The mountains where I chased rabbits, the rivers where I fished for small crucian carp, my dreams still wander through my unforgettable hometown How are my parents? Are my friends safe? Even in the wind and rain, I remember my hometown. I will fulfill my ambition and one day return …
My mission as a JICA volunteer has come to an end. For several months before returning home, I visited various schools as if I was in a rush to finish my activities. After returning home, I was busy with various procedures and job hunting, and now, after three months, I …
"This is where the Amazon immigrants first arrived." Wataru Sakaguchi Francisco, former president of CAMTA (Tomé-Açu General Agricultural Cooperative), told us about a small riverbank on a tributary of the Amazon River. 189 people from 43 families arrived here in 1929. They first started producing cacao. They worked with South …
"Something amazing happened the day before yesterday! An American who came to Tome-Acu during the war brought us a baseball!" says Keiichi Otohata, president of the Tome-Acu Cultural Association in the state of Pará, excitedly. When I asked him, "A baseball?" he replied with a smile, "It's a touching story …
The locked door is opened and we enter, and it's a little chilly. The electricity is off, but the sunlight from outside makes it bright enough. First, at the front, there is the school song and motto. On the right wall is a portrait of the school's first principal, Nobushige …
Last year, various events were held in both countries to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Brazil. Various events were also held in various places here in the Amazon, and I believe that Japan has become more well-known in Brazilian society than ever …
"Would you like to have a drink sometime soon?" I was invited by Tadashi Sudo, who is a drinking buddy that I meet up with once a month together with the Japan-Brazil Association and fellow volunteers, and who is one of the few friends I met in Brazil. He doesn't …
"Can I participate in the Bon Odori again this year?" I received a call from the president of the women's association, and realized that a year had passed since then. Last year, only about two weeks after I was assigned to Belem, I was invited to the summer festival and …
It has been 120 years since diplomatic relations between Japan and Brazil were established in 1895. Since then, various commemorative events have been held throughout Brazil to strengthen the relationship between the two countries in various fields such as culture, art, and economy. At the annual book fair held in …
Last August, I was assigned to the Northern Brazil Japanese Language Promotion Center in Belem, Pará, Brazil, as a JICA senior volunteer for the Japanese community. The center is located in the same building as the Japan-Brazil Association and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, and from the first day of …
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