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https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2025/11/23/shin-issei-journey-10/

Shin Issei Journey

Episode 10: Nihongo

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Arisa Nakamura
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A semi-monthly comic that explores the experiences of contemporary Japanese immigrants in the U.S. This week, “Nihongo”

Check back twice a month for subsequent entries.

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© 2020 Arisa Nakamura

cartoons comics generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan Japanese language languages migration postwar Shin-Issei United States World War II
About this series

Shin Issei Journey is a comic that explores the experiences of contemporary Japanese immigrants in the U.S., known as the Shin Issei. The story reflects the author’s own journey—first arriving in the U.S. as a junior high school student and later returning for graduate school. With humor, the comic portrays the challenges, cultural discoveries, and moments of adaptation that define the Shin Issei experience. It also seeks to share the history of Japanese Americans during World War II, a topic not widely taught in Japan.

This series was originally featured by the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington and The North American Post.

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About the Author
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Arisa Nakamura

Arisa Nakamura is a Seattle-based graphic and manga artist and a former staff member at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington. Originally from Shizuoka, Japan, she moved to the U.S. in 2013 to study Community Design. Since 2019, her comic series Shin Issei Journey has been featured in the North American Post. She also designs educational materials, including maps and exhibition panels. In 2021, she collaborated with the National Park Service to create the Bainbridge Island Junior Ranger Booklet, teaching the history of Japanese American incarceration during WWII. Check out her website and instagram.

Updated September 2025

Episode 9: On or in?
Episode 8: Phonetic Alphabet
Episode 7: Rain
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