Interviews
Proud to be a Japanese desecendant (Spanish)
(Spanish) I left Japan on the Buenos Aires Maru. In practical terms, it [the ship] was built to be a battleship, I don’t know. But the crew, the majority had been to war. And before arriving at Yokohama because first we arrived at Yokohama and then at Kobe, I disembarked at Kobe. But before arriving at Yokohama, everyday, everyday, we did as one says in nihongo (Japanese), “donchan sawagi,” because we were at war, you know, as they celebrated with flags and a bunch of things. When we arrived at Yokohoma there was a big celebration, a welcoming [celebration], because already everything had been prepared. For that [reason] I say that I saw the best part of Nihon (Japan) before, during, and after the war, and over time, like twenty years or more…I saw four faces of Nihon. For that reason, I can say that I am lucky to have seen [every facet] of Japan, the worst, the best, the good and the bad, and much better. I saw it all. I don’t say this to everybody, of course, one has it inside, but it is a pride that I have in the strength of the nihonjin (Japanese). There is much that doesn’t bother them [the Japanese], but I feel it.
Date: September 18, 2006
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interviewer: Takeshi Nishimura, Ricardo Hokama
Contributed by: Centro Nikkei Argentino
Explore More Videos
Sneaking out of the Hastings Park camp during World War II
(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.
Government urged Japanese Canadians to go to Japan
(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.
Closing the Japanese school and deportation (Spanish)
(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter
Attempts to sign up for military service
(1917 - 2004) Political activist
Loyalty questionnaire
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
Fair Play Committee
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
Speaking out in camp
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
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