Hiro Ramos Nako
@Hiro_RamosHiro Ramos Nako is a journalist and fourth-generation Peruvian-Nikkei from Lima, Peru. He has a degree in communication from the University of Lima and his work has focused on social problems affecting vulnerable groups, the local cultural and artistic scene, and the Nikkei community in Peru.
Updated August 2024
Stories from This Author
Rosa Kimiko: A Family Story and a Community Story
May 9, 2025 • Hiro Ramos Nako
“My story is like that of all Nikkei families…” José Carlos Feliciano Nishikawa begins his narrative of Rosa Kimiko: Story of an Andean Nikkei. He is aware that many Peruvian Nikkei share a similar past. Migration is not foreign to our stories, and resilience has become synonymous with our ojiichan and obaachan. The story is told in the first person, placing us in the shoes of Rosa, the author’s grandmother, from her childhood in Patahuasi, Junín, to the present day, …
Harumi López Higa: Growth and Vulnerability in Art
Jan. 15, 2025 • Hiro Ramos Nako
“I look back at the Harumi who made Mar de Primavera (Spring Sea) with nostalgia. I think I’m a different person now.” Harumi López Higa continues to constantly grow, using her experiences as motivation and inspiration. Harumi is a Peruvian Yonsei descended from Okinawan migrants. She’s always seeking out stories, which has led her to focus on communication and art. She now lives in Kyoto, where she is studying for a master’s degree in art at the Kyoto University of …
Discovering My Missing History with Oshogatsu
Jan. 1, 2025 • Hiro Ramos Nako
I have never celebrated Oshogatsu. In spite of my strong connection to the Nikkei community in my country, the traditional Japanese New Year’s celebration has not been part of my life. I know about the festival because of what I’ve learned about Japanese culture, but it’s always been something foreign to me. In my house, with my family, the New Year has always been celebrated with Peruvian traditions and superstitions: yellow decorations, fireworks, putting beans in your pant pockets, and …
Raymi Kamishibai Cultural Center celebrates one year of life: My story following Pepe Cabana Kojachi
Dec. 2, 2024 • Hiro Ramos Nako
Pepe Cabana Kohachi has been doing something he loves for over 20 years: sharing the magic of Kamishibai art with people. This year marks one year of the Raymi Kamishibai Cultural Center (Raymi means “party” in Quechua) which he founded to continue fulfilling his goal of promoting his passion with others and having a space that the public can visit to learn from him. I met Pepe Cabana when I was very young. I remember that my mother took me …
My School Has a Cultural Center? My Experience with the La Unión Cultural Center
Aug. 27, 2024 • Hiro Ramos Nako
When I left La Union School, it had reduced its weekly Japanese language hours as many more courses were introduced into the curriculum. I had gotten the idea that, with the amount of academic growth it was experiencing, the cultural side was not the school’s first priority. After years of not thinking about my first home as a student, I was surprised to find that the cooperative to which the school belongs has a Cultural Center dedicated to the dissemination …
Nikkei family history written in film: Okaeri: The Spy of the Rising Sun
Aug. 13, 2024 • Hiro Ramos Nako
Noriko, Camila’s grandmother, keeps saying “my parents would be very happy” when her granddaughter shows her previews of her film. Camila wonders if Noriko doesn’t know that the film is mainly inspired by her life, or if she just doesn’t say it because she doesn’t want to steal the spotlight. The diverse experiences of the Nikkei community around the world can make the art that emerges from them feel both personal and recognizable to others who share the same story. …
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