Japanese Brazilians
Japanese singer popular among Japanese-Brazilian community which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of immigration
Yumi Inoue, who have been making performance at Japanese community for ten years
MS kani,the postguraguate student of japan Univ Interviewed
1:What brings you to sing songs in Brazil?
I watched Japanese Brazilian sing Japanese songs with full respect in singing contest in Sao Paulo by NHK on TV.
Then I asked my manager to give me an opportunity to “sing Japanese songs for Japanese Brazilian in Brazil”.
Various people including my manager helped me make performance in Brazil, though I didn’t have any acquaintances and didn’t have any human relationships in South America.
First performance was successful, and I was asked to “make another performance there the following year”.
This is the 10th year I have performed at Japanese community in South America including Brazil.
I was anxious lest I should make myself understood by people in South America who have different language and culture from me, but I found that if we “enjoyed songs”, it didn’t matter what race they were, and what nationality they had.
2:This is the 100th year people have immigrated into Brazil, what do you think about that?
First-generation and second-generation Japanese immigrants have established Japanese community of today with considerable difficulty.
This year we will have many memorial events both in Japan and Brazil, but next year, the 101st year is more important, I suppose.
I’d like to continue to sing “Obrigado, Kasatomaru”, a song for “Japanese immigrants” to prevent these events from resulting in a boom, hoping that “everyone keeps in mind that there are many people who had difficulties in living a foreign country as immigrants”.
I watched Japanese Brazilian sing Japanese songs with full respect in singing contest in Sao Paulo by NHK on TV.
Then I asked my manager to give me an opportunity to “sing Japanese songs for Japanese Brazilian in Brazil”.
Various people including my manager helped me make performance in Brazil, though I didn’t have any acquaintances and didn’t have any human relationships in South America.
First performance was successful, and I was asked to “make another performance there the following year”.
This is the 10th year I have performed at Japanese community in South America including Brazil.
I was anxious lest I should make myself understood by people in South America who have different language and culture from me, but I found that if we “enjoyed songs”, it didn’t matter what race they were, and what nationality they had.
2:This is the 100th year people have immigrated into Brazil, what do you think about that?
First-generation and second-generation Japanese immigrants have established Japanese community of today with considerable difficulty.
This year we will have many memorial events both in Japan and Brazil, but next year, the 101st year is more important, I suppose.
I’d like to continue to sing “Obrigado, Kasatomaru”, a song for “Japanese immigrants” to prevent these events from resulting in a boom, hoping that “everyone keeps in mind that there are many people who had difficulties in living a foreign country as immigrants”.
people will flower someday somewhere
Everything I am today, I owe to people surrounding me.
3:Please give a message for foreigners living in Japan.
Now Japanese people boost exchanges with students of Japanese descent.
For myself, I’d like to convey the story of “Japanese immigrants” to the Japanese society in cooperation with the students.
My message is that people will flower someday somewhere, so we have to make efforts toward the realization.
Fate meant for you to come to Japan.
There are many people who can work on everything without hesitation as a result of having had the confidence in Japan though they had been passive in their home countries. It’s never too late.
I hope you will flower in Japan.
4:What’s your “motto”?
“Expressing gratitude”
Everything I am today, I owe to people surrounding me.
Many people of Japanese decent on site, who promoted to hold performance, as well as my manager, who helped me make performance in Brazil, “enabled me to flower in Brazil, under the rays of the sun”. I’d like to convey the story of Japanese community in Brazil, where I have flowered, to Japanese society. It’s my “gratitude”.
Now Japanese people boost exchanges with students of Japanese descent.
For myself, I’d like to convey the story of “Japanese immigrants” to the Japanese society in cooperation with the students.
My message is that people will flower someday somewhere, so we have to make efforts toward the realization.
Fate meant for you to come to Japan.
There are many people who can work on everything without hesitation as a result of having had the confidence in Japan though they had been passive in their home countries. It’s never too late.
I hope you will flower in Japan.
4:What’s your “motto”?
“Expressing gratitude”
Everything I am today, I owe to people surrounding me.
Many people of Japanese decent on site, who promoted to hold performance, as well as my manager, who helped me make performance in Brazil, “enabled me to flower in Brazil, under the rays of the sun”. I’d like to convey the story of Japanese community in Brazil, where I have flowered, to Japanese society. It’s my “gratitude”.