Japanese Diaspora

The Japanese diaspora, known as Nikkei, refers to Japanese immigrants who have moved abroad permanently and their descendants following them. This series highlights the diverse cultures and communities that broadens the boundaries of what it means to be Japanese.

Cultural Footprint Japanese Diaspora Life Style

South Korean Literature Brings Hope & Empowerment: K-book Store in Tokyo Chekccori

South Korean literature is increasingly popular amid the fourth wave of the Hallyu boom. Kim Seung-bok, who founded Cuon, a publishing company specializing in South Korean content, possesses a wide range of literary works. South Korea is considered both geographically the closest and yet one of the most distant countries from Japan due to its historical conflicts and divergent political views. On the other hand, there are many Japanese who enjoy visiting the country on vacation.  The younger Japanese generation is drawn to the Korean lifestyles and values through their exposure to K-pop, K-dramas, and movies. It is not surprising to encounter Japanese students, who diligently follow South Korean culture

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Japanese Diaspora

Your Story is Our Story: Uncovering the Little-known History of Japanese Americans

Portland, Oregon, once had a Japantown, where many Nikkei lived. We trace the past and present of Japanese Americans with Jana Iwasaki, a board member of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon. There are two places in Portland with deep ties to Japan. One is the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO), formerly known as the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, which has served as a community center and a place to educate and explore the Japanese American experience and its role in Oregon’s multicultural community. Visitors can find archival materials about Japantown as well as exhibits about World War II American concentration camps for people of Japanese descent.  The other

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Japanese Diaspora Life Style

Fermented Foods Bring a Wealth of Health to the U.S.

Fermented foods have been gaining popularity in the United States for some time now. In 2003, Sandor Ellix Katz, a leader in the fermentation movement and a self-described fermentation geek, published his first book on fermented foods, Basic Fermentation. Since then, he has written numerous books ranging from adventures in the world’s fermented food cultures to advanced, specialized cookbooks, one of which has been translated into Japanese: Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys: Recipes, Techniques, and Traditions from around the World. If one were to trace the history of fermented foods in the U.S., one would find The Book of Tofu at the beginning. Co-authors Akiko Aoyagi and her American husband William Shurtleff began their research

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Cultural Footprint Japanese Diaspora

Looking Back to the Past: Re-examining Seattle’s Once Vibrant Japantown

Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) was once home to the largest Japantown in North America and remains to be one of the most historically significant places for Japanese Americans. In the 1880s, the first wave of Japanese laborers arrived in the Northwestern United States and undertook hard labor to build railroads, sawmills, and farms. Amid the prewar global population growth, by 1930, 8,500 Japanese Americans were living in what is known as the CID today. The district was home to Japanese language schools, newspaper offices, religious institutions, and dojos, which represented Japanese culture and became known as Japantown. The streets were filled with lodgings, restaurants, and stores run by Japanese American

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Cultural Footprint Japanese Diaspora

Found Photos of Japanese-Australians Uncover Historical Journeys of the Past

It’s not a well-known fact that Japanese people lived in Australia before the war. When we trace back the friendly relations between Australia and Japan today, we realize that it is thanks to the achievements of Japanese immigrants in the past. In 2015, Mayu Kanamori came across more than 300 photos featuring Japanese nationals at a flea market in a rural town in Australia. The discovery led Kanamori, an artist based in Sydney, to launch a project, Untitled.Showa, to try to identify the people in the photos and the story behind them, for instance why they were found in Australia. Anyone can participate in the project. Participants are asked to explore ways

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Cultural Footprint Japanese Diaspora

Deconstructing Creativity: ‘Japas’ Craft Beer, Created by a Trio of Female Japanese-Brazilians

Brazil is home to the world’s largest Japanese populations outside of Japan, numbering about 1.5 million people. The Japanese Brazilians are either 1) Japanese people from Japan who immigrated to Brazil and then became naturalized Brazilian citizens; or 2) those born in Brazil with varying degrees of Japanese ethnicity. There were many reasons why there was an influx of Japanese people coming to Brazil. Back in 1868, Japan was suffering from poverty and high unemployment during the Mejii Period (1868-1912). Consequently, the number of Japanese wishing to emigrate increased. Many of them were dreaming of working abroad to save money and eventually return to Japan. However once they arrived, many others

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Cultural Footprint Japanese Diaspora

The Hidden Story: The Cultural Heritage of Okinawan Tattoos

More than 120 years ago, the custom of hajichi, a deep blue pattern tattooed on the back of women’s hands in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, was banned by the Meiji government and gradually disappeared. Hajichi was the cultural heritage of the Ryukyu Kingdom, a rite of passage to mark the coming of age, marriage, and a talisman, which was desired by women. Lee Tonouchi, a fourth-generation Okinawan writer born and raised in Hawaiʻi, discusses the origins of Hawaiʻi Creole also known as Pidgin, as well as the diversity of the cultures in Hawaiʻi, and his own experience with hajichi. Tonouchi wrote Okinawan Princess: Da Legend of Hajichi Tattoos (2019). He said he was motivated to

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Cultural Footprint Japanese Diaspora

Venerable African Samurai Yasuke to Help the Great Unifier of Japan

Yasuke is a samurai anime series that has been available on Netflix since last month. The story takes place in the middle of the Warring States period (1467–1615), based on actual events of a man from Africa who plays an active role as a samurai. Yasuke trained and was under the command of Nobunaga Oda, who was the most powerful warlord of the day. The Yasuke story tells us something more important than history, which tells us about the importance of Bias-Free communication. In July 1581, the Italian missionary Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino visited Nobunaga in Kyoto, accompanied by an African man that one of them later named Yasuke. Luís Fróis(1532 –

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