Nikkei Stories
From successful businessman to ‘enemy alien’: my grandfather Hirokichi Nakamura
By Geoff Dornan: My grandfather Hirokichi Nakamura came to Australia from Kagoshima in 1897. He was 18. I’ve never known why he left Japan.
Raising mixed-race kids as a Japanese dad
By Masa Takahashi: After living in Australia for 20 years, my initial one-sided admiration for Western culture has gradually faded. Now, I want to blend the best of both cultures – the warmth of my Japanese upbringing and the richness of Australian culture.
Hardship and happiness: a New Zealand war bride’s life – Hiroko Kadowaki, 1929-2021 (Spotlight on New Zealand Nikkei)
June Baldwin and her son Leon reflect on their mother and grandmother, Hiroko Kadowaki, who migrated to New Zealand in 1956 after marrying a New Zealand soldier she’d met in Hiroshima.
Finding my family: Omaye/Omae Family History
By Shey Dimon: The email header read, ‘I’ve found your family’.
I think I stopped breathing at that moment.
The untold story of Ewar Dicinoski (Togawa Iwakichi)
By Steve Dawson: I took this opportunity to share the untold story of my great-grandfather, Ewar Dicinoski (Togawa Iwakichi), and the origins of the unique Dicinoski clan whose many descendants permeate Queensland and other parts of Australia.
Nikkei Australia’s Dr Yuriko Nagata to present lecture about internment in Tokyo, Japan, 10 December 2022
Dr Yuriko Nagata will talk at a special event to coincide with an exhibiton about ‘War Art’ in Nagoya, Japan.
Revisiting the Past: A Nikkei road trip
By Andrew Hasegawa: As a fourth-generation Japanese Australian, researching my family history and preserving the stories of other Nikkei Australians is important to me.
Geta, Giri and Going to Japan (Spotlight on New Zealand Nikkei)
By Joanna Boese: My mother’s given name was actually Atsuko, but she adopted the name Naomi as it is both a Japanese and Western name. Everyone called my father ‘Snow’ because his hair. Even in Japan he was known as ‘Yuki’ (snow).
Japanese Kiwi (Spotlight on New Zealand Nikkei)
By Jacqueline Yoshioka-Braid: I descend from a long line of samurai families. I am the fifth of six children born to my parents.
Across Oceans
By Yuki Kawakami: My parents embraced the opportunity to pursue their dream of living abroad. Sydney was at the top of their list.