Laura Honda-Hasegawa
@laurahhBorn in São Paulo, Brazil in 1947. Worked in the field of education until 2009. Since then, she has dedicated herself exclusively to literature, writing essays, short stories and novels, all from a Nikkei point of view.
She grew up listening to Japanese children's stories told by her mother. As a teenager, she read the monthly issue of Shojo Kurabu, a youth magazine for girls imported from Japan. She watched almost all of Ozu's films, developing a great admiration for Japanese culture all her life.
Updated May 2023
Stories from This Author
Episode 24: The Diary of a Girl Who Wanted to Be Japanese - Part 4
July 1, 2015 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
Read Part 3 >> March 4, 2011 Bachan's sister is in the hospital, so he's in Campo Grande. So I'm staying with my Auntie Niall for a while. I have three cousins, and the youngest one, Noah, is so cute. He's 2 years old. Compared to when I was in Japan, it's so much more lively and fun now! In Japan, I went to school from 7:30 in the morning to 6 in the evening. There were only eight students …
Episode 24: The Diary of a Girl Who Wanted to Be Japanese - Part 3
May 6, 2015 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
Read Part 2 >> May 7, 2010 "Festa do Dia das Mães 1 " was held at school today. When I was in Japan, there was no such event at Brazilian schools because the mothers had to work in factories. The students just made pictures and cards and gave them to their mothers at home. But Brazilian schools are amazing! Two days before Friday, instead of classes, the students put on a special performance of songs, dances, and plays for …
Exploring the meaning of "JAPA"
April 8, 2015 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
I believe words are living things. When people's way of thinking and living changes, words also change. About 60 years ago, when I was a child, there were very few Japanese people living in the city of São Paulo, so "Japanese" people stood out in many ways. I still remember that at that time, most Brazilians had a unique image of Japanese people, such as "They don't understand Portuguese," "The food is different," and "They have strange customs." Since I …
Episode 24: The diary of a girl who wanted to be Japanese - Part 2
March 4, 2015 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
Read Part 1 >> February 17, 2010 I saw the Brazilian Carnival for the first time on TV. Today, Wednesday, is the last day. It is called "Ash Wednesday". When I asked Bachan what it meant, he explained to me that "The festival that everyone has been waiting for for a year ends today, and from tomorrow everyone will work hard for next year." But I didn't really understand why it was called "ash." I thought Brazil was a different …
Episode 24: The diary of a girl who wanted to be Japanese - Part 1
Jan. 28, 2015 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
January 26, 2009 Why? Why do you have to go back to Brazil? Hey, is it true? I asked Mommy, but she was busy cleaning up in the kitchen. Unusually, she didn't say, "Jessica, help out too." I really don't want to go back! Mommy told me, "You'll be a junior high school student next year, so you should study English more." Mommy taught English at the Brazilian school I went to. But she suddenly decided to go back to …
Episode 23 (Part 2) I wanted to say "You don't have to come"
Dec. 31, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
Hiroyuki steeled himself and told Sanae the truth. He told her that while he was a student in Brazil, he had a child and moved in with the child's mother, Maria do Rosario, and that two years later, he came to Japan alone to work. Sanae listened in silence. Hiroyuki was surprised that she didn't show any anger or upset. Then she took out a box from the dresser drawer and handed the photos inside to Hiroyuki. "He was an …
Episode 23 (Part 1) I wanted to say, "You don't have to come," but
Nov. 25, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
That day, when he hung up the phone, Hiroyuki was so surprised that he was stunned for a moment. "I'll come over there next time!" the words of his wife, whom he had left behind in Brazil, rang in his ears. At first he thought she was joking, but Maria do Rosario was serious. "I told you before! I'd follow you to Japan! The time has come." Hiroyuki was confused. Until now, his wife had only called for one reason. …
Episode 22 (Part 2) Where is Glausha Now?
Oct. 15, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
Part 1 >> Kazue had fallen in love with Jackson, who was 12 years younger than her, but she was finally unable to bear the domestic violence and was thinking of running away. The next morning, when Fasineira 1 arrived at the apartment, she found Kazue collapsed in the living room. Fasineira called an ambulance. Kazue was taken to the hospital with serious injuries to her face and arms, and was hospitalized. Jackson stole jewelry, a computer, and credit cards …
Episode 22 (Part 1) Where is Glausha Now?
Aug. 27, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
"I want to be a hairdresser," Kazue said, so she left the town where she was born and raised and went to São Paulo. She even took a year off from high school to live and train at her uncle's hair salon. After that, she got her hairdresser's license and started working at her uncle's salon full time. One day, at her uncle's suggestion, Kazue participated in a national beauty contest and won first place. This prompted her to set …
第二十一話 ミッちゃんと「日本のおばあちゃん」
July 30, 2014 • Laura Honda-Hasegawa
台風が通り過ぎた翌日のことでした。その日の朝は蒸し暑く、ミッちゃんは赤いランドセルを背負って、水筒を持って学校に向かって歩いていました。 「どっちが暑いのかなあ。ブラジルの夏と日本の夏では」と、まだはっきりと分からないようでした。ミッちゃんは、半年前までブラジルに住んでおり、日差しが強い日は、友だちと外で遊ぶよりベランダで本を読む方が好きでした。バチャン1の作るおいしいココナッツアイスクリームも大好きでした。ブラジルの生活の方が比べものにならないくらい良かったと思っていまし…
