Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1134/

Difference Between Past Immigrants and Today’s Immigrants (Japanese)

(Japanese) Well, in our time, Japan had already recovered to some degree. In the old days, Japan’s primary focus was silk production. In other words, the production of non-essential items. It wasn’t the production of necessities. The country producing necessities was Germany. Medicine, for example. That kind of country doesn’t collapse. However, when it comes to production of non-essentials, when people say they don’t want them anymore, it’s over. That kind of country quickly becomes poor. In the Russo-Japanese War, if America and others hadn’t stepped in, Japan would have gone bankrupt.

When Japan was that type of country, the thing supporting Japan was, in fact, people who went overseas and sent foreign currency back to Japan. That saved the country. That’s the way it was back then. In our time, Japan was by then doing OK so we could leave. For example, our parents were rich. Not actually rich, but they were responsible and doing well, so we were able to go overseas and do what we wanted. People from the past sent remittances to Japan. That was admirable. As for us, we just lived the way we wanted. We were so irreverent. The previous generation did so much for Japan. That’s a clear difference.


migration

Date: April 18, 2007

Location: Lima, Peru

Interviewer: Ann Kaneko

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

Interviewee Bio

Toshiro Konishi was born on July 11, 1953, the fourth son of a long-established Japanese restaurant owner in Saito City, Miyazaki Prefecture. Having played in the kitchen from around the age of six, at 11-years-old, Konishi began helping out in the kitchen with other chef candidates. Then in 1971, at age 16, he headed to Tokyo and became a chef at the restaurant “Fumi”.

In 1974, he moved to Peru with Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, known in America, Japan, and elsewhere for his Japanese fusion cuisine at his restaurant, “Nobu”. After working at the Japanese restaurant “Matsuei” for ten years, he opened “Toshiro’s” and “Wako” in a Sheraton hotel in Lima. In 2002, he also became manager of “Sushi Bar Toshiro’s” in the San Isidro region.

Aside from running the restaurants, he taught at San Ignacio de Loyola University, participated in culinary festivals around the world, introduced innovative cuisine known as “Peruvian Fusion” (a mix of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines), and received numerous awards. In 2008 he became the first Japanese chef based in Latin America to receive the Japanese government’s Minister's Prize from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. (October 2009)

Shizuko Kadoguchi
en
ja
es
pt
Kadoguchi,Shizuko

Choice to move east or go to Japan

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka
en
ja
es
pt
Tanaka,Seiichi

Coming to America

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

en
ja
es
pt
Enson Inoue
en
ja
es
pt
Inoue,Enson

The reason for coming to Japan

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

en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hashizume
en
ja
es
pt
Hashizume,Bill

Reason to come back to Canada in 1954

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

en
ja
es
pt
Masako Iino
en
ja
es
pt
Iino,Masako

Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

en
ja
es
pt
Mónica Kogiso
en
ja
es
pt
Kogiso,Mónica

History of her family's immigration (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

en
ja
es
pt
Vince Ota
en
ja
es
pt
Ota,Vince

Moving to and living in Japan

Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan

en
ja
es
pt
Vince Ota
en
ja
es
pt
Ota,Vince

The reason to stay in Japan after his third year

Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan

en
ja
es
pt
Roberto Hirose
en
ja
es
pt
Hirose,Roberto

Growing up with some Japanese families (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

en
ja
es
pt
John Naka
en
ja
es
pt
Naka,John

Avoiding the Japanese military

(1914-2004) Nisei Bonsai master in the United States

en
ja
es
pt
Paula Hoyos Hattori
en
ja
es
pt
Hattori,Paula Hoyos

The arrival of her grandpa (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Ryoko Hokama
en
ja
es
pt
Hokama,Ryoko

From Japan to Argentina (Japanese)

(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuomi Takagi
en
ja
es
pt
Takagi,Kazuomi

Decided to leave Japan to Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuomi Takagi
en
ja
es
pt
Takagi,Kazuomi

Tango makes him to stay in Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuomi Takagi
en
ja
es
pt
Takagi,Kazuomi

Leaving to Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

en
ja
es
pt