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.

Japanese Brazilians living in Oizumi (Portuguese)

(Portuguese)

Oh, an easygoing people, ya know? For sure ... The people here is [sic] ... So ... I believe these are very well-educated folks who never … I think they think a lot about … developing something better, ya know, for the country as well, helping out ... Always looking for a good relationship with the Japanese. Always trying to become integrated within the Japanese community, know what I mean? I think that's very important. For those of you who haven’t been to the city of Oizumi, I believe it’s worth checking it out. And we’re here with open arms to welcome you. We’re waiting for you. Thank you. Bye bye.

Brazil Gunma Prefecture Japan Nikkei in Japan Oizumi

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)