Every Friday, we feature a one-on-one Q&A with Japas, our resident curators: Maíra Kimura, Yumi Shimada, and Fernanda Ueno—founders of Japas Cervejaria. They will share their personal reflections on culture, travel, and the everyday moments including their connection to Japan.
Q. What is your childhood memory that made you feel connected to Japan?
Maíra: One of my strongest childhood memories that made me feel connected to Japan is the smell of gohan (steamed rice) in my grandmother’s kitchen. She used to prepare sushi in a very simple way, with tamago, green beans, and carrots. I remember watching her carefully cook and season each ingredient, and then roll everything with so much patience. It wasn’t just about the food, it was the quiet rituals around it: how she washed the rice with care, the way she arranged everything neatly, the focus in the process. Even though I was born and raised in Brazil, those moments carried a kind of Japanese essence I couldn’t name back then, but felt deeply in my body. That memory stayed with me, and today it still inspires how I create, always honoring intention, balance, and beauty in the small things.
Yumi: I didn’t grow up fully immersed in Japanese culture, but being around friends who did always made me wish I belonged more. One of my earliest connections was with my Japanese grandfather. I was only six, but I still remember how he’d pray at his small altar and offer me the sweets he placed there. He would call me “Yumi-chan” with such warmth in his eyes, a memory that has stayed with me ever since. Later, during the wave of Japanese-Brazilian migration to work in Japan, my father also went there and stayed for three years. He would send letters and gifts from Japan, a distant place I barely knew, but deeply admired. I vividly remember the joy of receiving those packages, covered in Japanese writing and colors. In hindsight, those boxes covered with ideograms were some of my first graphic design inspirations. Every time one arrived, it felt like a little ritual that brought me closer to him. Inside, I’d find little wonders: pop-up Hello Kitty cards, Japanese dolls, candy, stickers. Each box felt like a world of magic. It always made me feel truly happy.
Fernanda: One of my most vivid childhood memories, and the one that first made me feel truly connected to Japan, dates back to my large family gatherings. My grandfather emigrated from Japan when he was four, and whenever his siblings and their families came together, the table overflowed with homemade Japanese dishes. While my immediate family didn’t speak much Japanese anymore, my great-aunts and great-uncles still did, so those reunions were filled with the Japanese language, the aromas of onigiri and tempura, and stories of life in Japan. That bond deepened later in my life through dance. I danced ballet, tap dance, and jazz throughout my childhood, and my teacher, who is also Japanese-Brazilian, often took our group to perform at local Japanese festivals, and at the Japanese cultural association events held in many Brazilian cities. We’d dance on stage and then stay to watch the taiko drummers, folk dances, karaoke contests, and other traditional performances. Those family parties and festivals wove Japan into my life long before I ever visited the country. They are the memories that most powerfully connect me to my Japanese heritage.