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Kuneho Mocha Tomiko Alabin @kuneho_mocha_tomiko_alabin

I recently found out, just in this year of 2025, that I am around a rokusei or nanasei nikkeijin. I am a Filipino with Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Dutch ancestry. It’s only this year that I’ve started identifying myself with the term ‘multiracial’. My ancestor probably came from Nagasaki and migrated to Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte in around the 1840s-1890s.  The passed-down story that I would like to share from my grandmother is as follows. As a 10-year-old, she (Lola Pilar) would live with her cousin (both they and their many other shared cousins would live in their shared household, under the care of their grandmother). One time, her cousin, Lolo Mario, received a ichimatsu kyou-ningyou doll from his parents. Then, he used it to make takot (scare) my grandmother because of how eerily still the expression was on this doll. This doll, in particular, was not robed in the traditional kimono, but was dressed in pyjamas, according to what my grandmother has shared with me. Also, my great-great-grandmother (my grandmother’s grandmother) had requested from her adopted child, Mang Asyon, to go to Okinawa, work there, and while working, buy an authentic kimono (it was purple, according to my grandmother’s words) from there. Sadly, this kimono is no longer in my grandmother’s possession, so it cannot be inherited by me. Still, just the thought of having this story is my own version of personal inheritance. I inherited her kimono through this story. Sometimes, I wonder what my great-great-great-great-(etc.)-grandfather felt before and after he moved to the Philippines. What was he like? What was his name? Unfortunately, I’m not sure how to retrieve records, because the Philippines is quite famous for its storms and natural calamities, which could have resulted in the destruction of such records. As for my interests, I like to listen to Kero Kero Bonito, Perfume, Ginger Root, Ena Mori, and even before I had been told by my own Lola or grandmother about our Japanese ancestry, I’ve deeply connected to the culture beyond pop culture like anime and manga. I’ve been studying the Japanese language, my ancestral language, since I was 13 years old, and now I have plans to study in a language school in Japan, my ancestor’s motherland.  I’m a visual artist under the name Eurikaileidoscope. As an artist, I love to explore themes related to identity through making angel-like characters. I would say I strongly identify as a BIPOC, and I do advocate against colorism through my artworks. The picture on my profile is a doll that I’ve made,though I’ve commissioned it from a doll-making business. Her name is Tamsy (short for Tamsin)… I’ve named her Tamsin because she has a twin named Mimi (short for Naomi). I’m looking forward to have her soon!    

Calabarzon, Philippines Nima since 2025 last login 2 days ago

Nima of the Month

Learn about some of our favorite Nima and what they like about Discover Nikkei.

Matthew Sueda is a Yonsei based in Hawaiʻi. Matt began volunteering for Discover Nikkei in late 2024 and has written stories about Issei photographer George Masa, an exhibition about ceramicist and educator Minnie Negoro, and Amy “Emiko” Hever, the Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Trust.

Matt works in tourism management with a focus on destination stewardship. He holds degrees from the University of Tokyo and from Swarthmore College, where he majored in Japanese. He also volunteers with the Hawaiʻi Japanese Center, supporting its archival and exhibition efforts.

What do you like most about Discover Nikkei?
Discover Nikkei provides a thoughtful space for voices from across the global Nikkei community. I appreciate the platform’s attention to context and the way it highlights both shared heritage and individual journeys. Interviewing people from different walks of life and learning from their stories has been a privilege, and I look forward to contributing more in the future.

How do you connect to your Nikkei identity?
I connect to my Nikkei identity through language and the community histories around me. Volunteering with the Hawaiʻi Japanese Center has given me a chance to work with documents and artifacts that reflect the everyday lives of Hawaiʻi’s Nikkei families. Many of these materials are in Japanese, and engaging with them has helped me better understand the challenges and hopes of earlier generations. It’s been a grounding experience and a reminder that our stories are interconnected.

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*The term “Nima” comes from combining Nikkei and nakama (Japanese for “colleagues”, or “fellows”, or “circle”).
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