Interviews

1. Not too concerned about learning Japanese when he was growing up in Brazil (Portuguese)

2. The reason why the city of Oizumi became “Brazilian town” (Portuguese)

3. Japanese Brazilians living in Oizumi (Portuguese)

4. The reason why he immigrated to Japan (Portuguese)

5. Advantages of living in Japan (Portuguese)

6. More government supports in the city of Oizumi for Japanese Brazilians (Portuguese)

7. Oizumi, the Brazilian town in Japan (Portuguese)

8. Future of the Japanese Brazilian community in Japan (Portuguese)

9. Lehman shock’s impact on the Japanese Brazilian community in Japan (Portuguese)

10. 3.11 Earthquake stopped his business in Sendai and Fukushima (Portuguese)

11. Transition from a factory worker to starting his own business (Portuguese)

(b. 1962) Japanese Brazilian owner of a Brazilian products store in Japan.

Not too concerned about learning Japanese when he was growing up in Brazil (Portuguese)

(Portuguese)

My name is Antonio Shinkiti Shikota. I was born in Campinas [in the state of São Paulo], on September 12, 1962. My parents are Japanese. They are ... My father is from Sendai and my mother from Miyagi-ken. My parents spoke Japanese at home. But I wasn’t really into it, ya know, even though they said I’d have to learn Japanese ... I wasn’t too concerned with learning Japanese. I’d say, “C’mon, I'm in Brazil, ya know, so ... I care about speaking Portuguese, get it?” [laughs]

Brazil languages

Date: October 19, 2016

Location: Gunma, Japan

Interviewer: Shigeru Kojima

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

Interviewee Bio

Antonio Shinkiti Shikota was born on September 12, 1962, in the city of Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil. His parents were born in Japan. Wanting to start his own business, he followed a friend’s advice and went to Japan. Initially, he worked as a factory worker and ended up liking it so he stayed in the country. Today, he lives in the city of Oizumi and he is the owner of an itinerant Brazilian products store in Japan. The itinerant store is a truck that offers a variety of Brazilian products directed mainly at the Nikkei public. Antonio is very fond of living in Japan and the city of Oizumi. (February 2018)

Explore More Videos

Interviewee

Tag

Keywords

Little interaction with parents

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

Lack of language skills

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

Acculturation

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

Japanese are more accustomed to foreigners

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

Difficulties understanding different Japanese dialects

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Teaching at the military language school during World War II

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

Learning English upon discovering that family could not return to Peru

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

Playing baseball along with American Nisei and Kibei

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

Her early life in Canada

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

Japanese school

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

Results of being more American than Japanese

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Going to Japanese school

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

Volunteering to serve for the U.S. military in Japan

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

Feeling closer to Japan as a Japanese American

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

Discover Nikkei Updates

NIKKEI CHRONICLES #14

Nikkei Family 2: Remembering Roots, Leaving Legacies
Baachan, grandpa, tía, irmão… what does Nikkei family mean to you? Submit your story!

SUPPORT THE PROJECT

Discover Nikkei’s 20 for 20 campaign celebrates our first 20 years and jumpstarts our next 20. Learn more and donate!

DISCOVER NIKKEI PROGRAM

12th Annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest Awards Ceremony
Saturday, June 7 at 3 p.m. PDT

Join us in-person or virtually to celebrate the winners of the Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest!

Interviews

Watch more clips

Not too concerned about learning Japanese when he was growing up in Brazil (Portuguese)

Explore More Videos

Discover Nikkei Updates