Interviews
Missing Home (Japanese)
(Japanese) In the beginning, I would often be in tears. I would remember something. May be I heard a song or something, that reminded me (of Japan). It made me sad.
So I would cry often. Then my husband would ask me why I was crying everyday. The reason why I was crying wasn’t because I missed home so badly but I felt bad for making my parents unhappy. I felt like I did some bad things to my parents. Being so far away, I could only remember some good things about Japan, my friends, and my family, which brought tears to my eyes.
Date: February 6, 2015
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Izumi Tanaka
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Picture brides and karifufu
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Kibei schoolchildren in Hiroshima, Japan
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
Mother's immigration to U.S. as a treaty merchant
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Chose to go back to Japan
(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community
Marrying Bob against family’s wishes
(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto
Coming to America
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
The reason for coming to Japan
(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan
Treatment of Japanese Paraguayans during World War II (Spanish)
Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher
Reason to come back to Canada in 1954
(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952
Impressions from interviews with Issei women (Japanese)
Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history
Avoiding the Japanese military
(1914-2004) Nisei Bonsai master in the United States
Tango makes him to stay in Argentina (Spanish)
(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist
Government urged Japanese Canadians to go to Japan
(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.