I'm Peruvian Japanese. My grandparents are from Okinawa and migrated to Peru early 30's. I now live in Los Angeles where the Japanese community is huge which makes me happy because i can have contact with my Japanese side! Also there are many Peruvians living here so that's a plus for me too. My Japanese grandma lives in Peru and will be 103 next March
If you haven't been to one yet, try to attend the Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival in Okinawa. They hold it every five years, with the last one being 2022 due to the pandemic. Okinawans from all over the world attend, even a contingent from Peru.
the tone of voice when he asked "where d'ya want me to look, you or the camera?" made me immediately smile. it sounds like something my grandpa would say. actually his whole accent reminds me of my mom's side of the family, all from new york state. like he says, he is both japanese AND american. neither one is more important than the other, no matter what anyone else may think.
no, he has japanese dna, mixed with american culture and values. And there is indeed an objective advantage to each, so that of yours is just a "morally feel good" illusion statement if you ask me.
This was the most fascinating interview I've seen you do. Mr. Kito is so articulate. He is also very modest.The bakery he owns--Fugetso-Do--is an L.A. institution. The mochi I've bought there is absolutely delicious. I find it so interesting that many aspects of Japanese culture have become embedded in U.S. culture--especially here in Los Angeles. And we can start with sushi. In the '60s and '70s, when I was a student at UCLA, no Americans I knew were eating sushi. Now it seems like there's a sushi place on every corner. It's extremely popular here. The minimalist Japanese artistic vibe also has a strong presence here in L.A. This can be seen in modern architecture, for instance, When my husband and I were building our house, we looked at Tadao Ando's buildings. American gardeners are influenced by ikebana and bonsai styles. In fact, I just went to an ikebana exhibit at a local public garden. I'm very grateful for the strong Japanese presence in our city.
It's more of a West Coast thing. It's interesting that the second biggest religion in the Western US is Buddhism, a legacy of Japanese and Chinese immigration to the western US. In the East, it's Judaism. So there is a split as to what influences various regions of the country.
@@AntoineBandele yes!!! More interviews with older generations please!!! I really liked the guy in the NY Yankees hat in "Things NOT to do in Japan." It would also be really interesting to see more interview questions including generational perspectives. 🎉
ありがとうございました！Thank you for interviewing Brian Kito! The Little Tokyo mochi shop is very well known here in California! For many generations this gentleman's family has brought the authentic taste of Japan to Californian's and travelers alike! We are very fortunate! As someone who has loved Japan for most of my life, I am so grateful to have the privilege to visit Fugetsu-Do, Little Tokyo and all it has to offer.🙏
@@TWWWW66 im asian too, u r saying im racist against my own race? u 🤡 gotta be shltting me . stop watching those radical left BS, its fking up ur mind ! go out n talk to people.
I'm obsessed with いっぽんと日本人。Preservation of Ippon culture and history is critical to me, however I will always want to be fully integrated with Ippon. I will live in LA soon, and will increase my Japanese associations to be a great benefit and use of Ippon and Ippon people. Thank you for your contributions and being in America sharing what you see fit with us crazy Americans 😆. いっぽん しか かたん🏁
Great interviewer takashii, one thing I love about my country is how diverse we are. In New York you can visit probably 5 different cultures in a day. Truly amazing, hope you continue to enjoy your stay!
I went to New York in 2018 and the diversity was one of the highlights. The area I'm from is the exact opposite, so it was like stepping into a different world, seeing cultures and ethnicities I wouldn't see back home. A part of me hopes I can go back there someday, but then another part of me remembers how expensive New York is.
This was a fascinating interview. I'm Filipino-American, born and raised in the US, though both of my parents are Filipino. So, I guess that makes me a second-generation American. I see some parallels between Brian's experiences and my own, especially with assimilating to the American culture. English is my first language, even though I grew up with Tagalog being spoken at home. When Brian said that he regrets not speaking his parents' language of Japanese when he was growing up, I felt that. Granted, there are different historical contexts, as Filipinos were allies of the US during World War II, and there was never a question of loyalty with my parents' generation and before that. I'm sort of grateful that I was able to spend a bit of time in the Philippines and learn the language and culture, even if it was during the pandemic. I'm still seen as a foreigner when I go to the Philippines, which is something Brian mentioned when he goes to Japan. But that experience was useful in that I know I can adapt and survive, even in tough situations. I'd love to visit Japan for more than just a short vacation. I learned a little bit of Japanese in college, and I'd like to learn more of the language and culture, as well as get to know the people there. My father may not have been the biggest fan of the Japanese due to his experiences during WW2, but because of my American upbringing, as well as not being around during that time period, I see things differently. The times have changed.
I'm originally from Japan but spent more time in England where Japanese immigration hasn't been a major part of the country's history. It was weird to me noticing that a lot of Japanese-American and half-Japanese folks weren't able to speak any Japanese when I got to California. It was cool hearing about the historical context behind some of that. Nice video, TAKASHii. Let me know if you stop by San Diego. 🙂
@@masashinakamura61 Once you've been in the US for 2-3 generations, the original language usually disappears, regardless of where you're from. It takes special effort, and interest, to keep it going..
@@massvt3821 Oh yeah. It shows. It's why when people tell me they're of German ancestry (for example) I don't have too many expectations if I ask "Sprechen Sie ein bisschen Deutsch?"
Thank you so much for watching! Im still in NYC, and I’d love to talk about my impressions of the US on my 2nd channel, so please subscribe! th-cam.com/channels/IJCo155EWutyiGO6Un2_0w.html And when you visit Los Angeles, don’t forget to visit his shop “Fugetsu-do” in little Tokyo
Takashi San, do you ever think maybe it was unmei that you couldn't go to college and instead started your TH-cam channel? You're doing great. Keep up the good work.
I am a sansei who grew up in Hawaii. My father was in the 442 Regimental headquarters and it was important to him to show his loyalty to America. America was our country and it represented a sense of security and a strong foundation for all of us. These times are challenging because the trust level is not what it used to be. I am sad but glad my parents are not exposed to the current US culture because everything it stands for is no longer what it was when they were alive.
The US is not monolithic, and your experience can be very different from someone else's. You have to remember that the US is not a homogeneous country, so you'll find that sometimes flames of grievance can arise. It comes and goes in waves. It's happened all throughout history; it's not some magical utopia.
@@GoGoPooerRangers I don’t believe I stated anywhere in my comment that I believe my experience is the same as everyone else’s. I know that this country is not homogeneous but I believe people should be treated with kindness and tolerance. Perhaps that is too much to ask.
Really fascinating interview. I am second generation Japanese born in Canada and I relate partly to what Brian spoke on as I am Canada born and raised but I am fluent in both Japanese and English. 自分の日本人としてのアイデンティティを無くしたくないと思い頑張って日本語を勉強して英語と日本語両方とも同時に保つことが出来ました。僕の未来の子供達は三世として生まれますが日本人としての部分を忘れて欲しくないので頑張って言語と文化を教えたいと思っています。
As a first generation Japanese who has lived in this country for over 52 years, I can relate to this gentleman in many points. It was in 1970 when I arrived in the states, a lot of things were very different then. For instance, my children cannot have a dual citizenship since I was a Japanese woman. This is due to the fact that Japanese women marrying American men is considered “war brides “. Yet, my brother who was married to an American wife, his children had dual citizenship automatically until they reached 18. We have lived in different states while we were raising our children, but there was no access to Japanese schools. Many people asked me why our kids don’t speak Japanese, and that always hurt me. America is huge! If there’s no Japanese community where you live, there’s no Japanese school. But both of them took Japanese in college and as they got older, they carry on Japanese traditions and cultures.
What a cool guy. He seems like the kind of person it would be nice to just sit down with, drink a beer and swap stories. I like how he asked where he needed to look when talking and he never once looked in that direction. lol
This was a really good interview. I'm a second generation Japanese American, albeit from a very different time period than the rest (born 2006) and found that I could relate a surprising amount to Brian. This was really interesting and a nice change from the regular street polls. It's be great if you do more.
How is it like to be a Gen Z second generation? I'm a first gen Asian-American and very heavily rooted in Asian culture, but what was it like to be a second gen? Only asking cause I'm curious lol.
Omg 😆!! I’m so surprised you interviewed the mochi making man from Fugetsu-do! He looks like such a nice guy! I would love to visit his mochi shop if I ever go back to LA! Lots of love from Philippines! 🇵🇭 🇯🇵
Good to see Takashi do this in another country and I hope he travels more around the world to bring these well respected and amazing documented social videos. Your interviewing skills are class bro, keep it up 🤝🏼❤️.
That was a very wholesome interview, Takashi! Great video, really. Very interesting to hear the opinion from someone who had to endure so many hardships in his life from the perspective of both Japanese and American mentalities. Keep up the good videos!
Brian Kito is good people! He's like the unofficial mayor of Little Tokyo. He's one of the reasons why Little Tokyo still exists. You found a good one.
I am sansei from Hawaii. (father Nisei, mother Hawaiian/Filipino) Attended Japanese language classes in high school and joined the Navy. Married a woman from Yokohama and she gave birth to our first child while we were stationed in New Orleans. We decided never to speak English to her as my in-laws do not speak English. Same with second daughter born 3 years later in San Diego. (Both dual citizens) When both entered kindergarten, they were required to go to ESL (English as a second language) because they didn't speak English. The oldest caught on with English after a month and the youngest took 2 weeks. When they talked to us in the house, talked to themselves while studying or talking in their sleep, it was in Japanese, but when they fought with each other it was in English. The oldest went to San Diego State and works in human resources in Hawaii that handles Japanese clients. The youngest decided to go to Jochi Daigaku (Sophia University) in Tokyo, graduated and stayed in Japan and was hired at BANDAI (the makers of pacman video games) as a global marketer, because she must travel to the US for her work, and they use her because her English is not accented. When you take basic Japanese in high school, you get to talk basic, just like Mr Kito does. Then go live in Japan (or marry Japanese, just like Mr Kito did) and make your spouse speak only Japanese to you. That was how our family did it. I retired from the Navy and now practice law in Hawaii and have Japanese clients. Our neighborhood in Mililani is majority ethnic Japanese and no one speaks Japanese except an elderly nisei couple and a military wife from Japan who is my wife's friend. The other neighbors bring Japanese products bought from Japanese stores to us for translation on how to prepare it. We are fine doing that. So, while it is true that the sansei generation does not speak Japanese, you can make it happen if you put your mind to it.
At my very young age of 70, I am currently taking a University level Japanese language course - I was pleasantly surprised at how much I remembered just from listening to my grand parents and parents speaking Japanese. The first two courses were quite easy as a result. This time there’s a lot of grammar and conjugation 😵💫. It is more difficult as a result. It is so important to know your ethnic language - I certainly wish I knew more. It is wonderful that your children grew up speaking Japanese.
What a great interview... It's so different because most of my classmates in the 1990s spoke Japanese and English. They were second generation but the revival of the cultures and ethnicity was much stronger I believe.
Love the interview Takashii-san! I’m a 1st generation Japanese American. I was born in Saitama Prefecture, but adopted and raised in Hawaii. For me, I feel like I connect to Japan more than my my American side, but that may be because I was born there, so I have an actual physical connection to Japan. A lot of what you and Brian talked about, I could somewhat relate to, too. Thank you for doing these interviews! I always learn a lot.
@@kingwolfboss6144 A person who was born in another country and then moved to another country is not considered a 1st generation? Since when? I was raised in the U.S. despite being born in Japan.
@@kingwolfboss6144I don't know how citizenship works for international adoptions, but if you're born in Japan to Japanese parents...of course you're Japanese. (There is a reason why have special visa schemes for biological children of Japanese citizens and Japanese Descendants.) That said, the difficulty in connecting with Japan will always be language and culture, especially when you're raised outside of Japan.
That was done very well. It would have been lovely to have his wife come in toward the end of the interview to share her experiences married to him. Great work!
Thank you for the wonderful interview that establishes the continuing historical importance of Nikkei-jin to Japan. We consider Fugetsu-Do to be a living cultural treasure for Japanese Americans in Los Angeles and beyond. Great to learn that Brian Kito married a straight-up Nihon-jin and that his son will live in Japan for an extended time.
In case anyone doesn't know, Fugetsu-do (the mochi business he runs) is an LA staple. With the store being run for over 100 years, they are also in every japanese grocery chain in the area: you'll see a mochi section in the japanese grocery stores like niijiya market and marukai market. Also for any non-Americans if they don't know, speaking as a Korean-American with immigrant parents, there was a period of our history where we banned Asian immigration because we implemented a quota system based on country of origin. The states as a whole favored European immigration until we replaced the quota system with the current points based system. That's why you'll see much more newer Asian-American families with more recent immigrants being common. However, before the ban was implemented, there were already a # of Asian families like Brian's who were in the states. Albeit much smaller than the current population of ethnic Asians we have today, the stories of families like Brian's make up a very integral part of Asian-American history as a whole. That being said, I've always wanted to meet Asian-Americans like him whose families had been in the states for generations. While there's been a lot more diversity for my generation (being a 20 something), I've still found myself often trying to "prove" myself as an American born and raised. With there being a lot more prejudice and racism back then vs now, I wonder what it must've been like as an Asian-American.
As a third generation Japanese-American who didn’t live in any kind of Asian community, I would say I experienced mostly teasing and a constant feeling of being a foreigner. Like Brian I was taught to assimilate.So while my parents were focused on me being like everyone else (American), everyone else was asking me where I was from and if I spoke English.
Mr. Kito’s family story mirrors that of my husband’s. His father was nisei here in California and was interned as a young man during the war. His first wife was also nisei, but she died at a young age, and he later married my husband’s mom who was of Irish and English descent (and 25 years younger than him!) I always wondered why my hapa husband didn’t really show much interest in his Japanese heritage, but the importance of post-war assimilation must have been a huge factor. Now that our kids are teens (one blonde and one redhead, with Japanese eyes!) they study traditional karate with me and we try to keep them in touch with this part of their life stories. Thanks Takashii-san for the interesting content!
You ask the best questions and also choose very interesting subjects for your videos. I'm always impressed with the videos you post. Thank you for your hard work.
Thanks for this interview. My grandfather came from Japan to Hawaii in the late 1800’s. The views expressed were so right on the mark…being encouraged to speak English, etc., especially after the war. We always tried to keep Japanese traditions and perspectives. I wasn’t able to visit Japan till about 5 years ago and again this year. Love connecting with the Japanese side of my heritage. This gentleman articulated the Japanese in America so well.
It's actually an advantage in America to be bilingual. But the school system does a terrible job of encouraging that. As I was a substitute teacher there may be five students in the whole class who are invested in learning another language. Not only can you do business in America but you can do business overseas as well much easier I believe.
Greetings from Chicago, IL -- Thank you for this video. The discussion was fascinating and the questions you asked were excellent. I learned a lot from this gentleman. Wow, a business that began in 1903. This is truly inspiring!
I was wondering where you would end up in Little Tokyo. I kind of wish the 2 of you would have taken a walk around to show off the area. It’s small but does have lots of cool shops to wander around in and I always find at least something to buy. Great interview and insight here. Being born, raised, and still living in LA (downtown Long Beach at the moment) I’m very curious about Nagoya now. I’ve never heard anybody make the comparison that New York is like Tokyo and LA like Nagoya. Anyway great stuff, always entertaining Takashii.
Southern California is also beautiful ! I:m also coming from California before Japan and I just visited Long Beach a few months ago and went to Belmont Shores and I love going to the PIKES and Naples Island PCH new shopping mall!
I think this gentleman was my favourite interview so far. Actually, I could listen to him for ages. He was so interesting & told his life story so well. I wonder if he should be putting down his life into a diary for future generations of his family. To me his family 50, 100 years from now will find his story and the story of his family, very interesting. About supporting Japanese Teams in Sport - Because I have many Japanese friends and admire the Japanese people so much, I also support the Japanese teams (unless they are playing against Australia). Yesterday I watched Japanese Women's Rugby team play the USA & was hoping they might pull off an unlikely win. In the USA was too big, powerful and skilful for Japan. The Japanese though never looked like quitting and it's THAT characteristic that I admire in the people. They are also fair-minded, respectful and work like crazy of their technique.
I’m Japanese living in the states and raising my kid here so it’s nice to hear his experience. I know somebody who’s 100% Japanese and is 4th generation. Surprisingly he speaks really fluent Japanese too. Also, he got married to a Japanese girl recently so their kid will be 5th generation.
My adoptive father is Nikkei so this was very relatable. Thank you so much for doing these interviews, Takeshi. It means a lot to hear someone’s perspective and experience from the Sansei generation!
It is amazing to see how Japan is present all around the world and how they kept the culture alive no matter what. In Brazil, the country with the biggest japanese community outside Japan, the brazilian-japaneses are seen as gentles and hard workers. I hope some day that Japan could embrace Brazil and shorten their relationships more and more
He is! I also understand him rooting for the Japanese in the Olympics. I am third generation Italian-American and root for the Italians too. I don't speak a word of Italian.
@@denisedevoto2834 I’m West-Indian American, any time I see a Bajan (someone from Barbados 🇧🇧) doing something I root for them too 😂 Rihanna is the most famous West-Indian that I know of so it was cool when she blew up ⭐️
Cool video! I like these kinds of interviews, just letting the interviewee speak his thoughts and opinions without being interrupted, unlike others who keep on interrupting the one who's being interviewed. 素晴らしい！
Great work! Nice man that works hard for his family. I meet so many who regret not learning the language from their ancestry or from their bloodline. Never too late to start.
I always enjoyed learning about Japanese culture and its amazing people. As a Mexican of Japanese descent (great grandfather from my father's side), I was always proud of my Japanese descendency and I started to learn about Japanese history. As many Japanese nationals started to flee Japan by the time WW2 reached Japan, many fled to Mexico a country known as a refuge country. My great grandfather fled Okinawa to Quintana Roo Mexico where he met my great grandmother who was born in Mexico. I really hope to visit Japan one day especially Okinawa and maybe live permanently in Japan. I have much love and respect for the Japanese people and their beautiful culture and country.
Hi Jacob. I’m Mexican. I have visited Okinawa. You should visit Your great great grandfather’s country. Japan is an amazing - I loved it. It is so clean and the people are very polite. I can see why foreigners decide to stay and live there.
I live in LA and go to Fugetsu-Do every time I make it to Little Tokyo. Their desserts are the best! It was cool to hear the owner speak about his experiences, thanks for sharing.
I loved this interview. His story was really interesting. I appreciated his willingness to share his family history and his thoughts on the upbringing his parents chose(and why). I think it's terrific that his son will now have opportunity to explore Japan. You chose some good questions, Takashii. Has your experience in the US been what you expected? I am truly curious to here your perspective now that you are here. Hope you are going to share some stories from NYC, too, and maybe some of your own (from the trip to US).😊
Thank you! I enjoy all your interviews but this one was special for me as a standard American of European decent. In California we were taught in school about the abuses of Japanese Americans during WWII. I spent many years in the US military and learned about the US Army's 442nd infantry regiment. It was all Japanese Americans fighting in Europe during WWII. They were the most highly decorated American unit during the war. A few years ago I volunteered at the VA hospital in San Francisco and had the pleasure and honor of assisting several of those men. Very, very interesting little piece of history.
More of this longer form interviews with people, even back in Japan. Would love even 30 minute videos like podcast types. Please consider it! You have a very thirsty audience that wants to know a lot about Japanese people.
Thank you Takashii for interviewing the older (my) generation. There are so many interesting stories to be told when you look into the past. Thank you to mr. Kito! Up here in the Bay Area we occasionally have his delish wagashi at Tokyo fish market in Berkeley. As a 4th generation person, I’m always interested how we relate to our heritage and ethnicity when being so far removed from our heritage of origin ( for those that can even claim a dominant heritage!) and immersed in a melting pot for so long. The ultimate question being: what is “home”?
Fugetsu-do is a historically significant manju store in the USA. They were the first and now one of the few remaining. There are many historic Japanese communities around the world In addition to Los Angeles, California also has historic Japanese communities in San Francisco and San Jose. There were many on the west coast. There is also Hawaii of course but also in Brazil, Columbia, and Peru. These communities date back to the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Fantastic interview. You gotta visit San Francisco next! Interview a lady who owns a small bar called Mogura in San Francisco’s Japan town here named Mari. Apparently she’s had it since she was 23, and is probably also a part of this man’s generation. She was featured in the newspaper here.
This was really fascinating! What a lovely man. I would really love to see more videos like this - I would like to see more American-born Japanese people who were raised in America. The differences are really interesting to hear about and witness!
I hope you had a good trip to the US Takashii-San! I am a nisei from Northern California -- I have enjoyed many of your videos, and it was such a pleasant surprise to see you in Little Toyko :). My mother is from Kyoto and came to the US in 1968 -- Mr. Kito's experiences growing up in the US mirror my own in so many ways. His story about rooting for the Japanese in the Olympics reminds me of the photo of Kristi Yamaguchi hanging in Shuei-Do (Manjuya) in San Jose :).
Thanks for interviewing someone from our community! There’s also a group of Nikkei living in Japan, it would be cool to see some interviews of us in the future:)
When I saw how he was very shy to speak Japanese when the presenter asked him if he could show Japanese, I thought, "Oh, this guy definitely has the heart of a Japanese person".
its so rare to find a nice down to earth interview between a native asian person and an immigrant asian. so many clickbaity youtube channels that talk about "foreigners" but dont delve into what that word even means or challenge the preconceived notions people have about asian identity. this guy seems to have a lot of insight into the history. its true, korean immigrants for example are largely still a connected community in the u.s enclaves. its so interesting hearing his thoughts about living in japan. i feel like everywhere on the internet people think that asian immigrants are more of a product of their environment so much so that its controversial to say otherwise. but almost every asian american knows thats not true. there is no one way of identifying that is right or wrong. only how you see yourself as.
I can definitely relate to this , when we came from Indonesia to the Netherlands my parents told us speak Dutch. Now I've forgotten the Indonesian language 😔 . I liked the interview very much .
TOKYO GUIDEBOOK
takashifromjapan.com/tokyocompleteguide
I'm Peruvian Japanese. My grandparents are from Okinawa and migrated to Peru early 30's. I now live in Los Angeles where the Japanese community is huge which makes me happy because i can have contact with my Japanese side! Also there are many Peruvians living here so that's a plus for me too. My Japanese grandma lives in Peru and will be 103 next March
Do you speak any of the languages?
If you haven't been to one yet, try to attend the Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival in Okinawa. They hold it every five years, with the last one being 2022 due to the pandemic. Okinawans from all over the world attend, even a contingent from Peru.
@@hueso5071 yeah Japanese spanish
Nice BASTARDOS JUNTOS! BROMEL JWJEJEJE
Are those Peruvians Japanese Peruvians or native peruvians
the tone of voice when he asked "where d'ya want me to look, you or the camera?" made me immediately smile. it sounds like something my grandpa would say. actually his whole accent reminds me of my mom's side of the family, all from new york state.
like he says, he is both japanese AND american. neither one is more important than the other, no matter what anyone else may think.
He does have the parent/grandpa/uncle vibe lol
☺️😉
@thinkginseng Couldn't agree more
I'm from NYS and can confirm the accent is similar 😂
no, he has japanese dna, mixed with american culture and values. And there is indeed an objective advantage to each, so that of yours is just a "morally feel good" illusion statement if you ask me.
This was the most fascinating interview I've seen you do. Mr. Kito is so articulate. He is also very modest.The bakery he owns--Fugetso-Do--is an L.A. institution. The mochi I've bought there is absolutely delicious. I find it so interesting that many aspects of Japanese culture have become embedded in U.S. culture--especially here in Los Angeles. And we can start with sushi. In the '60s and '70s, when I was a student at UCLA, no Americans I knew were eating sushi. Now it seems like there's a sushi place on every corner. It's extremely popular here. The minimalist Japanese artistic vibe also has a strong presence here in L.A. This can be seen in modern architecture, for instance, When my husband and I were building our house, we looked at Tadao Ando's buildings. American gardeners are influenced by ikebana and bonsai styles. In fact, I just went to an ikebana exhibit at a local public garden. I'm very grateful for the strong Japanese presence in our city.
Same. Best interview for sure. Interviewing older people gives better insight to history
Tadao Ando is an absolute great architect. I love his works.
It's more of a West Coast thing.
It's interesting that the second biggest religion in the Western US is Buddhism, a legacy of Japanese and Chinese immigration to the western US. In the East, it's Judaism. So there is a split as to what influences various regions of the country.
@@AntoineBandele yes!!! More interviews with older generations please!!! I really liked the guy in the NY Yankees hat in "Things NOT to do in Japan." It would also be really interesting to see more interview questions including generational perspectives. 🎉
Thank Karate Kid for some of that
ありがとうございました！Thank you for interviewing Brian Kito! The Little Tokyo mochi shop is very well known here in California! For many generations this gentleman's family has brought the authentic taste of Japan to Californian's and travelers alike! We are very fortunate! As someone who has loved Japan for most of my life, I am so grateful to have the privilege to visit Fugetsu-Do, Little Tokyo and all it has to offer.🙏
omg a japanese girl dat speak english!
@@jake9854 not the racist with video game profile picture 💀
@@TWWWW66 im asian too, u r saying im racist against my own race? u 🤡 gotta be shltting me . stop watching those radical left BS, its fking up ur mind ! go out n talk to people.
I'm obsessed with いっぽんと日本人。Preservation of Ippon culture and history is critical to me, however I will always want to be fully integrated with Ippon. I will live in LA soon, and will increase my Japanese associations to be a great benefit and use of Ippon and Ippon people. Thank you for your contributions and being in America sharing what you see fit with us crazy Americans 😆. いっぽん しか かたん🏁
Great interviewer takashii, one thing I love about my country is how diverse we are. In New York you can visit probably 5 different cultures in a day. Truly amazing, hope you continue to enjoy your stay!
much more than five!
I went to New York in 2018 and the diversity was one of the highlights. The area I'm from is the exact opposite, so it was like stepping into a different world, seeing cultures and ethnicities I wouldn't see back home.
A part of me hopes I can go back there someday, but then another part of me remembers how expensive New York is.
This was a fascinating interview. I'm Filipino-American, born and raised in the US, though both of my parents are Filipino. So, I guess that makes me a second-generation American. I see some parallels between Brian's experiences and my own, especially with assimilating to the American culture. English is my first language, even though I grew up with Tagalog being spoken at home. When Brian said that he regrets not speaking his parents' language of Japanese when he was growing up, I felt that. Granted, there are different historical contexts, as Filipinos were allies of the US during World War II, and there was never a question of loyalty with my parents' generation and before that. I'm sort of grateful that I was able to spend a bit of time in the Philippines and learn the language and culture, even if it was during the pandemic. I'm still seen as a foreigner when I go to the Philippines, which is something Brian mentioned when he goes to Japan. But that experience was useful in that I know I can adapt and survive, even in tough situations.
I'd love to visit Japan for more than just a short vacation. I learned a little bit of Japanese in college, and I'd like to learn more of the language and culture, as well as get to know the people there. My father may not have been the biggest fan of the Japanese due to his experiences during WW2, but because of my American upbringing, as well as not being around during that time period, I see things differently. The times have changed.
I'm originally from Japan but spent more time in England where Japanese immigration hasn't been a major part of the country's history. It was weird to me noticing that a lot of Japanese-American and half-Japanese folks weren't able to speak any Japanese when I got to California. It was cool hearing about the historical context behind some of that. Nice video, TAKASHii. Let me know if you stop by San Diego. 🙂
It kinda sucks when they stop speaking their language. They pretty much lose their original culture at that point.
@@AA-db9cb I find that even my personality shifts a little when speaking Japanese. It's weird but kind of cool at the same time.
I think its a huge loss if they dont learn their ancestral languages since thats a huge connection to family
@@masashinakamura61 Once you've been in the US for 2-3 generations, the original language usually disappears, regardless of where you're from. It takes special effort, and interest, to keep it going..
@@massvt3821 Oh yeah. It shows. It's why when people tell me they're of German ancestry (for example) I don't have too many expectations if I ask "Sprechen Sie ein bisschen Deutsch?"
Thank you so much for watching!
Im still in NYC, and I’d love to talk about my impressions of the US on my 2nd channel, so please subscribe!
th-cam.com/channels/IJCo155EWutyiGO6Un2_0w.html
And when you visit Los Angeles, don’t forget to visit his shop “Fugetsu-do” in little Tokyo
It is really bad when people are this detached from their culture to the point of not speaking thier language
Hi Takashii. I have a question. Why do I sometimes see that the typed kanji form is different from the handwritten kanji form? One of the example is 火
Make more videos with the elders!, Great insight to our older generation
That place is the best. The mochi and the filled mochi, especially chocolate filled, are the best.
Takashi San, do you ever think maybe it was unmei that you couldn't go to college and instead started your TH-cam channel? You're doing great. Keep up the good work.
I am a sansei who grew up in Hawaii. My father was in the 442 Regimental headquarters and it was important to him to show his loyalty to America. America was our country and it represented a sense of security and a strong foundation for all of us. These times are challenging because the trust level is not what it used to be. I am sad but glad my parents are not exposed to the current US culture because everything it stands for is no longer what it was when they were alive.
You mean the culture back in the day where the US threw Japanese Americans in internment camps simply for being Japanese? Good times
The US is not monolithic, and your experience can be very different from someone else's. You have to remember that the US is not a homogeneous country, so you'll find that sometimes flames of grievance can arise. It comes and goes in waves. It's happened all throughout history; it's not some magical utopia.
agree with this completely, my family is from Hawaii and Grandparents were in the 100th Infanty Battalion
@@GoGoPooerRangers I don’t believe I stated anywhere in my comment that I believe my experience is the same as everyone else’s. I know that this country is not homogeneous but I believe people should be treated with kindness and tolerance. Perhaps that is too much to ask.
Agreed, degeneracy is in abundance these days
Really fascinating interview. I am second generation Japanese born in Canada and I relate partly to what Brian spoke on as I am Canada born and raised but I am fluent in both Japanese and English. 自分の日本人としてのアイデンティティを無くしたくないと思い頑張って日本語を勉強して英語と日本語両方とも同時に保つことが出来ました。僕の未来の子供達は三世として生まれますが日本人としての部分を忘れて欲しくないので頑張って言語と文化を教えたいと思っています。
I’m glad ur like this because I know other people who were taught to only speak English
I like that this interview went a little more in depth. The topic was interesting.
As a first generation Japanese who has lived in this country for over 52 years, I can relate to this gentleman in many points. It was in 1970 when I arrived in the states, a lot of things were very different then. For instance, my children cannot have a dual citizenship since I was a Japanese woman. This is due to the fact that Japanese women marrying American men is considered “war brides “. Yet, my brother who was married to an American wife, his children had dual citizenship automatically until they reached 18. We have lived in different states while we were raising our children, but there was no access to Japanese schools. Many people asked me why our kids don’t speak Japanese, and that always hurt me. America is huge! If there’s no Japanese community where you live, there’s no Japanese school. But both of them took Japanese in college and as they got older, they carry on Japanese traditions and cultures.
Weird that you live apart. But that's the American way live long away for no reason! Honestly why can't we live beside each other as family
@@ハンコックバビー interesting I didn’t realise one could have 2 citizenships if 1 was Japanese
What a cool guy. He seems like the kind of person it would be nice to just sit down with, drink a beer and swap stories. I like how he asked where he needed to look when talking and he never once looked in that direction. lol
This was a really good interview. I'm a second generation Japanese American, albeit from a very different time period than the rest (born 2006) and found that I could relate a surprising amount to Brian.
This was really interesting and a nice change from the regular street polls. It's be great if you do more.
My grandfather was Native American and grew up in South Carolina.
How is it like to be a Gen Z second generation? I'm a first gen Asian-American and very heavily rooted in Asian culture, but what was it like to be a second gen? Only asking cause I'm curious lol.
your english is getting better !! glad you’re having a great experience here in america
Omg 😆!! I’m so surprised you interviewed the mochi making man from Fugetsu-do! He looks like such a nice guy! I would love to visit his mochi shop if I ever go back to LA! Lots of love from Philippines! 🇵🇭 🇯🇵
Good to see Takashi do this in another country and I hope he travels more around the world to bring these well respected and amazing documented social videos. Your interviewing skills are class bro, keep it up 🤝🏼❤️.
I totally agree with you
As an American whose parents are immigrants, I relate to a lot of what he said. Amazing video as always!
That was a very wholesome interview, Takashi! Great video, really. Very interesting to hear the opinion from someone who had to endure so many hardships in his life from the perspective of both Japanese and American mentalities. Keep up the good videos!
Brian Kito is good people! He's like the unofficial mayor of Little Tokyo. He's one of the reasons why Little Tokyo still exists. You found a good one.
I am sansei from Hawaii. (father Nisei, mother Hawaiian/Filipino) Attended Japanese language classes in high school and joined the Navy. Married a woman from Yokohama and she gave birth to our first child while we were stationed in New Orleans. We decided never to speak English to her as my in-laws do not speak English. Same with second daughter born 3 years later in San Diego. (Both dual citizens) When both entered kindergarten, they were required to go to ESL (English as a second language) because they didn't speak English. The oldest caught on with English after a month and the youngest took 2 weeks. When they talked to us in the house, talked to themselves while studying or talking in their sleep, it was in Japanese, but when they fought with each other it was in English. The oldest went to San Diego State and works in human resources in Hawaii that handles Japanese clients. The youngest decided to go to Jochi Daigaku (Sophia University) in Tokyo, graduated and stayed in Japan and was hired at BANDAI (the makers of pacman video games) as a global marketer, because she must travel to the US for her work, and they use her because her English is not accented. When you take basic Japanese in high school, you get to talk basic, just like Mr Kito does. Then go live in Japan (or marry Japanese, just like Mr Kito did) and make your spouse speak only Japanese to you. That was how our family did it. I retired from the Navy and now practice law in Hawaii and have Japanese clients. Our neighborhood in Mililani is majority ethnic Japanese and no one speaks Japanese except an elderly nisei couple and a military wife from Japan who is my wife's friend. The other neighbors bring Japanese products bought from Japanese stores to us for translation on how to prepare it. We are fine doing that. So, while it is true that the sansei generation does not speak Japanese, you can make it happen if you put your mind to it.
At my very young age of 70, I am currently taking a University level Japanese language course - I was pleasantly surprised at how much I remembered just from listening to my grand parents and parents speaking Japanese. The first two courses were quite easy as a result. This time there’s a lot of grammar and conjugation 😵💫. It is more difficult as a result. It is so important to know your ethnic language - I certainly wish I knew more. It is wonderful that your children grew up speaking Japanese.
What a great interview... It's so different because most of my classmates in the 1990s spoke Japanese and English. They were second generation but the revival of the cultures and ethnicity was much stronger I believe.
Great interview. Fugetsu-do is great, especially their chocolate mochi. Nice melted center.
Brilliant interview! 一番好きな動画だと思います。
One of your best interviews I think! was a pleasure to listen to
Love the interview Takashii-san! I’m a 1st generation Japanese American. I was born in Saitama Prefecture, but adopted and raised in Hawaii. For me, I feel like I connect to Japan more than my my American side, but that may be because I was born there, so I have an actual physical connection to Japan. A lot of what you and Brian talked about, I could somewhat relate to, too. Thank you for doing these interviews! I always learn a lot.
Wait no that not how it work you're not 1st generation you legit foreigner living in another country.
@@kingwolfboss6144 A person who was born in another country and then moved to another country is not considered a 1st generation? Since when? I was raised in the U.S. despite being born in Japan.
@@TakahashiTakami yeah that’s how it can be for Korean Americans too that are first gen whether they’re adopted or not
@@kingwolfboss6144I don't know how citizenship works for international adoptions, but if you're born in Japan to Japanese parents...of course you're Japanese. (There is a reason why have special visa schemes for biological children of Japanese citizens and Japanese Descendants.) That said, the difficulty in connecting with Japan will always be language and culture, especially when you're raised outside of Japan.
That was done very well. It would have been lovely to have his wife come in toward the end of the interview to share her experiences married to him. Great work!
Thank you for the wonderful interview that establishes the continuing historical importance of Nikkei-jin to Japan. We consider Fugetsu-Do to be a living cultural treasure for Japanese Americans in Los Angeles and beyond. Great to learn that Brian Kito married a straight-up Nihon-jin and that his son will live in Japan for an extended time.
I was looking forward to a Little Tokyo video! Im so glad you got to visit and interview this incredible man. Love his mochi😁
In case anyone doesn't know, Fugetsu-do (the mochi business he runs) is an LA staple. With the store being run for over 100 years, they are also in every japanese grocery chain in the area: you'll see a mochi section in the japanese grocery stores like niijiya market and marukai market.
Also for any non-Americans if they don't know, speaking as a Korean-American with immigrant parents, there was a period of our history where we banned Asian immigration because we implemented a quota system based on country of origin. The states as a whole favored European immigration until we replaced the quota system with the current points based system. That's why you'll see much more newer Asian-American families with more recent immigrants being common. However, before the ban was implemented, there were already a # of Asian families like Brian's who were in the states. Albeit much smaller than the current population of ethnic Asians we have today, the stories of families like Brian's make up a very integral part of Asian-American history as a whole.
That being said, I've always wanted to meet Asian-Americans like him whose families had been in the states for generations. While there's been a lot more diversity for my generation (being a 20 something), I've still found myself often trying to "prove" myself as an American born and raised. With there being a lot more prejudice and racism back then vs now, I wonder what it must've been like as an Asian-American.
As a third generation Japanese-American who didn’t live in any kind of Asian community, I would say I experienced mostly teasing and a constant feeling of being a foreigner. Like Brian I was taught to assimilate.So while my parents were focused on me being like everyone else (American), everyone else was asking me where I was from and if I spoke English.
Mr. Kito’s family story mirrors that of my husband’s. His father was nisei here in California and was interned as a young man during the war. His first wife was also nisei, but she died at a young age, and he later married my husband’s mom who was of Irish and English descent (and 25 years younger than him!) I always wondered why my hapa husband didn’t really show much interest in his Japanese heritage, but the importance of post-war assimilation must have been a huge factor. Now that our kids are teens (one blonde and one redhead, with Japanese eyes!) they study traditional karate with me and we try to keep them in touch with this part of their life stories. Thanks Takashii-san for the interesting content!
People are fascinating. Thank you for the videos as always.
You ask the best questions and also choose very interesting subjects for your videos. I'm always impressed with the videos you post. Thank you for your hard work.
Man, what an interview. It made me really look differently on things.
For me it's one of the best interviews you made so far, Takashii 🥰👍
Thanks for this interview. My grandfather came from Japan to Hawaii in the late 1800’s. The views expressed were so right on the mark…being encouraged to speak English, etc., especially after the war. We always tried to keep Japanese traditions and perspectives. I wasn’t able to visit Japan till about 5 years ago and again this year. Love connecting with the Japanese side of my heritage. This gentleman articulated the Japanese in America so well.
what a cool dad, and an awesome part of the community, Thank you Brian, for sharing this with us, and giving us a little insight into your life.
It's actually an advantage in America to be bilingual. But the school system does a terrible job of encouraging that. As I was a substitute teacher there may be five students in the whole class who are invested in learning another language. Not only can you do business in America but you can do business overseas as well much easier I believe.
This was a good interview! Definitely a learning experience for me as well
Greetings from Chicago, IL -- Thank you for this video. The discussion was fascinating and the questions you asked were excellent. I learned a lot from this gentleman. Wow, a business that began in 1903. This is truly inspiring!
I was wondering where you would end up in Little Tokyo. I kind of wish the 2 of you would have taken a walk around to show off the area. It’s small but does have lots of cool shops to wander around in and I always find at least something to buy.
Great interview and insight here. Being born, raised, and still living in LA (downtown Long Beach at the moment) I’m very curious about Nagoya now. I’ve never heard anybody make the comparison that New York is like Tokyo and LA like Nagoya.
Anyway great stuff, always entertaining Takashii.
Southern California is also beautiful ! I:m also coming from California before Japan and I just visited Long Beach a few months ago and went to Belmont Shores and I love going to the PIKES and Naples Island PCH new shopping mall!
I think this gentleman was my favourite interview so far. Actually, I could listen to him for ages. He was so interesting & told his life story so well. I wonder if he should be putting down his life into a diary for future generations of his family. To me his family 50, 100 years from now will find his story and the story of his family, very interesting.
About supporting Japanese Teams in Sport - Because I have many Japanese friends and admire the Japanese people so much, I also support the Japanese teams (unless they are playing against Australia). Yesterday I watched Japanese Women's Rugby team play the USA & was hoping they might pull off an unlikely win. In the USA was too big, powerful and skilful for Japan. The Japanese though never looked like quitting and it's THAT characteristic that I admire in the people. They are also fair-minded, respectful and work like crazy of their technique.
The best interview ive seen! Thank you!
I’m Japanese living in the states and raising my kid here so it’s nice to hear his experience.
I know somebody who’s 100% Japanese and is 4th generation.
Surprisingly he speaks really fluent Japanese too.
Also, he got married to a Japanese girl recently so their kid will be 5th generation.
My adoptive father is Nikkei so this was very relatable. Thank you so much for doing these interviews, Takeshi. It means a lot to hear someone’s perspective and experience from the Sansei generation!
Thank you so much for this wonderful interview. I love your channel and look forward to your interviews.
The more I watch this channel and learn the more I’d love to visit Japan. This interview was another great one.
It is amazing to see how Japan is present all around the world and how they kept the culture alive no matter what. In Brazil, the country with the biggest japanese community outside Japan, the brazilian-japaneses are seen as gentles and hard workers. I hope some day that Japan could embrace Brazil and shorten their relationships more and more
Very interesting to hear this type of experience being Japanese on this channel. Great interview👍
I love this guy. He's 100% American in pretty much every way
He is! I also understand him rooting for the Japanese in the Olympics. I am third generation Italian-American and root for the Italians too. I don't speak a word of Italian.
@@denisedevoto2834 third generation Spanish American here, same lol.
@@denisedevoto2834 I’m West-Indian American, any time I see a Bajan (someone from Barbados 🇧🇧) doing something I root for them too 😂 Rihanna is the most famous West-Indian that I know of so it was cool when she blew up ⭐️
I root for Sunisa Lee, because she is Hmong.
To say pretty much is prejudiced?
Cool video! I like these kinds of interviews, just letting the interviewee speak his thoughts and opinions without being interrupted, unlike others who keep on interrupting the one who's being interviewed. 素晴らしい！
Great work! Nice man that works hard for his family. I meet so many who regret not learning the language from their ancestry or from their bloodline. Never too late to start.
He seems like a kind man. Very interesting video as usual Takashii!
I always enjoyed learning about Japanese culture and its amazing people. As a Mexican of Japanese descent (great grandfather from my father's side), I was always proud of my Japanese descendency and I started to learn about Japanese history. As many Japanese nationals started to flee Japan by the time WW2 reached Japan, many fled to Mexico a country known as a refuge country. My great grandfather fled Okinawa to Quintana Roo Mexico where he met my great grandmother who was born in Mexico. I really hope to visit Japan one day especially Okinawa and maybe live permanently in Japan. I have much love and respect for the Japanese people and their beautiful culture and country.
Why didn’t you guys carry on your great great grandpa’s last name? Shameful to say the least🤦♂️
Hi Jacob. I’m Mexican. I have visited Okinawa. You should visit Your great great grandfather’s country. Japan is an amazing - I loved it. It is so clean and the people are very polite. I can see why foreigners decide to stay and live there.
Japan doesn't really want foreigners to stay and live, but if ou have some Japanese blood, they may make an exception for you.
@@JmagsHero what an ignorant comment
@@notyouravgdude8976 your ancestors are probably looking up from hell and are ashamed of you too.
I live in LA and go to Fugetsu-Do every time I make it to Little Tokyo. Their desserts are the best! It was cool to hear the owner speak about his experiences, thanks for sharing.
Great interview! I can relate to his experiences as a Nikkei.
I loved this interview. His story was really interesting. I appreciated his willingness to share his family history and his thoughts on the upbringing his parents chose(and why). I think it's terrific that his son will now have opportunity to explore Japan. You chose some good questions, Takashii. Has your experience in the US been what you expected? I am truly curious to here your perspective now that you are here. Hope you are going to share some stories from NYC, too, and maybe some of your own (from the trip to US).😊
Fascinating video! He seems like he’s very wise, a man I’d like to have a beer with and talk to him
Thank you! I enjoy all your interviews but this one was special for me as a standard American of European decent. In California we were taught in school about the abuses of Japanese Americans during WWII. I spent many years in the US military and learned about the US Army's 442nd infantry regiment. It was all Japanese Americans fighting in Europe during WWII. They were the most highly decorated American unit during the war. A few years ago I volunteered at the VA hospital in San Francisco and had the pleasure and honor of assisting several of those men. Very, very interesting little piece of history.
More of this longer form interviews with people, even back in Japan. Would love even 30 minute videos like podcast types. Please consider it! You have a very thirsty audience that wants to know a lot about Japanese people.
This was a fantastic interview. Listening to his perspective makes you think.
Thank you for this video!
Interesting video. I really enjoyed it. Nice interview. 🙂
It was so good to see you here in LA Takashi! I hope you enjoy your travels!
Takashii, all your videos are so super high quality and important I have to say. Thank you very much for your content.
Great interview. Thank you.
Thank you Takashii for interviewing the older (my) generation. There are so many interesting stories to be told when you look into the past. Thank you to mr. Kito! Up here in the Bay Area we occasionally have his delish wagashi at Tokyo fish market in Berkeley. As a 4th generation person, I’m always interested how we relate to our heritage and ethnicity when being so far removed from our heritage of origin ( for those that can even claim a dominant heritage!) and immersed in a melting pot for so long. The ultimate question being: what is “home”?
Takashii: A very good interview. Very honest and articulated the gentleman you interviewed. 😊👍🏻🇯🇵🇺🇸
Very interesting interview, Thanks to both of you.
Fugetsu-do is a historically significant manju store in the USA. They were the first and now one of the few remaining. There are many historic Japanese communities around the world In addition to Los Angeles, California also has historic Japanese communities in San Francisco and San Jose. There were many on the west coast. There is also Hawaii of course but also in Brazil, Columbia, and Peru. These communities date back to the late 1800's and early 1900's.
This was genuinely very interesting. I could listen to him talk for days about his life and personal experiences. Keep up the good work Takashii-san.
Great interview! Thanks
Fantastic interview. You gotta visit San Francisco next! Interview a lady who owns a small bar called Mogura in San Francisco’s Japan town here named Mari. Apparently she’s had it since she was 23, and is probably also a part of this man’s generation. She was featured in the newspaper here.
That was a totally interesting and eye opening interview thank u
Nice interview. Very nice perspective from Mr. Kito.
This was really fascinating! What a lovely man. I would really love to see more videos like this - I would like to see more American-born Japanese people who were raised in America. The differences are really interesting to hear about and witness!
That was a great interview, really interesting, thank you.
That was an amazing interview!
I hope you had a good trip to the US Takashii-San! I am a nisei from Northern California -- I have enjoyed many of your videos, and it was such a pleasant surprise to see you in Little Toyko :). My mother is from Kyoto and came to the US in 1968 -- Mr. Kito's experiences growing up in the US mirror my own in so many ways. His story about rooting for the Japanese in the Olympics reminds me of the photo of Kristi Yamaguchi hanging in Shuei-Do (Manjuya) in San Jose :).
Fantastic content and really fun to watch. I bet this was awesome for you. Hope you’re loving your trip!
Well said. Thanks for the interviews.
Thank you again sir for sharing your beautiful culture with the world. 🇯🇵
Very, very interesting! Thank you for always interviewing a wide array of individuals!
The insight you bring to and the questions you ask are right on target! More, please.
What a great interview!
Really enjoyed this interview.
Q:How was it? ...It was valuable. I very much enjoyed the interview. Thank you for sharing your talents & bringing your audience along.
Thanks for interviewing someone from our community! There’s also a group of Nikkei living in Japan, it would be cool to see some interviews of us in the future:)
When I saw how he was very shy to speak Japanese when the presenter asked him if he could show Japanese, I thought, "Oh, this guy definitely has the heart of a Japanese person".
Loved this interview!
I just want to say I love this mochi shop, I always stop by when I'm in the area!
its so rare to find a nice down to earth interview between a native asian person and an immigrant asian. so many clickbaity youtube channels that talk about "foreigners" but dont delve into what that word even means or challenge the preconceived notions people have about asian identity. this guy seems to have a lot of insight into the history. its true, korean immigrants for example are largely still a connected community in the u.s enclaves. its so interesting hearing his thoughts about living in japan. i feel like everywhere on the internet people think that asian immigrants are more of a product of their environment so much so that its controversial to say otherwise. but almost every asian american knows thats not true. there is no one way of identifying that is right or wrong. only how you see yourself as.
He’s not an immigrant though!
I really enjoy your videos. I find Japanese culture very interesting and cool.
Great interview Takashi! Really interesting to view all these different perspectives from all over the world. Keep it up!
I loved this man and this interview! ❤
Another great interview!
Thank you for this insightful video Takashi! Hope you had a great time in L.A. 😎
I can definitely relate to this , when we came from Indonesia to the Netherlands my parents told us speak Dutch.
Now I've forgotten the Indonesian language 😔 . I liked the interview very much .
@@rin-er9rl u should probably get back to learning it but only if u want to
Great interview!
Great Interview. Love your content!
Excellent interview, as always, Takashi!!