Katsuo Higuchi
@katsuohiguchiA Nisei native of Tupã, São Paulo State, he holds a Law degree, specializing in Labor Relations. Over the course of 50 years, he worked as an executive and entrepreneur in the Human Resources field. A Business Consultant, he’s also a columnist for the newspaper Nippo Brasil.
Updated June 2017
Stories from This Author
Anime, Manga and young Brazilians
March 6, 2025 • Katsuo Higuchi
It is curious that Brazilians, mostly young and largely without Japanese ancestry, have an interest in the so-called “Otaku” culture, which has been winning hearts and minds throughout the country. “Otaku” culture is a rich and multifaceted expression that includes not only anime and manga, but also practices such as cosplay, electronic games and a lifestyle that values Japanese aesthetics. The phenomenon is, in fact, a reflection of a broader desire for exploration and escapism in an increasingly complex and …
The “Dekasegi” Phenomenon and Its Anonymous Heroes
Jan. 31, 2025 • Katsuo Higuchi
When we think of heroism, we tend to think of superheroes from movies or famous people. However, true heroism can be found in the everyday lives and stories of Nikkei Brazilians who, in search of better opportunities, left everything behind and became “dekasegis.” in Japan. The movement that came to be called the “dekasegi phenomenon” emerged in the last three decades as a reaction to the economic crisis that hit Brazil. In this scenario of uncertainty and hopelessness, hundreds of …
OKÃSAN: A Testimony of the Search for Understanding
Dec. 23, 2024 • Katsuo Higuchi
Okãsan is an emotional and engaging account of a mother who travels to Japan for the first time to meet her young son for the first time, who has gone to live in Tokyo to study at a local university. A month before turning 21, Pablo (let's call him that) fulfilled a great childhood dream: to live in Japan! He moved to the Japanese capital thanks to a scholarship granted by the Japanese government. Until then, mother and son had …
Bisa AIKO and her 102nd birthday
Feb. 17, 2023 • Katsuo Higuchi
“Congratulations, Bisa , on your birthday” and a smiling grandmother AIKO receives, from each of her great-granddaughters, a tight hug and a loving kiss given to her expressive face, but a little tired with age. Last January, D. AIKO, matriarch of the Higuchi family, celebrated her 102nd birthday. The celebration event should have taken place in 2021, when she would actually turn 100 years old. This significant date was even remembered at the time by the Brazilian Society of Japanese …
DREAMING... It's worth it!
July 20, 2022 • Katsuo Higuchi
Dreaming is always good, whatever the motivation! Love, travel, employment, own home... Even though in some cases it may seem like a utopia. The dream is the light, the force that stimulates our fight for what we believe in. I remember the question they once asked an almost engaged couple: what would their big dream be? They thought a little and the answer was in unison: “A perfect wedding party, with everything you could imagine in a wedding celebration, from …
Mother's Flavor
March 30, 2022 • Katsuo Higuchi
Stimulated by the instigating theme proposed by the editors of this newspaper – Nikkei Food x Japanese Food – the memory of Naomi Kawase's beautiful film Taste of Life came to mind. Full of beauty and subtlety, it is one of those films to savor with the eyes and provoke our minds to the small and beautiful things in life. The plot is set against the backdrop of the secret recipe for a traditional treat, dorayaki , much loved by …
COVID-19 and the unsung heroes
June 14, 2021 • Katsuo Higuchi
All countries in the world, almost without exception, have been painfully suffering the effects of the terrible Covid-19 pandemic. Some more, some less, but none went unscathed. And we don't know how and when it will end. In my country, Brazil, the situation is very serious, very serious! So far, less than 20% of the population has been vaccinated and, to make matters worse, the vaccine is running out, with no chance of resumption due to the ineptitude of our …
I want to leave, live... Aiko's lamentations
Nov. 23, 2020 • Katsuo Higuchi
Before the arrival of this terrible pandemic that is ravaging the world, Aiko, a retired housewife, living in the traditional neighborhood of Santana in the Capital of São Paulo, had a routine that was quite lively for a lady of her age. Known by her Brazilian neighbors as Dona Maria and Aitian or Aiko-san by her relatives, in addition to the usual walks she took in streets close to where she lives, she took tai chi chuan and brain gymnastics …
COVID-19 and its impact on the lives of Brazilian Nikkei
May 25, 2020 • Katsuo Higuchi
As has happened in other countries, Covid-19 hit Brazil in a devastating way, showing those who did not believe in it, its lethal malignancy. On May 9, more than 10,000 deaths had already been recorded, with catastrophic numbers expected to reach in the coming months, despite the containment measures taken by the country's health authorities. Horizontal quarantine was adopted to try to combat evil. With this, the doors of commerce and industry were closed; the movement of people was prohibited. …
ITADAKIMASU, GOCHISOSAMA and other values
May 4, 2020 • Katsuo Higuchi
Matías, who happens to be our Argentine son-in-law, the first time he was at our house he was welcomed with a lunch beautifully prepared by Cecília, my wife. At the table, invited to start the meal, he made a comment that immediately earned him positive points with his family. He said: “The Japanese bow – itadakimasu – before meals, which I consider to be a most significant attitude!” and added: “I traveled to Japan a few times for work and, …
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