"OKAERI: The memories back" by Eduardo Azato

Kyodai Magazine, a leading publication for the global Nikkei community, recently featured Okaeri: The Spy from the Rising Sun in its 234 edition (July-September 2025 issue) in an in-depth interview titled "Okaeri: The memories back" by Eduardo Azato Shimabukuro.

The piece highlights Okaeri as the first Peruvian feature film to revisit the little-known wartime history of Japanese Peruvians, underscoring its emotional and historical resonance. Author Eduardo Azato opens with the teaser’s premiere in Lima marked by the global commemoration of 80 years since WWII’s end.

The interview explores how the project began in a moment of family connection: during the pandemic, Camila’s grandmother shared stories of hiding and deportation, igniting the film’s inception . Camila, a fourth‑generation Nikkei with audiovisual training in Lima (Peru) and a master’s from Valencia (Spain), explains that the film captures how her obaachan (grandmother) was nine years old when police raided her parents’ café, pressing them to flee overnight and seek refuge.

Azato also discusses Camila’s meticulous research process, visiting the Carlos Chiyoteru Hiraoka Museum and using archives and oral histories to reconstruct the narrative and cultural daily life, including bilingual household expressions like “eating gohan” and making silverside tempura.

Looking forward, the article confirms Okaeri is already a feature‑length project—with script and budget in place—and highlights the teaser’s strong reception on social media. Filming is expected to begin in 2026, leading to a release between late 2026 and mid‑2027, pending financing and festival selections.

Read the full article in Spanish here: https://kyodaimagazine.jp/colaboradores/eduardo-azato-s/okaeri-las-memorias-de-vuelta-camila-murayama-y-su-proyecto-profesional-y-personal/