Stuff contributed by KatoSaori

Kibalamba in the Land of Samba! ~The 100-Year History of Brazilian Amami Immigration~

6th Second and Third Generation Visiting Group to Amami

Saori Kato

On November 1, 2018, the "Kagoshima Prefecture World Convention" was held in Kagoshima, and overseas residents with ties to Kagoshima (approximately 280 people from 20 countries and regions) visited Kagoshima. A delegation of 27 people from Brazil came to Japan to participate in this convention, and 18 of them had …

Kibalamba in the Land of Samba! ~The 100-Year History of Brazilian Amami Immigration~

Part 5: Shigehiro Tamari (from Uken Village, Amami Oshima) opens a fish shop with the sign saying "AMAMI"

Saori Kato

Besides the Brajiru Bridge in Uken Village, Amami Oshima, there are other things that tell the history of Brazilian Amami immigrants. The Amami Hall, built in 1955 by people from Amami living in São Paulo, was unfortunately transferred to another Japanese organization in 2002, but the word "AMAMI" still remains …

Kibalamba in the Land of Samba! ~The 100-Year History of Brazilian Amami Immigration~

Vol. 4: The Brazilian Bridge that Connects Memories and Bonds - Kazuko Fumioka (from Uken Village)

Saori Kato

"You know the Hakukoku Bridge in Uken Village? That was built by my father," says Kazuko Fumioka (74). "Before, it was a wooden bridge, but it would always get washed away during typhoons, so it's now a drum bridge. It was always getting washed away, so my father built it. …

Kibalamba in the Land of Samba! ~The 100-Year History of Brazilian Amami Immigration~

Vol. 3: Kochia youth takes on the challenge of agriculture - Hideki Higo (from Kasari, Amami City)

Saori Kato

Emigration to Brazil was mainly done in family units, but some people went to Brazil alone. After the defeat, many demobilized soldiers and repatriates returned home. The country was still in turmoil after the defeat and had no capacity to accept them. There were many unemployed people and serious food …

Kibalamba in the Land of Samba! ~The 100-Year History of Brazilian Amami Immigration~

Part 2: A dance teacher over 60 years old - Shizue Shimada (from Uken Village)

Saori Kato

According to the "Uken Village Journal: Natural History" published in November 2017, the first immigrants to Brazil were 13 families and 54 people from Uken Village on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, who traveled to Brazil on the Sanuki Maru from Nagasaki Port in September 1918. After that, 81 …

Kibalamba in the Land of Samba! ~The 100-Year History of Brazilian Amami Immigration~

Part 1: Vivid memories of Otaka - Tsunehisa Atsushi (from Naze)

Saori Kato

In 1908, Japanese people began to migrate en masse to Brazil. Ten years later, in 1918, people from Amami, Kagoshima Prefecture also began to migrate to Brazil. 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of this. On February 25, 2018, at the Amami City Learning and Welfare Festival held at the Amami …

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神奈川県横浜市出身。母親が鹿児島県の奄美、加計呂麻島出身の奄美2世。2009年からJICA横浜海外移住資料館の展示ガイドを務め日本人移民史に興味を持つ。2014年3月神奈川大学大学院歴史民俗資料学研究科博士前期課程修了。2015年ブラジルのサンパウロ大学大学院留学。現在は神奈川大学大学院博士後期課程在学中。奄美移民をテーマに研究を行なっている。

Nikkei interests

  • community history
  • family stories
  • festival/matsuri
  • Japanese/Nikkei food
  • Japantowns
  • taiko

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