Japan, intending to return to Hawai`i in a year. Enson, however, decided to stay for still another year, teaching English and running his brother’s racquetball company in Japan. He then became a boxer and gave up racquetball. At the time of the interview in Fall 2003, Enson had lived in Japan for thirteen and a half years and had not been back to Hawai`i for six years. Now he is a professional fighter with the ring name “Yamato Damashii (Japanese Spirit or Samurai Spirit).” As for his identity, he feels that although he is an American, his home is Japan. (October 14, 2003)

Pam Kaji
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Pam Kaji

Experiences in Japan and its influence

Hawaii born Nikkei living in Japan with her family.

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Ann K. Nakamura
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Ann K. Nakamura

Conflict between Japanese and Western culture

Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.

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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki

Buddhism in America and Japan

(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.

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Yukio Takeshita
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Yukio Takeshita

Lack of notion of citizenship in Japan

(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.

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Jane Aiko Yamano
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Jane Aiko Yamano

Having patience in Japan, being both

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

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Wayne Shigeto Yokoyama
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Wayne Shigeto Yokoyama

Being on the outside

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

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Vince Ota
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Vince Ota

Being a Japanese American in Japan

Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan

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Peter Mizuki
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Peter Mizuki

Japan vs. Tulsa Oklahoma

Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner

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