Turismo de ancestralidade: percepções culturais de turistas nikkeis brasileiros no Japão

Abstract

This paper investigates how ancestry tourism contributes to the cultural appreciation and construction of personal identity of Brazilian Nikkei tourists in Japan. Ancestry tourism is a type of travel in which individuals seek to reconnect with their cultural and historical roots. Based on a qualitative approach, the research is based on interviews conducted with individuals from different generations of the Nikkei community, who shared their experiences and reflections on their trips to the country of origin of their ancestors. The term Japanese Nikkei (日系) is used globally to refer to descendants of Japanese born outside Japan or Japanese living outside the country. In the Brazilian context, it encompasses generations of Japanese who migrated to Brazil and settled in the country, as well as their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who may have varying degrees of cultural connection with Japan. The study highlights that ancestry tourism goes beyond a simple tourist trip, functioning as a tool for cultural reconnection and self-knowledge. Through the experiences reported, it is observed that trips to Japan allowed the interviewees a deeper understanding of their roots, reinforcing their cultural identity and ties with their origins. In addition, this research explores how these trips influence the cultural identity and perception of tourists with Japanese ancestry about Japanese culture and how they reconstruct their historical-cultural connections, visiting places and carrying out practices that date back to their ancestral origins. Finally, the study highlights the importance of new research that addresses different cultural contexts and ethnic groups, in order to broaden understanding of the impacts of ancestral tourism on the construction of cultural identities.