(Portuguese)
I believe it's due to ... well, to that support from city hall. Ya know, for the city. All this support that … Like, they really help out a lot the Brazilians here, so they can ... set up the best Brazilian [establishments] here – the best stores, schools, everything, so with all this going on ... there’s this ease [for Brazilians]. So, with all this is going on, I believe the Brazilians ... they come over here to live permanently because nowadays we’ve got everything here, in the city, know what I mean? ... Especially the school, as so many states [prefectures] don’t have Brazilian schools, so … Those who have a family want – prefer living in Oizumi or in the area, ya know, because ... everything is easier here; you really feel like you’re in a city, and Japan is a safe country and all that, a safe country, ya know ... [And as a result of] all this infrastructure connected by Brazilians, the number of stores has increased a whole lot ... Tourism [has increased as well], like, every month, in the square nearby ... Every month they have … “typical” dishes for foreigners, and that’s interesting, too, and then in ... August – there’s a mardi gras [celebration] in August ... They even close down the street ... They have samba players, everything, ya know? So, all of this has been catching on; I think [it has become popular] at least in ... in Japan, see, because it’s very well known, the city of Oizumi.
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: Gunma, Japan
Interviewer: Shigeru Kojima
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
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