South America | My Eyes Tokyo

Happy Birthday to Uruguay!

2018-08-25

Uruguay supporters at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. *Photo from Wikipedia August 25 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Uruguay from Brazil in 1825. Portuguese established “Colonia del Sacramento”, one of the oldest European settlements in the country, in 1680. Montevideo was founded as a military stronghold by the Spanish in the early 18th century, signifying the competing claims over the region. In 1816, a force of 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded the Banda Oriental (comprising the modern nation of Uruguay, the modern Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul and some parts of Santa Catarina) from Brazil;

Happy Birthday to Peru!

2018-07-28

A Peruvian family at the food market. *Photo from Wikipedia July 28 is Fiestas Patrias, celebrates the independence of Peru from Spain by General José de San Martín in 1821. Peruvian National Holidays, are celebrations of Peru’s independence from the Spanish Empire. Along with Christmas, Fiestas Patrias is one of the most important celebrations of the year for Peruvians. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty with its capital in Lima, which included most of its South American colonies. Ideas of political autonomy later spread throughout Spanish America and Peru gained its independence,

Happy Birthday to Colombia!

2018-07-20

Bogotá, the capital and largest city of Colombia. *Photo from Wikipedia July 20 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration of Colombia from Spain in 1810. The Spanish set foot on Colombian soil for the first time in 1499 and in the first half of the 16th century initiated a period of conquest and colonization, ultimately creating the New Kingdom of Granada, with as capital Santafé de Bogotá. Independence from Spain was acquired in 1819, but by 1830 the “Gran Colombia” Federation was dissolved. What is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada. The new nation

Happy Birthday to Argentina!

2018-07-09

Tango dancers during the World tango dance tournament held in Buenos Aires, the capital and most populous city of Argentina. *Photo from Wikipedia July 9 is Argentina’s Independence Day, celebrates the declaration of independence of the United Provinces of South America by the Congress of Tucumán in 1816. Written history began with the arrival of Spanish chroniclers in the expedition of Juan Díaz de Solís in 1516 to the Río de la Plata, which marks the beginning of Spanish domination in this region. In 1776 the Spanish Crown established the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, an umbrella of

Happy Birthday to Venezuela!

2018-07-05

Venezuela national football team, popularly known as the “Vinotinto”. *Photo from Wikipedia July 5 is Independence Day, celebrating the independence of Venezuela from Spain in 1811 (Also National Armed Forces Day). The history of Venezuela reflects events in areas of the Americas colonized by Spain starting 1522; amid resistance from indigenous peoples, led by Native caciques (*cacique: a leader of an indigenous group), such as Guaicaipuro and Tamanaco. However, in the Andean region of western Venezuela, complex Andean civilization of the Timoto-Cuica people flourished before European contact. In 1811, it became one of the first Spanish-American colonies to declare independence,

Happy Birthday to Guyana!

2018-05-26

A rice field on Guyana’s coastal plain. Agriculture is one of the main economic activities in Guyana. *Photo from Wikipedia May 26 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Guyana from the United Kingdom in 1966. Originally inhabited by several indigenous groups, Guyana was settled by the Dutch before coming under British control in the late 18th century. It was governed as British Guiana, with mostly a plantation style economy until the 1950s. It gained independence in 1966, and officially became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a sovereign

Happy Birthday to Paraguay!

2018-05-14

Asunción, the capital and largest city of Paraguay. *Photo from Wikipedia May 14 is Paraguay’s Flag Day, the real date of the independence of Paraguay from Spain in 1811. Celebration continues the next main day, Independence Day. The indigenous Guaraní had been living in Paraguay for at least a millennium before the Spanish conquered the territory in the 16th century. Spanish settlers and Jesuit missions introduced Christianity and Spanish culture to the region. Paraguay was a peripheral colony of the Spanish Empire, with few urban centers and settlers. In early 1811 Paraguayan forces had repeatedly defeated Argentinian army which considered

I flew to a distant land because I wanted to share Japanese culture with people on the opposite side of the earth.

2017-08-31

Interviewed by Isao Tokuhashi Edited by Daniel Penso Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com Mayuko Ban Fashion Designer My Eyes Tokyo has heard stories from people of various nationalities and fields for 11 years. However, we have not met people involved in the fashion industry yet. But, finally, we met a Japanese fashion designer, Mayuko Ban. Ban started her career as an ethnic clothing designer after graduating Bunka Fashion Graduate University in 2009. In 2011, she submitted a work to Soen Prize, which is considered to be the first step up the ladder of a professional fashion designer in Japan. Her work

I was almost crying at the thought of Tohoku people during the concert held there.

2016-03-09

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com Rolando Encinas Quena player A worldwide quena player whom all Latin music lovers must know – that’s today’s interviewee. We met him on referral from Luis Carlos Severich, Japan-based Bolivian guitarist whom we interviewed in 2007. We faced Roland Encinas, a Bolivian quena player, two days after we got a phone call from Luis Carlos. The interview was conducted right before his concert so we didn’t have enough time to go deep into his background. But he talked about his ties with Japan affectionately. However, he had an expression

Niki’s Kitchen has strengthened family ties and has brought us closer.

2011-07-03

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi & Tomomi Tada Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Camila Furuhata (Colombia) Colombian cuisine instructor (She’s been in Japan since ’96) My Eyes Tokyo brings you interviews with teachers from Niki’s Kitchen. It’s a cooking school in which foreigners teach their homeland dishes to Japanese people. The 7th interviewee is Camila Furuhata from Colombia, who is gentle and has a brilliant smile just like an angel. We were the ones who got healed by her smile and couldn’t help asking her kiddingly, “Can we stay here and have dinner tonight?” Then she told me with a big

Interviews with Tokyo People Achieving Dreams