Interviews
Dancing in Japan as an American, in the US as Japanese
I had to go to school early in the morning just like to school and I have to learn shamisen, tsuzumi, and dancing and acting and make-up. We have to learn everything there. Then I got the flower arrangement and…I got all the diplomas. I brought back all the diplomas with me. But…well when I was learning, if they don’t like me, they always tell me, “Go back to America.” And then when we were on the stage, and we were in a group, if somebody makes a mistake, they call, “Hey, Amerika-san, Amerika-san!” “You come forward!” “Maeni kinasai, Maeni kinasai.” And that’s not me. It’s somebody else. But every time when something goes wrong, it’s “Amerika-san.” So my name was “Amerika-san.” So when I was in Japan, I was American. Could you imagine that? And so the girl that always make a mistake, she goes like this, “Thank you. Thank you.” They all love me because I take their blame and I don’t say it was her. So I went along fine in Japan.
I*: Even though you say “fine in Japan,” that must be inside very hard.
Yes. It was very hard. But you have to know how to get along. And then when I got the title Fujima Kansuma, I became a oshisho-san. That means oshisho-san. So when I came back to America, I was oshisho-san, so I’m Japanese. So I’m a Japanese here in America, but in Japan, I was “Amerika-san”. So you call me Japanese American.
*"I" indicates an interviewer (Nancy Araki).
Date: November 30, 2004
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Nancy Araki and John Esaki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
What is Matsuri Daiko? (Spanish)
(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru
Helping soldiers
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Okinawan discrimination
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Eisa: Modernity and Tradition (Spanish)
(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru
Father as prisoner of war in hospital
(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.
Appreciating Kinnara Taiko's approach to taiko
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
A Japanese American gardening dance
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
Experiencing discrimination as a child
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Camp as a positive thing
(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.
Feeling empowered by taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Taiko, an element that represents strength (Spanish)
(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru
Rounding up Issei and Nikkei
(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.
Eisa, a dance that transmits emotions (Spanish)
(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru
Image of Americans
Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.