[Nichibunken-IHJ forum] Social Functions in Japanese Brazilian Society: Karaoke, Films, and Haiku

Lecturer: Hosokawa Shuhei (Professor, Nichibunken)


It has been 110 years since Japanese immigration to Brazil officially started in 1908. Today Brazil is home to the largest Japanese population outside Japan. Engaging in agriculture and commerce to support their lives, these Japanese migrants often looked for opportunities to get together with their fellows, seeking recreation and a sense of home away from home. For them, gatherings served as a defense mechanism against the majority Brazilian society, a chance to reconnect with their home country and collect information, and a space to express themselves in their mother tongue and associate with younger generations.
This lecture will examine various occasions when Japanese Brazilians got together in their history, such as haiku circles and the film screening sessions that had already started in the 1910s or the '20s, and a movie theater specializing in Japanese films in business for more than 30 years from the '50s. Amateur singing contests and karaoke competitions also became popular in the '50s.


Lecturer: Hosokawa Shuhei (Professor, Nichibunken)

Commentator: Angelo Ishi (Professor, Musashi University)

Date: Friday, July 27, 2018, 6:30-8:00 pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm)

Venue: Lecture Hall, International House of Japan

Language: Japanese (without English interpretation)

Admission: Free


For details and Registration:

http://www.i-house.or.jp/eng/programs/nichibunihj20180727/