(Portuguese)
This, this crisis sure made a difference, right, because ... At the time of the crisis, the Brazilians began going back because at that time Brazil was doing better than Japan. I mean, maybe not like, better, but things were picking up, see what I mean? So folks were already thinking of returning to Brazil, ya know, to set up their own business. So ... It's ... Huh … All the shopkeepers were affected. Especially those who had invested a lotta money; those big shopkeepers, who had a big store, who depended on the Brazilian folks [as customers], ya know?
Ah ... But today – I mean, not today. After the earthquake, there was also that – there was the crisis, so folks were already going back to Brazil. And then came the earthquake, and everything came tumbling down … So they left, mostly families, ya know? Yeah, people got scared of the, what do you call it, ra ... Radiation, ain’t it? So folks, mostly families ... Well, they at least sent their children [back to Brazil] ... And the wife [sic], they left for Brazil, too, see? That sure made a whole lotta difference.
But even with this, this difference of ... of crisis, earthquake … But ya know, it’s still a country where we can get by. Still can. Because we’re not dependent only on foreigners; we also have the Japanese clientele these days, ya know, who has become so used to Brazilian food and all that, ya know? So that's how we’ve managed to get by, see?
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: Gunma, Japan
Interviewer: Shigeru Kojima
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
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