Discover Nikkei is this incredible space where news, stories and resources about the Nikkei community are gathered together in one place. It is what Nikkei Voice tries to do on a much smaller, Canadian scale, and Discover Nikkei impressively does on an international level. These stories cross borders of nation, language and generation and preserve the community's past, informs on the stories of today, and by doing so, looks to keep the community intact for the future.

Stories nourish the mind, give insight into perspectives we might have never had the chance to understand and connect us, no matter the distance. With Discover Nikkei, we in Canada, can learn about what Nikkei in America, Japan, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and so on, are up to, all in one place.

We are grateful that Discover Nikkei shares Nikkei Voice's stories about the Japanese Canadian community. We are thrilled to be a small slice of this international Nikkei community.

Read articles by Nikkei Voice editor Kelly Fleck >>

[EN]
What do you like about Discover Nikkei and why?

While I thought I had a good understanding of the experience of Nikkei in the past and just how unimaginable it was, I was completely struck by what they went through, as I read a number of posts on Discover Nikkei and learned the history of immigrants. I think it’s a great site where people can discover the lives of many Nikkei around the world by reading articles written by individuals with direct and honest storytelling.

I was given an opportunity this time to write a series of articles about my grandfather’s immigration to Seattle, and I discovered something as I was writing. For a long time, I had thought that my father, who devoted his life to teaching in elementary schools in Japan after the war, was a mediocre, ordinary elementary school teacher. However, as I re-discovered the fact that he was a Japanese American born in Seattle and spent his childhood and youth in America, I realized for the first time that he was actually a one-of-a-kind, respectable teacher who had seen a bigger world. And I’m grateful that my writing to Discover Nikkei has allowed me to have this discovery.

Read Ikuo’s stories (Japanese and English) >>

[JA]
Q: ディスカバーニッケイの好きなところはどこですか？それはなぜですか？

日系人は過去に想像を絶する経験をしてきたと自分なりに理解していたが、ディスカバーニッケイ に投稿されているいろいろな方の移民の歴史を読み、改めてその壮絶な状況に驚嘆する。また、リ アリティに富む個人の投稿記事を通して世界にまたがる多くの日系人の方々の生き様を発見できる ので、素晴らしいサイトであると私は思う。

今回、私は祖父のシアトルへの移住経験について投稿させていただいたが、原稿を書きながら、あ る発見をすることができた。私は長いこと、戦後ずっと日本の小学校で教師を務めていた父親は、 うだつのあがらない平凡な小学校教員だと思っていた。しかし今回、父がシアトルに生まれた日系 アメリカ人で、アメリカで子供時代、青春時代を過ごしたということを再認識し、実は父は世界を 知るスケールの大きい凄い先生だったのだと初めて見直すことができた。この発見はひとえにデ ィスカバーニッケイへの投稿のお蔭であった。

新舛育雄さんの記事を読む （日本語＆英語）＞＞

We asked her what she liked about Discover Nikkei and this is what she replied:

[EN] Now that I've lived in the US longer than in Japan where I was born and grew up, and I am now at age of an official senior citizen, I am sometimes at a loss to answer the question, “Why am I now in the US?”

As if responding to my uncertainty, Discover Nikkei helps me look into “me” and empowers me with the valuable stories and experiences of Nikkei all over the world. Their stories give me peace of mind and help me look forward to the years ahead.

Read Takako’s stories (English only) >>

[JA] いよいよ日本よりもアメリカ生活の方が長くなり、高齢者と呼ばれる年齢になると、時々ふと「なぜ私は今アメリカにいるのだろう」という不安な気持ちに襲われます。そんなとき、「ディスカバーニッケイ」で、さまざまな土地と時代を生き抜いた人々の生き様を知ると、まるで「ディスカバーミー」のエネルギーをもらうかのようです。それは、私に与えられた”これからの時間”への安心感につながっています。

タカコさんのエッセイを読む（英語のみ） ＞＞

[EN]
Why is it important for you to share stories about Nikkei in Japan on Discover Nikkei?

Becoming more familiar with the Nikkei residents of Japan is also a great opportunity to understand and learn about the Nikkei of Latin America, the United States, and sometimes even from Asia. The settlement of Latino Nikkei in Japan is a process similar to that faced by Japanese immigrants a century ago. At that time, they had to build their lives from nothing or from very little and overcome uncertainty about how to educate their children and plan for their future. It would make me very happy to know that my writing helps guide this integration process.

What is the most meaningful thing that has happened as a result of your connection to Discover Nikkei?

Participating in Discover Nikkei has enabled me to get to know the Nikkei of Latin America as well as the United States and Canada. At events such as COPANI (Convention of Pan American Nikkei) I was able to meet some of these distinguished leaders in person. Through this network of relationships, I’ve learned many things and I hope to share that knowledge within my own society. I feel that by writing articles and translating histories and stories, Nikkei can learn about many experiences that will broaden their own vision of the world and of society.

Read Alberto’s stories >>

[ES]
¿Por qué es importante para usted compartir historias sobre los nikkei en Japón en Descubra a los Nikkei?

Conocer mejor a los nikkei residentes de Japón implica también una gran oportunidad para conocer e interiorizarse sobre los nikkei de América Latina, de los Estados Unidos y en ocasiones también de Asia. Este asentamiento de los nikkei latinos en Japón es un proceso similar que los inmigrantes japoneses se enfrentaron un siglo antes, donde tuvieron que construir sus vidas desde la nada o con muy poco, donde dudaron cómo educar a sus hijos y cómo planificar su futuro. Si mis escritos sirven para orientar este proceso de integración me sentiré sumamente satisfecho.

¿Cuál ha sido la cosa más significativa que le ha ocurrido como resultado de su conexión con Descubra a los Nikkei?

Mi participación en Discover Nikkei me ha permitido conocer no solo a los nikkei de América Latina sino también a los de Estados Unidos y Canadá y en ocasiones como la COPANI (Convención Panamericana Nikkei) pude conocer en persona a algunos de estos prestigiosos líderes. A través de esta red de relaciones pude aprender muchas cosas y espero poder retribuir estos conocimientos en mi propia sociedad. Escribiendo artículos o traduciendo historias y relatos siento que que los nikkei pueden conocer muchísimas vivencias que permitirían ampliar su visión del mundo y de la sociedad.

Lea las historias de Alberto >>

[JA]
Q. ディスカバー・ニッケイへ日本住む日系人のストーリをシェアすることの重要性は何ですか？

日本に住んでいる日系人を知ることで、中南米やアメリカ、時にはアジアにいる日系人をもっと知るきっかけになっているという気がします。日系ラティーノは、日本に定着することによって、昔の日本人移住者のようにゼロから試行錯誤しながら生活の基盤を立て、子供の教育で悩み、未来を築いているのです。そうした挑戦の中で自分が書いているものが少しでもヒントになってくれれば幸いです。

Q. ディスカバー・ニッケイへ参加することで得た最も有意義なことは何ですか？

中南米だけではなく北米の日系人のことももっと知ることができたし、COPANI（パンアメリカン日系人大会）等を通じて実際有力な日系リーダーと会うことです。このネットワークを通じてもっといろいろなことを学び、社会に還元できればと思っています。コラムを書きながら、また様々なストーリーを翻訳しながら、これらの物語を通して、もっと多くの日系人にいろいろな出来事を知ってもらい、広い視野を育んで欲しいと思っています。

アルベルト・松本さんの記事を読む ＞＞

With 75 articles published on Discover Nikkei from 2012 to now, why do you feel it’s important to continue sharing your stories on our site? What other stories would you still like to write?

I’ve been so grateful to have the opportunity to cover and grow as a writer and a member of the Japanese American community through Discover Nikkei. I appreciate the opportunity to connect with so many wonderful people, places, and causes through this platform, and to highlight their good work.

I’d still like to write more about the Nikkei community in Tacoma, and share more with the community about the two books I’ve been writing. One is a co-written graphic novel about Japanese American wartime resistance and the other is a family memoir in connection with my father’s unpublished memoir about his incarceration in Tule Lake. There are so many lesser-known Nikkei stories in the Pacific Northwest and I hope to continue to research and share them.

What is the most meaningful thing that has happened as a result of your connection to Discover Nikkei?

One of the most meaningful things happened with the translation of my article “My Log Cabin Sukiyaki Song” into all of the site’s languages. This led to being published internationally, in Peru, Canada, Japan, and Brazil. The translation into Japanese meant that I was able to send a piece of my writing to my relatives in Hiroshima, Japan. That I was writing about my father, their cousin, made it so meaningful for me. I don’t speak very much Japanese, and they don’t speak very much English (though their English is much better than my Japanese!).

Read her articles >>

What do you like about Discover Nikkei?

My favorite part about Discover Nikkei is how it connects so many people from so many different places and countries. Just reading all these stories brings this feeling of warmth and inclusion, with the Japanese community from around the world coming together to help preserve and share their culture. The fact that I get to participate in that is amazing! It shows me that I can make a difference, and helps me reach much wider audiences.

All of the articles are so interesting, they share the unique parts of different cultures with the world, and I learn something new every time I read them. By learning about the Japanese communities in different countries, I learn to broaden my horizons and open my eyes to the rest of the world. This global connectivity brings people from different countries, cultures, and religions together to share their stories and knowledge with the world, and I believe that this is what matters most in these uncertain times.

Read her articles >>

[EN]
With over 150 articles published within six series on Discover Nikkei from 2010 to now, why do you feel it’s important to continue sharing your stories on our site?

After a year spent in America in 1986, as a nonfiction writer I became very interested in people’s lives which straddled two countries. I’m attracted to the site especially when I think about the relationship between Japan and the war that had a huge impact on the idea of how the Japanese should be.

What is the most meaningful thing that has happened as a result of your connection to Discover Nikkei?

When I write a piece of nonfiction, I interview people, do research, and learn new facts. I also get to think about the meanings behind those facts. The most inspiring and meaningful thing for me is that I get to discover things and contemplate in the process of reporting and writing essays.

Read his articles >>

[JA]
Q. 2010年から今にかけて150以上ものエッセイを６つのシリーズを通して書いてくださっていますが、ディスカバーニッケイへエッセイを書きづつける意義は何でしょうか？

1986年に１年間アメリカで暮らしたことがきっかけになって、ノンフィクションを書くものとして、２つの国にまたがった人生に非常に興味をもつようになりました。特に、日本と日本人のあり方に多大な影響を及ぼした戦争との関係を考えると、（ディスカバーニッケイには）なおさら惹かれるものがあります。　　

Q. ディスカバーニッケイへエッセイをシェアすることで得た最も有意義なことは何でしょうか？

ノンフィクションを書くということは、取材し、調べ、新たな事実を知ることにもなります。加えてその事実の意味を考察することになります。エッセイを書くなかで取材をし、こうした新たな発見をし考察できることがもっとも新鮮で、有意義なことです。

彼のストーリーを読む >>

[EN]
In addition to your own stories, you have contributed to Discover Nikkei in many ways. What makes this project so important to you?

I am interested in Japanese culture and the history of the Japanese who emigrated to different countries, and I've been writing about this topic. I owe this to the existence of Discover Nikkei, for if it hadn't been for this project I would hardly have had such an opportunity. It brings me joy to be able to contribute, at least a little, by expressing, through family and community stories, how I think and feel. I hope Discover Nikkei becomes the meeting point for Nikkei from all over the world, a special place where everyone can reinforce the strong ties that bind them.

What is the most meaningful thing that has happened as a result of your connection to Discover Nikkei?

I’ve been contributing to Discover Nikkei since July 2011 and it’s gratifying to know that, during these 9 years, I’ve been able to share through my writing my experiences as a Brazilian Nikkei. These days, that has been my ikigai, my life’s purpose.

Read her stories >>

[PT]
Além de colaborar com suas histórias, você tem contribuído de diferentes maneiras para o Discover Nikkei. O que torna o nosso projeto tão importante para você?

Eu me interesso pela cultura japonesa e pela história dos japoneses que emigraram para diferentes países e tenho escrito sobre o assunto. Devo isto à existência do Discover Nikkei, porque se não fosse esse projeto dificilmente eu teria uma oportunidade dessas. Poder contribuir, pelo menos um pouco, expressando minha maneira de pensar e de sentir, através de histórias familiares e da comunidade, é motivo de felicidade. Espero que o Discover Nikkei seja o ponto de encontro dos nikkeis do mundo inteiro, um lugar especial onde todos possam estreitar os fortes laços que os unem.

O que de mais significativo aconteceu em consequência de ter se conectado ao Discover Nikkei?

Colaboro no Discover Nikkei desde julho de 2011 e é gratificante saber que, nestes 9 anos, pude transmitir através da escrita as minhas experiências como nikkei brasileira. Atualmente isto tem sido o ikigai, o meu propósito de vida.

Leia suas histórias >>

[JA]
Q. エッセイの寄稿をはじめ、様々な分野でディスカバーニッケイをサポートしていただいていますが、ラウラさんにとって、ディスカバーニッケイプロジェクトの重要性は何ですか？

私は日本文化や海外に移住した日本人の物語に関心を持ち、文章を書いてきました。そのきっかけは、ディスカバー・ニッケイの存在です。このプロジェクトがなければ、私にこういう機会はほとんどなかったと思います。自分の考え方、感じ方、家族やコミュニティのストーリーなどをお届けすることによって、少しでもお役に立てれば幸いです。ディスカバー・ニッケイが、世界中の日系人の特別なたまり場、日系人の絆が深まる場になることを願っています。

Q. ディスカバー・ニッケイへ参加することで得た最も有意義なことは何でしょうか？

2011年７月から９年間、ディスカバー・ニッケイに参加でき、日系ブラジル人としての経験を文章にして、皆様にお伝えできたことを嬉しく思います。今では生き甲斐となっています。

彼女のストーリーを読む ＞＞

What do you like about Discover Nikkei and why?

I really love Discover Nikkei because of the connections that it creates with Nikkei around the world. Discover Nikkei breaks the barriers of physical distance and documents the stories of Nikkei from a wide variety of backgrounds, locations, and environments. The stories and experiences shared on Discover Nikkei cannot be found anywhere else, and allows other Nikkei to connect with individuals that they may not have met otherwise.

What was the most rewarding part of your intern experience?

It was such a privilege to be the Japanese American National Museum’s intern this summer, and I enjoyed every minute of it! The most rewarding part of the experience was that I was able to meet and interact with so many different leaders in the Japanese American community. Each of these leaders gave me such great insight about how I can impact the community and create change for the future generations!

Read his articles >>

[EN]
Why do you feel it’s important to continue sharing your stories on our site? What other stories would you still like to write?

I’ve lived in the U.S. for 28 years now. I’m a so-called Shin Issei. I can see myself and the community I live with an objective eye when I write stories about Nikkei, including the Shin Issei like me, and their culture. Also, I want the voices of Nikkei abroad to be heard as much as possible, as I’m concerned about the current, extremely introverted Japan—a country which once sent a great number of people to the American continent. I want to take advantage of the nature of Discover Nikkei being an online medium which can be accessed from anywhere, even by Japanese people living in Japan. I’d like to continue writing about the life of Nikkei and how they approach life in America, as they share their racial heritage.

What is the most meaningful thing that has happened as a result of your connection to Discover Nikkei?

I’m very happy when Japanese media reach out to me and say they want to interview the people I wrote about for Discover Nikkei or when I get requests from readers asking for details about the places I introduced in my essays, those related to Nikkei culture, because they say they want to stop by during their next visit to Los Angeles. These are the moments when I truly realize that my stories have reached people. I also feel blessed to have years of relationships with the people who have let me interview and write about their life.

Read her articles >>

[JA]
Q. ディスカバーニッケイへ寄稿しづつける意義はなんですか？また、今後どのようなストリーを書きたいと考えていますか？

渡米して28年になります。いわゆる新一世です。私のような新一世を含む日系人や日系文化を取材することで、自身の姿や暮らす社会を客観的に捉えることができます。さらに、かつて北南米に多くの移民を輩出した日本が現在は非常に内向き志向であることに懸念を抱いていることから、日本に住む日本人にもオンラインメディアとしてどこからでもアクセスしてもらえる特性を生かし、海外に暮らす日系人の生の声を少しでも多く伝えたいと考えています。今後も、彼らにとって同じルーツを持つ日系人がどのような意識を持ってアメリカで生活しているのかを引き続き取材していきたいです。

Q. ディスカバーニッケイへエッセイをシェアすることで得た最も有意義なことは何でしょうか？

ディスカバーニッケイに取材執筆した人物を日本のメディアから改めて取材したいとの連絡を受けたり、また同じく私のエッセーで紹介した日系文化に所縁のある場所を次回ロサンゼルスに訪れた際に立ち寄ってみたいので詳細を教えて欲しいといったレスポンスをいただくと「私の書いた記事が人々に届いている」ということが実感できてとても嬉しいです。さらに、取材させていただいた方とのご縁が何年経っても続いていることに、心から感謝しています。

彼女のエッセイを読む >>

[EN]
What do you like about Discover Nikkei?

Participating in Discover Nikkei has been a very pleasant and didactic experience. It’s been pleasant because I feel like I’m surrounded by friends from different parts of the American continent. And it’s didactic because I’ve seen how the histories of Japanese communities are being preserved in an open and safe way for Nikkei and non-Nikkei people alike around the world.

It has been a wonderful way for me and many of my friends to learn about Discover Nikkei. As a Nikkei, I feel that the story of our forefathers should live on through time. From being immigrants who didn’t understand the language to finding a way to support themselves in formal ways. I think that these are examples for the newer generations, so they can directly see that life without sacrifice is false, deficient, and has no value for society. Hard work and honor are the values they instilled in us from childhood. And we are there, the examples of our parents’ effort.

Read his stories (Spanish only) >>

[ES]
¿Qué es lo que te gusta de Descubra a los Nikkei?

Participar en Discover Nikkei ha sido una experiencia sumamente agradable y didáctica. Agradable porque se siente uno rodeado de amigos de distintos lugares del continente americano y didáctica por conocer cómo las historias de las colonias japonesas quedarán preservadas de forma abierta y segura para el público nikkei y no nikkei del mundo.

Ha sido maravilloso para mí y muchos de mis amigos conocer Discover Nikkei y siento que, como nikkei, la historia de nuestros padres tiene que perdurar en el tiempo. De ser inmigrantes sin conocer el idioma, a tener un sustento en donde formalizar su vida. Y pienso que el ejemplo a las nuevas generaciones es darles motivos para entender que la vida sin sacrificios es falsa, pobre y sin ningún valor para la sociedad. El trabajo y la honradez son los valores que nos inculcaron desde nuestra niñez. Y ahí estamos como ejemplo de lo que hicieron nuestros padres.

Lea los articulos de Luis >>

What do you like about Discover Nikkei?

I was first introduced to Discover Nikkei by my friend, Norm Ibuki. I especially enjoy reading about the Nikkeis in USA and South American countries and noting the differences/similarities that were used towards our imprisonment. I feel that our stories need to be told and not buried. The younger generations must be kept informed and educated about those times while there are still first-hand story tellers to tell their stories, and to this end, Discover Nikkei is playing a vital role.

Read his stories >>