Sawako Suganuma
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, she spent three and a half years backpacking through Eurasia, America, and parts of the African continent from 2002. Using her travel experiences, she is now based in Tokyo and works as a freelance travel writer and editor.
(Updated December 2012)
Stories from This Author
Living with the Red Soil: Japanese People in Paraguay - Part 2
Jan. 21, 2013 • Sawako Suganuma
Read Part 1 >> Actually, it's a good way to earn money abroad I have heard from Japanese friends and Japanese travelers that there were Japanese-Brazilians working in their companies. When I heard such stories, I used to think, "How pitiful," because I had no knowledge of the issue. Even though they had moved to the other side of the world with dreams and hopes, they had to endure the hardships of life and end up working in Japan. However, …
Living on the Red Soil: Japanese People in Paraguay - Part 1
Jan. 14, 2013 • Sawako Suganuma
Visit Iguazu "Sir, we have arrived at the 42km point." The conductor kindly came to inform me, so I grabbed my luggage and hurriedly got off the bus. We were in front of an ordinary village along a main road, with a gas station and a row of half-closed shops, standing silently in the darkness. The car whizzed by, completely ignoring the small village along the road. I've arrived in a strange place. Will I be okay? I came here …
Meeting Meche, a Japanese Peruvian - Part 2
Dec. 27, 2012 • Sawako Suganuma
Read Part 1 >> Go to Meche's aunt's house When Meche noticed me, a rare Japanese guest, she invited me to her aunt's house. Her parents' house is in Piura in the north, but her aunt's house is in Lima. The house was located in a quiet residential area. The exterior looked almost the same as other houses in Peru. Meche is highly educated, having graduated from university and earned an MBA, and currently works at a university. Considering that …
Meeting Meche, a Japanese Peruvian - Part 1
Dec. 20, 2012 • Sawako Suganuma
Encounter with Meche When we travel to South America, particularly Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, we come across a diverse mix of people, but there are some groups that particularly catch our attention: the Japanese descendants, who share the same roots as us. Peru is known among Japanese people for having a large Japanese population since Fujimori became president. It is also the first country in South America to have Japanese immigrants. Japanese people currently living in Peru are active in …
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