An encounter that was infinitely far away
Based on the diary written by his father, who emigrated to Brazil alone at the age of 19 in 1934 and passed away there at the age of 81, and the experiences of his grandfather's family, he serialized the journey they took in the "Readers' Room" column of the São Paulo Newspaper (April 2003 to August 2005). He then compiled these columns and published them in 2005 as "An Encounter That Was So Far Away." In this series, he introduces some episodes from that journey.
Stories from this series
father-in-law
Dec. 2, 2013 • Hidemitsu Miyamura
Drug addict: Medical advances make me weep for old age My wife has passed away and I know the cold of the winter wind This haiku was written by my father-in-law, Masaharu Uemura, in the solitude of his later years. For many years, he composed waka poems as a hobby, and submitted them to the poetry and yanagi columns of the San Paulo and Nikkei newspapers. Every time I read them, I was struck by how they seemed to capture …
wedding
Oct. 29, 2013 • Hidemitsu Miyamura
The other day, I was invited to the wedding of my friend's eldest son. The reception was held at a Catholic church and had a magnificent, pleasant atmosphere. I met this friend through work, and we still work together today. In fact, this friend and my family have a long history. In the diary left behind by my father, Tokimitsu Miyamura (who passed away in 1995), there are many accounts of how he was looked after by his grandfather, Grandpa …
Bath and miso soup
Sept. 9, 2013 • Hidemitsu Miyamura
When I was a child, white people often called me " Ei! Japones ." When I was called this, I somehow felt like I was being looked down upon and treated differently by white people. In fact, this term was often used to derogate against Japanese people. This may have been due to the everyday habits of Japanese people, such as the collectivism among them, which white society could not understand, or the accent of Portuguese pronunciation. Also, most Japanese …
Memorial service and grave visit
Aug. 7, 2013 • Hidemitsu Miyamura
In most Japanese families in Brazil, when a family member dies, the funeral is held according to the religion that their ancestors have believed in for generations. In the case of Buddhists, it is common to hold memorial services on the seventh day, 49th day, 1st anniversary, 3rd anniversary, 7th anniversary, and 13th anniversary of the death. It is often confusing if you do not check the temple carefully depending on the sect, such as Nishi Honganji, Higashi Honganji, Jodo …
Old Film (2) The Dourados Colony
June 5, 2013 • Hidemitsu Miyamura
In addition to the scenes I mentioned last time , this old film contains footage that is deeply connected to my family. It is about the Dourados colony project, to which my father devoted his life. I cannot help but feel a strange fate in having this old footage in my possession even now.My parents' family moved to Apucarana, Paraná, in 1945. My father worked as a dental technician and as a temporary dentist around farmland. After the war, he …
Old Film (1) Historical Political Transitions
May 7, 2013 • Hidemitsu Miyamura
By chance, an old film from 61 years ago came into my hands. It was delivered to me a few years after my father passed away by a friend to whom I had entrusted some antiques before he passed away. I was astonished by the unexpected footage. It was documentary footage of the colony development project that my father, who had quit his job as a dental technician and moved to Paraná, planned with the state government in 1948. As …
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