I was born in São Gotardo, a Brazilian city in the interior of Minas Gerais, where there is still a large presence of Japanese descendants. It is a city in national reference known for the production of carrots, potatoes and garlic. Among these producers, most are Nikkei who have contributed and diversified activities in the countryside—in addition to generating many jobs in this region.
I remember there was a nihonjinkai that featured festivals like the Undokai and Hana Matsuri, where Japanese immigrant families gathered. I remember that there were also the baseball, softball a…