Interviews
Traditional Japanese events for Japanese Americans (Japanese)
(Japanese) To me, Nikkei people are Americans, and I feel like they don’t know much about Japan. It just seems like they have a sense of nostalgia about the culture of Japan. So that might show up in the form of Oshogatsu (New Years) celebrations or Obon festivals. One time, a Nikkei family invited me to Oshogatsu, so I went, and honestly I was expecting some Osechi Ryori (traditional Japanese New Year’s cuisine). But instead, there was tempura. They had prepared this mass of tempura [laughs]. “Ah,” I realized, “so this is Oshogatsu for Japanese Americans.” There wasn’t but a trace of anything resembling Osechi Ryori. But I understand that for them, they had done their best in preparing the food. Anyway, I don’t really remember if there was Japanese sake, or some mochi, but I do remember that we had sushi. Of course, no one in Japan really eats sushi on New Years. But it made me think that maybe they [the Japanese Americans] are longing for this kind of special Japanese event, to try and get a taste of tradition and culture.
Date: March 1, 2007
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Okinawan cultural appreciation
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.
Working together in Okinawa using three languages
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.
Her definition of Nikkei
(b.1974) Japanese Colombian who currently resides in the United States