Earlier this year, we were amazed to realize that Discover Nikkei was turning 10 years old. The site officially launched publicly at the end of March 2005, and in many ways, the past ten years have flown by so quickly.

We are so proud of all that we have accomplished together with our global Nima-kai community—articles published by nearly 700 writers worldwide, excerpts from over 150 video life history interviews, and more. The content currently spans 15 countries around the globe, and continues to grow.

We remain committed to sharing Nikkei stories from all over the world and will continue to do our best to provide a welcoming space for people to find connections and a sense of community. We have recently launched more improvements to our Journal section (a new main Journal page and search pages), so let us know what you think.

To kick off our 10th anniversary celebration, in this month’s update, we feature some of the most popular resources on our site. We have more planned as we celebrate throughout the year. Next month, we will be announcing this year’s Nikkei Chronicles theme, so stay tuned!

Thank you for your being a part of our Discover Nikkei family!

— The Discover Nikkei Team

In this issue...

JOURNAL

• Carlos Kasuga: “Everything That You Do, Do It Well” [EN, ES]
By Ricardo Hokama
In 2009, the prominent Nikkei businessman Carlos Kasuga shared his wisdom at an event in Argentina. Presented in this article are the concepts he shared of applying Japanese values to Latin American business practices for success.

• Brazilian Okaki and “Umeboshi” [JA, EN, ES, PT]
By Naomi Kimura
Japanese immigrants in Brazil adapted Brazilian ingredients to replicate their favorite Japanese foods. The author explains how she found these and how she learned to love them.

• Growing Up with a Japanese Name in the United States [EN]
By Sakura Kato
Part of last year’s Nikkei Names series, college student Sakura Kato wrote about her identity and how she feels as a Japanese American.

• A Heart Without Boundaries [EN]
By Maya Kochiyama
Brief biography about Nisei human rights activist Yuri Kochiyama, written by her granddaughter.

• 私のカナダ物語　－ 『朝日軍』選手　ケイ上西（かみにし）さん－ [JA]
ルイーズ・阿久沢
Article about the Japanese Canadian Asahi baseball team.

• La historia de un japonés visionario: Hiraoka, la empresa que soñó un hombre [ES]
Por Angélica Camacho, Asociación Peruano Japonesa
Article about Hiraoka Imports in Lima, Peru.

INTERVIEWS

• Mike Shinoda [EN, JA, ES, PT]
Musician, producer, and artist, most known for his Grammy Award-winning band Linkin Park.

• Barbara Kawakami [EN, JA, ES, PT]
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing in Hawai‘i.

• Toshiro Konishi [JA, EN, ES, PT]
Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru.

• Paula Hoyos Hattori [ES, EN, JA, PT]
Sansei in Argentina who is half Argentine, half Japanese.

• Kodama ryoichi [JA, EN, ES, PT]
Immigrated to Brazil from Japan in 1908 aboard the Kasato-maru.

NIKKEI ALBUM

• My Journey to Discover the Legacy of my Grandma, Yuri Kochiyama [EN, JA, ES, PT]
By mkochiyama
A collection of personal photographs of Yuri Kochiyama shared by her granddaughter.

• Nihonmachi: Portland’s Japantown [EN]
By Oregon_Nikkei
Historical photographs of pre-war Portland, Oregon, presented by the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center.

• Life in the Canadian Internment and POW Camps [EN]
By JCCC
Photographs from Japanese Canadian internment and prisoner of war camps during World War II.

• O pedaço Nikkei de Minas Gerais [PT]
By mhijb
Photographs of the Brazilian Nikkei community of Minas Gerais.

• Chile y la inmigración japonesa [ES]
By CD_Nikkei_Chile
Photographs documenting the early Japanese immigrant community in Chile.

NIMA–KAI

It’s easy to create a Nima account and log in to update your profile and add your own community’s events, share your stories, and post comments on articles.

Join our Nima–kai and meet other Nima >>

Nima of the Month

minami86 (Tokyo, Japan)

minami86 is a Japanese/English translator and writer. She currently helps us to translate Japanese articles and interviews into English.

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

[EN] Discover Nikkei is a place where I can both discover my identity as a Japanese who spent a number of years in the U.S. and get lost in the community—in a good way. As a translator, I’ve had opportunities to rediscover Japan in such a way that makes me realize how much I do not know about the country.

On the site, there are many things I can relate to, whether it’s a struggle to assimilate into a culture or a sense of belonging in the sharing of the Japanese language in its original form. Perhaps the true essence of a culture is there, which means that I still need to learn Spanish and Portuguese to fully experience the best of what Discover Nikkei has to offer!

Read her stories >>

*Nima -> short for Nikkei Nakama (Japanese word meaning “colleagues,” or “fellows,” or “circle”).

EVENTS

There are many Nikkei community festivals, exhibitions, workshops, and other events posted on Discover Nikkei.

Share your own community’s events with others on Discover Nikkei. It’s free! Just log in, then click on the “Add an Event” link on the Events page.

Find local Nikkei events in our online calendar >>

If you post earthquake and tsunami-related events, add the tag “JPquake2011” to make it appear on the list of earthquake relief events.

SUPPORT DISCOVER NIKKEI

Discover Nikkei continues to grow each year with the help of our volunteers and site contributors, but there is a lot more we’d like to do.

Please consider a donation to the Japanese American National Museum in support of our project!

Make a donation today >>

*When making your donation, please type “Discover Nikkei’ in the Comments section of the order form so we know that your are supporting our project.

—Thanks from the Discover Nikkei Team!

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