Interviews
Easier to be a foreigner in Japan (Spanish)
(Spanish) In my case, when I was younger, I felt like…I felt…in Japan I felt very much a foreigner. Or I tried to feel very much a foreigner so that Japanese people wouldn’t…if Japanese people…let’s see, how can I explain this…if Japanese people see me as Japanese, in a way it’s like they treat me badly because I don’t…there are certain things that I don’t understand, which they feel I ought to understand. So then it’s much easier for me to try and be foreign than Japanese. But in the long run, over time, it’s like I’ve learned to understand them too and by understanding them I think it’s much easier, and now in Japan sometimes I don’t feel like a foreigner, though nor do I feel…you know, maybe I don’t feel that discrimination.
Date: October 7, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Ann Kaneko
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Wife's family in Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Impression of Japan upon arrival
(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.
Preserving traditional Japanese culture
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Food growing up
(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.
Being on the outside
(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.
Understanding Sansei taiko (Japanese)
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Rediscovery of Japanese culture through taiko (Japanese)
Shishimai (Lion dance) and Taiko player with San Francisco Taiko Dojo.
Devastation in Tokyo after World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Japanese American community life
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Starting over after the war: denial of all things Japanese
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Living in Japan during the war, preparing for U.S. bombings
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Participating in military drills in school in Japan during the war
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Hearing anti-American war propaganda from a teacher
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
The hardships of life in Japan during World War II
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Strict school policy of separating boys and girls in Japan
(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto
Discover Nikkei Updates
Be in our video celebrating Nikkei worldwide. Click to learn how to submit! Deadline extended to October 15!
November 12
5pm PDT | 7pm PET
Featured Nima:
Graciela Nakachi
Guest Host:
Enrique Higa
Presented in Spanish
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook