Bulletin/Geppo January 2023

GVJCCA

Managing

John Endo Greenaway john@bigwavedesign.net

Kaori Kasai Asuka Nishiyama editor.geppo@gmail.com

Advertising

Anne Jew annejew@telus.net

Distribution Manager

Michael Tora Speier Administrative Assistant Mitsuyo Okamoto

JCCA Board Of Directors

Cary Sakiyama President Peter Wallace Vice President Wendy Matsubuchi Secretary

Ted Takahashi Treasurer

Ron Nishimura Director

April Shimizu Director May Hamanishi Director Akira Imai Director

Rika Ando Director

Judy Hanazawa Director

Liz Nunoda Director

MEMBERSHIP

Subscription

JCCA & BULLETIN OFFICE

249 – 6688 Southoaks Crescent Burnaby, BC, V5E 4M7 604.777.5222 gvjcca@gmail.com

Japanese Canadian Legacies: Monument + Database 2

Bulletin Interview: Jack Kobayashi 8 NAJC Board Message 12

Art Miki Convocation Speech 14 GVJCCA Holiday Membership Drive 15

Ucluelet: Reconciling with the Removal and Return of Japanese Canadians 16

Powell Street Festival Update 18 Surrey JC History 19

Toronto NAJC Update 20 Japanese Canadian Heritage Cooking 21

One Nikkei Voice 22 Vancouver Japanese Language School 23

JCCA Donations / Editorial 24 GVJCCA President’s Message 25

Community Calendar 28 Community Kitchen 30 Tonari Gumi Corner 32

Our Edible Roots 33 Milestones 34 Nikkei Place Update 36 Geppo 39

Read online: jccabulletin-geppo.ca

February 2023 issue: January 22, 2023

JCCA Office: gvjcca@gmail.com

English Editor: editor@bigwavedesign.net

Japanese Editor: editor.geppo@gmail.com

GVJCCA

Mochitsuki (pounding of rice cake), a Japanese year-end tradition, took place at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre on December 29, 2022.

MONUMENT + DATABASE

Japanese Canadian Legacy Monument

As a lasting legacy, a monument will be built close to the parliament buildings in the provincial capital of Victoria. A place of reflection, remembrance and learning, the monument wall will frame the story of the uprooting, incarceration, internment, dispossession, and permanent displacement of the near 22,000 Japanese Canadians who primarily lived in the coastal areas of BC. This project will be led by the BC Government jointly with the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. Early work is underway with the team at the BC Government to cost the project.

Japanese Canadian Legacy Monument Database Project

It has long been a goal that the monument wall will contain the engraved names of the nearly 22,000 Japanese Canadians who lived during this time in BC’s history. A separate research project is to develop a database of the names. This work will take place at the University of Victoria, and will require up to one year to complete.

by John Endo Greenaway

We acknowledge our elders past and present whom we honour with these legacy initiatives

Michael Abe

David Mitsui

photo: Susanne Tabata

Lisa Uyeda

Linda Kawamoto Reid

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Japanese Canadian Legacies Society (JCLS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Abe as Project Director for the JC Legacy Monument Database Project. Mike will be liaising directly with the JCLS project office to produce this work, leading his own research team under the Humanities Department at UVIC. The goal is to produce a master database of names to be installed on the monument in Victoria. Mike has assembled an advisory team that includes Edmonton’s David Mitsui along with Linda Kawamoto Reid and Lisa Uyeda, both from Vancouver.

A sansei (third generation Japanese Canadian) Michael holds a BSc in biology from McMaster University in Hamilton, where he was born. He grew up playing hockey and other sports in Burlington, where the family moved soon after he was born. After university he spent a number of years in Japan, studying sumie, shuji, and martial arts. While in Japan he met his wife and they relocated to Victoria in 1993 with their young son. They have lived in Victoria ever since and both their son and daughter graduated from UViC, where Mike has worked for the past seven years as project manager for Landscapes of Injustice (LoI) and is currently on leave from his role as project manager on a new project, Past Wrongs, Future Choices.

Interview: Michael Abe

You have a long-time interest in history in Japanese Canadian history, and the local communities, in particular. When did you first discover this passion?

I was fortunate to see the formation of a Japanese Canadian cultural centre in Hamilton around the time of the JC Centennial. The centre was a busy hub for our community, bringing together several generations of families from the area. Not only were many long-time friendships formed, but it was also a place for the Japanese heritage and culture to be honoured, preserved, and shared with the local community.

I later became involved in the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society in Victoria as well as the Victoria Japanese Heritage Language School Society which my children attended. When the earthquake and tsunami disaster struck Japan in 2011, I was involved in bringing the local Nikkei groups and community together quickly to organize a number of fundraising events and initiatives.

What’s your own family history as is relates to the wartime years?

On my mother’s side, great-grandfather Takejiro Toyota arrived in 1907 from Fukuoka-ken, followed three years later by his wife, Hama and my then 13-year-old grandfather Shoshichi. Later his brother Daigoro also arrived, and they married a set of Obuchi sisters, Hanayo and Kiriye. They settled on Vancouver Island and worked in Paldi (Mayo), a sawmill community near Duncan, BC. They would be uprooted to Popoff, New Denver and Slocan. Takejiro rests in Slocan Cemetery where he died in December 1942.

On my father’s side, Grandpa Isamu Abe came from Beppu in Oita-ken, as did my grandma, Yachiyo. They settled in Port Alberni. Grandpa was sent to Angler and would be reunited with the family in Lemon Creek. Both the Abe and Toyota families would move to the Hamilton and Kitchener areas after the war ended.

Were you brought up knowing the wartime history, or did you learn about it later, like so many of your generation?

I grew up in a very suburban, WASP community in Burlington, completely assimilated, so much so that I didn’t realize I was a visible minority until my teenage years.

As mentioned earlier, it was great to have the cultural centre as a place to help learn more about my heritage.

I first learned about the internment in Grade 8 when we had to interview a family member about our family history, and it was difficult to convince my father to be interviewed. He finally relented and I remember it being a real shock to hear about the internment. He remained tight-lipped about it for much of his life. One of my motivations to learn Japanese and go to Japan after university was to be able to talk to my grandma to learn more about her experiences.

Fast forward to 2012, when we unveiled a commemorative bench in Lemon Creek. My dad openly spoke about his past when asked by those present. That was the pinnacle for him, the ‘people are interested in hearing my story’ moment. Unfortunately, he would pass away less than two months later.

This is a huge project, gathering all these names, what prompted you to take it on?

I was involved in the Landscapes of Injustice which was a total of eight years. The first four years consisted of research about the dispossession of Japanese

Preliminary visual study for Victoria Monument for costing purposes. This is not a representation of what the final monument design will look like. Study by Kobayashi + Zedda Architects.

I have seen first-hand the incredible impact that these files have had on researchers and community members as they learn more about their family history. From the positive feedback and gratitude from the community, I feel it is the most valuable and important output of the project, the files and what they contain, filling in the blanks of the silence.

Canadian property and the second phase was the development of knowledge mobilization initiatives that included a travelling museum exhibit, publications, and teacher resources. It also resulted in a database of all the research we acquired over the course of the project. We were fortunate to partner with the Library and Archives Canada to enable the case files to be digitized and metadata added to allow them to be easily searchable. In the past number of years, I have seen first-hand the incredible impact that these files have had on researchers and community members as they learn more about their family history. From the positive feedback and gratitude from the community, I feel it is the most valuable and important output of the project, the files and what they contain, filling in the blanks of the silence.

I can see how the infrastructure of this database will be of great assistance to the Monument Database Project. It will give us a very good start, but it will be a large undertaking that we are embarking on to ensure that the list is as complete and accurate as possible.

For some, it’s been a long-time dream to pull together a complete list of those impacted by the government wartime policies. How will you go about collecting the names and determining who will be on the monument? Which is how many, by the way? Because this is part of a BC Redress package, the focus on this monument is to recognize and honour those Japanese Canadians who were forcibly removed from coastal British Columbia due to the policies of exclusion by the Canadian Government in 1942. I am privileged to have access to the expertise and sound advice from members of my advisory board, David Mitsui, Linda Kawamoto Reid, and Lisa Uyeda. By the time you are reading this, we will have rounded out our advisory board. This board will play a key role with input into the criteria of who will appear on the monument. Although the criteria have not all been finalized yet, the defining question for a person to be on the monument will be “Where were you in ’42?” as plans are to categorize names by where they were living in coastal BC at the time that they were forcibly removed outside the 100 mile “protected” zone. It will take cross referencing list from various sources over the course of a year to be confident we have the correct spelling of all 21,462 (?) names.

An important part of this process will be extensive community consultation sessions, calling on these people and their descendants to help confirm their family names.

You’re a sansei, a generation removed from the internment years and brought up very much within the Canadian mainstream, but you have immersed yourself in traditional Japanese arts like aikiko and sumie and have brought up your own kids to value their cultural heritage. What has your heritage and your exploration of it given to you, do you think?

Although I am very Canadian, there are aspects of Japanese traditions and culture that I enjoy through the practice of these arts. While it is great to see artists in North America freely innovate to adapt to North American predilections, I prefer to stay as traditional as possible, continually returning to basics and first principles. I could speak more but I’ll leave it there.

As a Japanese Canadian, what does the monument mean to you and what do you hope the monument will offer to those who experience it, both other Japanese Canadians, and the general public?

I can envision the monument becoming a destination, with several generations of Japanese Canadian families travelling to see and touch their own names and those of their ancestors and to pay their respects to the communities that once existed throughout BC. It will be a place of healing, and learning. For those not connected to this history, I hope that they will learn more about this dark chapter in Canadian history. I feel very privileged and honoured to be given the opportunity to contribute to this important initiative.

Is there a way for interested people to get involved in this project?

The Monument Database project has budgeted resources for hiring researchers to help collect and analyse data from various archives. Throughout the year we will post positions on our website, https:// jclegacies.com/six-pillars/monument/ for members of our community to join our research team.

Enquiries can be sent directly to me at mkabe@jclegacies.com

Jack Kobayashi & Mike Abe. Photo by Susanne Tabata.

Call out for Outreach Workers!

The Japanese Canadian Survivors Heath & Wellness Fund Society (JCHSWFS) is looking for motivated outreach workers across Canada to be part of an exciting team dedicated to finding and assisting survivors with their funding application for health supports.

Apply Now

• Be part of a dynamic team of outreach workers who will provide front line assistance to survivors during each applicant’s process.

• The JCHSWFS is seeking ten individuals from across Canada who have strong connections to, and knowledge of, their local Japanese Canadian community.

• Successful applications will be contracted for up to a 2 – 3 year term.

• Successful applicants will receive all necessary hardware (e.g., laptop, cellphone), and all related travel and meeting expenses will be covered by the project.

Applicant Criteria

• Available for up to 40 hours a week; after-hours, weekends as necessary.

• Comfortable with intake interviews, compassionate listening, and computer literacy are essential.

• Previous outreach work experience as well as fluency in Japanese are assets, but not mandatory.

• Having a vehicle would be an asset for in-person contacts, as necessary.

• Successful completion of a criminal record check for work with a vulnerable population.

• Submit a current CV and a brief cover letter describing why you should be part of the outreach team.

Application Deadline

The application window will remain open but successful applicants will be contacted for an interview by the end of Jan 2023 with employment to start before March 2023.

Submit Your Application to HR@jcwellness.org

JACK KOBAYASHI

OPENING UP SPACE FOR THE “THIRD PLACE”

Like the vast majority of prewar Japanese Canadians, Jack Kobayashi’s family started out on the west coast before being uprooted and dispossessed, eventually moving east of the Rockies in line with government directives. Jack was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1963, where his father worked for Eagle Toys, designing a version of table-top hockey that was popular across Canada. Jack grew up playing with various prototypes of the game, a unique opportunity for a youngster.

After high school, Jack studied urban planning at the University of Waterloo under Kiyoshi Izumi, a notable architect with Izumi Arnott Sugiyama in Regina, Saskatchewan. He then studied architecture at the University of Manitoba, where his uncle, Ron Kobayashi, also studied architecture. Jack received a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo in 1986, and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Manitoba in 1992.

After graduating, Jack worked for several firms before moving to Whitehorse, Yukon in 1991 and co-founding a new architectural practice with BCregistered architect Florian Maurer. This firm would become the predecessor firm of Kobayashi + Zedda Architects Ltd. (KZA), formed in 2002 with Antonio Zedda. KZA is the largest architecture firm in Canada’s north and has been involved in the transformation of downtown Whitehorse into a vibrant living and working community. Since its inception, the firm has worked on more than 1,000 design projects in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, and British Columbia, varying in scale from private residential renovations to the $65 million Whitehorse Correctional Centre. The firm’s partners have a combined experience of nearly 60 years working in the Yukon in every eco-region of the Territory. The firm received the 2006 Professional Prix de Rome from the Canada Council and in recent years has become recognized throughout Canada for its First Nations and sustainable architecture.

Jack Kobayashi was recently brought on as a member of the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society, working on the preliminary stages of the Monument pillar.

As you travel away from the historic settlements of Canada, space opens up, at first by prairie and then mountains and then by cold, snow and ice. The architecture of the maritimes and central Canada is constrained by historical and contextual built landscapes. The west and north opens up and allows for more object buildings in the landscape. That equates with design freedom and opportunity.

by John Endo Greenaway

Interview: Jack Kobayashi

Let’s start with your family’s trajectory in Canada. Where did they live before the war, where did they live during the war, and how did you come to be born in Montreal?

Jack’s mother was born in Kitsilano, on the second floor of her family’s dry cleaning business, Reliable Cleaners, near the corner of 4th and Vine Streets. The business was seized and sold during the internment and continued to operate under the same name, at that location well into the 90s.

Jack’s mother, a ten year old girl at the time of internment, was sent with her family to the camp at Tashme near Hope. BC. Her father, not yet a Canadian citizen, was separated from the family, sent to work on a road camp and his whereabouts was unknown until he was reunited with the family at Tashme many months later.

Jack’s father was 15 years old in 1941. His father’s family was permitted to leave the restricted area near the coast to tend to family business interests in Blind Bay in the BC interior. The family business failed before the war ended. Jack’s father struggle through several menial jobs in Kamloops before realizing that the only way to thrive was to move east, as did many Japanese Canadians.

At one point, the City of Toronto began to close its doors to the influx of Japanese Canadians from the west and many families moved further east to Montreal, where the political reception was much warner.

Is there anything about your family’s wartime experience that impacted your approach to your studies or your work?

I tend to favour the underdog. We don’t do a lot of exclusive, private residential work. We tend to favour the projects that help groups of people, disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control, community housing, emergency shelters, correctional centres etc…

You studied urban planning before shifting to architecture – how did those initial studies impact how you approached architecture?

More often, people will start their academic careers in architecture and broaden their scope into planning. I did the opposite. The planning component provided a very good baseline for all things architecture.

Your time at the University of Manitoba had a big influence on you. Can you talk about that?

It was my first time living in a smaller city, a prairie city, outside Central Canada. It was fascinating to see Ontario and Quebec through another lens and gave me some impetus to venture further afield from my childhood roots.

In researching this interview, you have worked with, or been influenced by, a number of Japanese Canadian architects, including Raymond Moriyama. Is there something about the approach of these architects that resonates with you in a particular way?

Moriyama’s architecture has a zen-like quality to it. It is very Japanese. His massive Ontario Science Centre could barely be noticed from the street. The majority of the building was hidden as it cascaded down a ravine. It’s a building without ego.

Moriyama’s Toronto Reference Library is one of the great interior spaces in this country. Like the Eaton Centre but catering to silence. Acoustically, the space offers a dull roar of calming white noise.

I visited these buildings as a child often and they have left an impact on me to this day.

As a boy you wanted to become a police officer but ended up drawn to architecture. How did that come about?

I was fascinated with police cars and uniforms. I created several volumes of hand drawn books called the ‘Book of Cops’. These still survive today. A while ago I was flipping through one of the illustrated volumes when I noticed that I had drafted a ground floor layout of a police station. The was likely the critical turning point in my future career.

Your studies and work have taken you from Waterloo, to Manitoba, and now Whitehorse, far from the urban centres where most people in your field are drawn to. Is there something about more remote areas that call to you in some way?

As you travel away from the historic settlements of Canada, space opens up, at first by prairie and then mountains and then by cold, snow and ice. The architecture of the maritimes and Central Canada is continued on

Cornerstone Community Housing Project with 45 units for people with disabilities and those at-risk of homelessness, Kobayashi + Zedda

constrained by historical and contextual built landscapes. The west and north opens up and allows for more object buildings in the landscape. That equates with design freedom and opportunity.

Why did you choose the far north as a home base?

Upon graduating from architecture, all of the opportunity lay in Vancouver. Many of my class members moved there for the work. I wanted to move to a place that nobody desired.

In addition to running your firm, you and Antonio Zedda own and operate a bakery in Whitehorse. The two of you also own Horwood’s Mall, where your own offices are situated. This seems rather unusual for an architecture firm. Can you tell us more about that?

In his book, ‘The Great Good Place’, sociologist Ray Oldenburg revealed that it was critical for every person to have a 'Third Place' – the first and

second being home and work respectively. At the time, downtown Whitehorse did not have a very good ‘Third Place’ but we have since created one in our Baked Café + Bakery.

What was your involvement in the consultation process for the Victoria Monument project?

My first task was to review all of the valuable engagement work that had been completed by others like Susanne Tabata of the JCLS and Elizabeth Matheson from the BC Attorney General’s office. Along with site specific data including geotechnical, topographic, horticultural and site services data, I was able to direct a team of designers to develop a concise physical vision of the Memorial project based on the early data.

It should be noted that there will be additional engagement with First Nations Rightsholders subsequent to the Visioning Report.

Is there any advice you have for someone interested in architecture as a calling?

This would need to be an entire chapter on its own. Do what inspires you.

Baked Café + Bakery

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JAPANESE CANADIANS NAJC.CA

BOARD MESSAGE

JAPANESE CANADIAN HISTORY IN JANUARY AND STORIES OF JAPANESE SHIPWRECKS – JANUARY 2023

by Lorene Oikawa, Past President NAJC Happy New Year! 2023 is Year of the Rabbit. Akemashite Omedetō Gozaimasu

As we look forward to the future, we also look at our past. The stories of our ancestors remind us of their challenges, hard work, and achievements. It is where we come from, and we must ensure the injustices are not repeated.

the Custodian of Alien Property without the owners’ consent.

January 1945 Orders-in-Council P.C. 7335, 7356, and 7357 empowered a tribunal to determine the loyalty of Japanese Canadians, define Japanese Canadians to be deported, and strip them of their Canadian nationality.

January 1, 1946 War Measures Act expires. The government enables extending wartime orders against Japanese Canadians under the National Transitional Emergency Powers Act.

January 1, 1947 The population of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia has fallen to 6,776 from about 22,000 prior to the uprooting.

January 24, 1947 Prime Minister King announces the orders for the deportation of Japanese Canadians is repealed, after court challenges and a strong protest movement which included churches, academics, journalists, and politicians.

January 17, 1949 Vancouver City Council extends the municipal vote to wives of registered voters and to all citizens of Asiatic origin including Japanese Canadians. The BC government had extended the provincial vote to Chinese Canadians and Indo Canadians in April 1947, but refused to include Japanese Canadians and said they would not consider the franchise at least until the federal government removed its restrictions.

Stories of Japanese Shipwrecks and Japanese in British Columbia

Highlights of January Dates in Japanese Canadian History

January 8, 1941 Prime Minister King announces a special investigating committee recommends citizens of Japanese ancestry be exempted from volunteering for armed services not because of disloyalty, but because of anti-Japanese hostility in British Columbia.

January 16, 1942 Order-in-Council P.C. 365 creates a 100 mile “protected area” on the coast of British Columbia from which male enemy aliens are excluded.

January 19, 1943 Order-in-Council P.C. 469 allows disposal of all property understood to be under “protective custody” by the government through

2023 marks 165 years of the first recorded visit of Japanese to British Columbia in 1858. There is an earlier case of Japanese in British Columbia 190 years ago which I will describe later. There have been many reports of Japanese shipwrecks in BC and this article reviews some of those stories and the history of the period.

In 1858, there were twelve Japanese men (captain, mate and 10 seamen) who had been floating in a disabled ship for five months in the Pacific Ocean until they were rescued by a British ship, the Caribbean

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JAPANESE CANADIANS NAJC.CA

They were taken to San Francisco on June 7, and then later in the year, the Caribbean stopped in Esquimalt Harbour in Victoria before going to China. The Japanese men were later transferred to another ship in Hong Kong and then handed over to government officials in Nagasaki, Japan.

The captain of the second ship reported the men were shipwrecked off the coast of Vancouver Island, which is now believed to be inaccurate.

There is another report of a shipwreck in 1833, the Honjun-Maru, which has been repeatedly reported as a shipwreck off the coast of British Columbia. Grant Keddie, former Curator of Archaeology, Royal British Columbia Museum, cites reports saying the wreck happened “near Point Grenville, south of Cape Flattery in the Olympic Peninsula, in the State of Washington.” There were only three survivors, Iwakichi (28 years old), Kyukichi (15) and Otokichi (14) and they were taken captive by the local Indigenous peoples. Captain McNeill of the Hudson’s Bay Company travelled to Fort Langley and ransomed them. He took them to Fort Vancouver, and then the three are listed as passengers on a ship to England on November 15, 1834.

King William IV paid for their passage to China. The three of them tried to return to Japan. Only Otokichi would be able to return to Japan in 1854. He was offered repatriation, but he refused because by then he had an English wife and was with the British Royal Navy as a translator.

The shipwreck did not occur in British Columbia but the three were in Fort Langley which is what we now know as British Columbia. It is a documented case of Japanese in British Columbia 190 years ago.

Although some of the stories of shipwrecks have been shown to be south of British Columbia, it is highly probable that there have been early visits from Japanese. There have also been stories of Japanese settling in Indigenous communities, but nothing documented.

Many of the accounts of ships that were carried from across the ocean is because of the Kuroshio Current. This current starts in the Philippines and then flows northward to Japan through the Sea of Japan and then re-enters the Pacific Ocean with a significant increase in strength as it starts flowing towards North America.

There are also some strong opinions about the idea of Japanese shipwrecks in the area because of the first European explorers who commonly reported seeing iron products and there is archaeological evidence of iron tools. It will be difficult to prove the connection to Japan unless the origin of the iron can be determined.

Japanese did have the means to make long journeys whether by choice or not. Also, by the late 18th century, there was a lot of turmoil. There were about twenty great famines between 1675 and 1837. Many crops were destroyed by bad weather and volcanic eruption. There was a change in the social order which pitted the ruling Tokugawa clan and its

feudal system versus the rise of the merchant class and urban lifestyle and imperial rule and adoption of Western ideas. One could not expect to return if they left Japan, but perhaps the hope for a better life may have inspired a voyage.

Change was also happening in British Columbia. On August 2, 1858, the British, fearful of annexation by the Americans, created the colony of British Columbia. The southern part of the province was known as Columbia, named after the river. Queen Victoria chose the name, British Columbia, and New Westminster became the capital. It wasn’t until 1871, when British Columbia became the sixth province to join Canada.

In Japan, the country was facing tremendous change as the Edo or Tokugawa period (1603 to 1867) was ending. The black ships, as Japan referred to foreign Western ships, had been arriving since the 16th century. Trade was established but limited and the Tokugawa shogunate imposed a policy of isolationism until 1853.

On July 8 of that year the US Navy sent four warships into the harbour at the capital Edo, demanding Japan open its country to trade with the West.

Japanese ships had been visiting foreign lands from the 16th century. They had learned European ship building techniques and the North American geography from an Englishman who had been shipwrecked. Apparently, he taught geography to the Emperor of Japan.

At the beginning of the Edo period, one of the first Western-style sailing ships was built in Sendai in 1613. The San Juan Bautista, a Spanish galleon type of ship, took 180 people on a diplomatic mission to Acapulco in New Spain (present day Mexico). Hasekura Tsunenaga, considered the Ambassador of Japan, and some of the group then travelled to Spain and other stops in Europe, and met with Pope Paul V in Rome. On their return trip, they retraced their journey in New Spain and then went to Manila before returning to Japan in 1620. Tsunenaga’s efforts for a trade agreement never progressed. By the time he returned to Japan, Christianity was being eradicated and the country was moving towards a period of seclusion.

ART MIKI CONVOCATION SPEECH

November 7, 2021, St. John’s College

by Art Miki

I am honoured to receive the Doctor of Canon Law from St. John’s College. Congratulations to all the Graduates. As a former principal and educator I would like to think that the graduates here today have received the needed educational knowledge and tools for you to move on to the next phase in your life’s journey. Whatever career that you embark on there will be challenges. How you deal with these demands will determine your success. I hope to share some insights that I have gained over the years for you to reflect upon as you venture forward.

Sometimes chance, fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it, may have an impact of what you do. When I was going to start my second year in Engineering, I met a high school friend who was on his way to the Teachers College. I hadn’t seen him for over five years so I went with him to catch up on the past. While listening to the Principal of the College and what was being offered to get into teaching, I decided then on the spot to enrol with my friend. This chance meeting altered my career path. I have immensely enjoyed being a teacher and principal and so grateful that I made the change. It was the best decision I made.

One advice is don’t be afraid of failure. In my school office I had a saying posted on the wall that says, “If you don’t make mistakes, you are not learning”. I look upon it as a challenge and to improve. So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success”. So what I’m saying is “Take a risk!”

While in Transcona-Springfield School Division, when I was viceprincipal I applied for principalship of a new school which was still under construction. It was built as an open area concept. With the endorsement of my superintendent I proposed an educational program unlike that of a traditional school.

It was a risk but to make best use of the space we embarked on an educational environment that focused on child centered learning with family groupings, team teaching and individualized instruction. This was a non-graded school, a concept new to the province. I was given the latitude to hire teachers who would work within this new structure. I wasn’t sure how the parents would react to this untraditional approach. But with a logical explanation of its benefits, involving parents in school activities and with the support of the wonderful teachers, the excitement of this different approach was an experience that I was proud of and cherish. Sometimes, you have to think outside the box. The words of Mohammad Ali comes to mind when he said, “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

Set goals. Know what you want. This is where discipline and consistency apply. I remember, as President of the NAJC and after two years of negotiating we remained at a standstill, had not achieved our goal. The government was not prepared to recognize individual compensation for the victims of the internment, a mandate we had established for a meaningful and just resolution. Finally, at the last meeting with the Minister who was in charge of the Japanese Canadian redress file gave us an ultimatum.

Accept our offer of community compensation or that is the end of any further talks. We maintained our discipline by walking away from the table. We reassessed why we had not succeeded and came up with a different strategy. The change of focus to make redress a Canadian Human Rights issue that included the broadening of support from other Canadians while maintaining the consistent goal. This move was a game changer and led to a successful agreement.

To me a successful person is one who has well-rounded experiences. Get out and volunteer, join other organizations and work with people who are less fortunate or who come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This is a way to develop empathy and appreciation for others and will be an asset in your career.

Have a positive attitude. Rather than complain ask yourself what could I do to change the situation. A positive attitude grows on other people. My aunt who I admired lived to 99, and was one person with such a positive attitude and always happy. She saw good in everyone. Research studies shows that positive people tend to live longer. This should be good motivation. I have made an effort to look at the positive side even during the long redress campaign. Reporters would ask whether it was frustrating with the government inaction. I looked at the positive aspect because Canadians were learning about the unjust treatment towards Japanese Canadians. For me that was as important and valuable education as reaching a resolution.

Finally, chance or luck may help advance your career, I recall when I ran as a candidate in the federal election and lost by a few hundred votes. We had put in so much time and effort into the campaign. I felt like a failure in not being elected. A friend said to me, maybe you were meant to lose but maybe something better is in store for you. Four years later, I received a phone call from the Privy Council indicating that I had been appointed Citizenship Judge. This was a complete shock to me as I was never asked nor even thought about it. I found out later that the Citizenship office might have recommended me. As an Order of Canada recipient, I had volunteered to preside over citizenship ceremonies on a number of occasions. The benefits of volunteering gave me this great opportunity.

Expansion of GVJCCA Membership Payment and Donation Options

As part of our ongoing efforts to better serve our members and the community we have added a new online option to renew a membership, sign up for a new membership, or donate to the GVJCCA. We are using the Square platform. It’s super simple and only takes a few clicks to complete. It even gives the options to set up recurring (yearly) payments, so you don’t have to worry about keeping up to date with your membership/subscription. Visit https://gvjcca.square.site and give it a try!

Of course you can still make payments through eTransfer, and this is even easier now that you no longer have to setup a password with our new auto-deposit setting.

For the traditionally-inclined, we are still accepting cheques of course.

Visit http://jccabulletin-geppo.ca/membership for a guide to the different payment options.

Milestones and Obituaries

For those wishing to publish obituaries (or other milestones), please send them directly to john@bigwavedesign.net. Include a photo if you like. We do not charge a fee for milestones but are always happy to accept donations to support The Bulletin and the GVJCCA. Donations can be made the same way as memberships.

Ucluelet: Reconciling with the Removal and Return of Japanese Canadians

by Paul Kariya

On October 29, 2022, sponsored in part by an NAJC Endowment Fund grant, the Ucluelet and Area Historical Society hosted a gathering of 105 local residents, friends, observers and others to remember, recollect and reconcile over what the removal of Japanese Canadians meant to First Nations, Settler and homesteaders, and Japanese Canadians. Three keynote perspectives were presented by elder and former Ucluelet First Nation Chief, Vi Mundy, followed by elder and member of one of the old homesteader families, Shirley Martin (Baird) and elder, retired educator and Japanese Canadian returnee, Ellen Kimoto.

Vi Mundy shared from her mother’s recollections, “One day we heard lots of crying and wailing from our neighbours at Hakoda Bay. Some of our men were asked if they would look after homes and possessions as the Japanese were told they had to leave immediately by steamer to Port Alberni. Then it went quiet, and they were all gone. Nobody asked our people, especially the children what they felt about losing friends. They were just removed and gone.”

Hakoda Bay at the mouth of Ucluelet Harbour was one of 6 Japanese Canadian settlements in Ucluelet Harbour. It was adjacent to the Hitacu First Nation community and home to 10 permanent extended

Japanese Canadian families. After the war and 1949 when Japanese Canadians started to return to Ucluelet, no Japanese Canadians returned to Hakoda Bay.

Social boundaries kept people and communities apart in Ucluelet up to 1942, but folks did cross divides, especially the children at play in places like Hakoda Bay. Fishermen would nod at each other at the fuel dock or Ucluelet Fishing Company scow or outbound or inbound from the fishing banks. Gifts of food were exchanged. Each community had separate schools, but the Japanese Canadian and White kids had a public school built by the Japanese Canadian carpenters and fishermen with lumber provided by the village.

Within one day, all Japanese Canadians in Ucluelet were gone: men, women and children. How does a small community deal with the loss of more than 50% of its population? For those who were disappeared, this was a traumatic and life-altering event. For the non-Japanese folk, the implications were different, but all were affected. Even for those who had agitated to see the Japanese Canadians removed, very soon they realized that losing the dominant fish buyer meant an impact economically to them. Fewer student enrollments meant less funding for the school. Removal of Japanese Canadians meant the end of some businesses and services. For those who had friendship links, it was hard to endure what was happening. The west coast had tried so hard to secure residents and now removing 350 residents impacted the whole community.

With the separation of 80 years, the October 2022 gathering heard about the recollections passed down from parents and grandparents. There were

October 29, 2022, gathering to Remember, Recollect and Reconcile at the Ucluelet Community Centre

tears and shared support. Especially poignant were the First Nation expressions of the shared reality of being “othered”, and not understanding why. Whether it was relocation to residential schools or Hastings Park, the emotions were the same anguish.

The Japanese Canadians were gone until 1949 when a few men and their families started to return to Ucluelet. They came back after exile in Greenwood, Bridge River, Toronto and Petawawa and Angler. Most of the returning fishermen were assisted by major fishing companies who had missed their most productive fishermen; the companies grubstaked new vessels, gear and housing because most of the families had little or no equity after the dispossession, even paying for their own exile.

Today Ucluelet is an interesting intermarriage between and amongst the First Nations, Settlers and Japanese Canadians, children, grandchildren and great grands.

There are no markers or public sites as witness to what transpired. There are, however, plans and talk of

Six Ucluelet school children, 1925

building an interpretive centre with the theme of recollecting, remembering and reconciliation.

I call this place home.

Ucluelet school class, 1930

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu and happy new year!

We hope your holiday season was restful and bright. As we prepare to turn the page on a new year, we have some exciting announcements to share!

First, thank you to everyone who participated in or spread awareness of our Winter Care Package Fundraiser! Because of your support, we exceeded our $10,000 goal to fund the distribution of 250 care packages to the unhoused and precariously housed in the Downtown Eastside (Paueru Gai/Powell Street Neighbourhood). These care packages of snacks, hygiene products, and cold weather supplies will be distributed around an upcoming Powell Street Festival Society event, which leads us to our next announcement…

On February 5, 11:30am – 2:30pm join us at Oppenheimer Park for Setsubun! We’ll be celebrating new beginnings with ceremonial taiko drumming, a Paueru Mashup lesson and community dance, a meal of Japanese curry rice, and a sacred fire in collaboration with local indigenous leaders at this free event. Check back on our website at powellstreetfestival for more information!

Interested in participating in or returning to the 47th Annual Powell Street Festival on August 5 & 6? Applications to perform, present, display, and sell food & crafts at the Festival are open as of January 5! Visit powellstreetfestival.com/festival-applications/ for details and to submit online! Applications are open through March 10, 2023.

We are still accepting applications for the 2023 Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort through February 28! This program offers an expenses-paid opportunity for young Japanese Canadians, age 19 to 29, who were raised outside of British Columbia to attend the Powell Street Festival, participate in its production, attend training sessions, and create a vibrant embodied experience of Japanese Canadian identity. We encourage you to apply or share this with someone you know! More information at powellstreetfestival.com/japanese-canadian-youth-cohort. Plus mark your calendars for a special screening event of the taiko documentary Finding her Beat on February 18, in partnership with DOXA Festival – more to come soon!

Thank-you again for all your support throughout 2022, and we wish you the best in the new year! We have more to come soon, so stay tuned here, on our social media at @powellstfest or Powell Street Festival Society and our E-Newsletter (sign-up at powellstreetfestival.com) for updates and announcements!

PS: Thanks to Emmie Tsumura for the use of her artwork for our new banner!

There is a rich history of Japanese Canadians in Surrey. Starting with the first wave of Japanese immigrants arriving in Surrey, Japanese Canadians were farming, building boats, working in sawmills, shopkeepers, and building a life with their families and contributing to their community. In 1942, the government forced the uprooting of all Japanese Canadians in British Columbia, and the dispossession and exile of Japanese Canadians wiped our presence in communities.

In order to ensure the stories of our Japanese Canadian families in Surrey are remembered and shared, please join the network for updates and to participate in feedback on JC projects in Surrey.

Contact: lorene.oikawa@gmail.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Toronto NAJC in partnership with the Toronto Buddhist Church convened a sunset gathering at the Japanese Canadian Centennial Temple Bell at Ontario Place. The gathering is likely the nal opportunity to ring the Japanese Canadian Centennial Temple Bell at its current loca on in Ontario Place on New Year’s Eve. We have been told that the Temple Bell will have to be moved in the spring when infrastructure work on the west island of Ontario Place begins.

A  h mee ng with the Ontario government will take place on January 18th. A new site on the east island will be discussed. While the Toronto NAJC has been leading the nego a ons, this next mee ng will include representa ves from the JCCC and Momiji.

The Toronto NAJC Board of Directors A video of the event can be viewed at www.torontonajc.ca

From the TORONTO NAJC

Rev Yoshimichi Ouchi

Dear friends, (photos, Yosh Inouye)

Bailey Irene Midori Hoy and dad, Peter Hoy

Les Takahashi and granddaughter

Izumi Sakamoto and son

Japanese Canadian Heritage Cooking Classes

Tastings

Searching for Japanese Canadian Home Cooks!

YOU: Love to cook, eat & talk about food. Perhaps you have some Japanese family recipes you would love to show others how to make in the kitchen?

US: Our casual cooking workshops are maximum 12 – 15 participants. Everyone shares in food preparation activities during these relaxed, hands-on learning & eating events, held at Tonari Gumi or Vancouver Japanese Language School.

INFO: For instructing a roughly 60-70 minute class, the Japanese Canadian Heritage Cooking program pays an honorarium. Shopping for all food & supplies and organizing of each event is taken care of by the program. For more info, please call Michael at 604 609 0657 or email torabc@gmail.com.

One Nikkei Voice

– TERRY WATADA

OSHOGATSU TIME

by Terry Watada

The end of the year came and went, but the memories of Oshogatsu linger into the desolation of January/February. What differentiates the Japanese Canadian and Japanese New Year festivities from Christmas is the food. Yes, Christmas does have turkey with all the trimmings, fruitcake and plum pudding, and Christmas baked goods. But we’re not that big on turkey. I guess we have had it too many times for various celebrations over the decades. I do like the cranberry sauce (yes, from a can) and the stuffing. I always ate the meat with gohan and shoyu (and gravy of course). I considered, and still do consider, fruitcake and plum pudding loathsome. How can people eat the overly sugared and heavy dessert? Out of tradition, I guess. Also not wishing to waste it. Then why buy it in the first place?

Then comes Oshogatsu when various traditions are observed through food. I fondly remember New Year’s Eve when Mom and Dad stayed up all hours preparing whole shrimp, teriyaki chicken, nishime and sushi ( makizushi and age zushi only – maybe some onigiri thrown in for the kids). There are many more osechi ryori dishes of course.

Every dish symbolizes something: kazunoko konbu means fertility, tai fish means good luck (especially if it is curved upwards to hold the luck), ozoni means long life and the stretched strands of mochi keeps the family together, and many more hidden meanings behind the food.

I am not sure what and if the mikan or mandarin orange symbolizes. I am told it represents a hope for sweet life. Probably does. I consider it the perfect fruit. Perfection in its roundness, its ease of peeling, its delicious and succulent orange pieces. The orange comes in wooden boxes and each fruit is wrapped in green tissue paper. The mikan is placed on top of mochi before the butsudan , an offering to the ancestors. Cold, it makes a wonderful snack. Makes a convenient stocking stuffer.

But it is only available at year’s end. And only from Japan. The clementine is a poor substitute. My parents always bought a box or two for the house. As such, they were always handy, and I loved them cold. But alas, over the years, the sweet treat disappeared from the shelves of Dundas Union, Sanko Trading Co. and Sandown Market. Today, I have heard of sightings, but I can’t find any anywhere.

I understand it is still plentiful in BC. Correct me if I’m wrong. Then again, the old ways have all but gone. How I looked forward to going with my father or friends after the Buddhist Church service to

enjoy osechi ryoji at various houses. I also loved waiting at home for guests to drop by unannounced. So they could eat and drink with my family. Sometimes they brought their children, my friends. Dad covered a large table with a plywood sheet to accommodate many guests. It was covered with a tablecloth. It proudly displayed all the delicacies. I especially loved my mother’s homemade chashiu Delicious. And there was the rare treat of pop on that day – usually Orange or Strawberry Crush.

Today, that is all gone. No one just drops in – they had to have been invited (family and friends alike) if the host actually prepares the osechi . Institutions may put on a New Year’s feast, but it is usually a fundraising scheme.

It is interesting to note, Honolulu and other areas of Hawaii have catering services to provide complete osechi dinners. Still, the mothers and aunts (and now the Sansei and Yonsei women) do prepare the food for the celebration. The Japanese chow mein is slightly different but I never complained. Everything else is the same. Don’t know if the traditions have survived but they still have sushi and osechi caterers.

There were a few caterers in Toronto. Mrs. Miyamoto, who lived just down the street from us, provided an array of Japanese food all year round, but New Year’s was the busiest time for her. Don’t know much about her except she was always old to me. And she always barged into our house loudly and uninvited. Tall and dark skinned, she was very popular in the Nikkei community. I heard she had three husbands in BC. They all died accidentally. Not enough mikan at year’s end, I suppose.

Anyway, we still make a few dishes for the day, but we rarely invite people. Not sure my son will carry on, but at least, he has memories of joyful gatherings in Honolulu. And memories are all we have left.

Community Update

487 Alexander Street, Vancouver, BC, V6A 1C6

Tel: 604.254.2551 Email: info@vjls-jh.com

MESSAGE FOR THE NEW YEAR

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.

The year ahead is an exciting one for the VJLS-JH community as we embark together into the first year of our new strategic plan. Developed with the input of dozens of community members, volunteers, families, staff, and Board, this plan will guide the activities of our organization for the next five years. We hope that you are as excited as we are with the direction the organization is taking and that the new core values and mission statement reflect your passion and connection to VJLS-JH!

Developing this plan has been a valuable opportunity to reflect on our values, what is most important to us, and the people we want to include around ourselves to help achieve our vision for the organization. This has required a special balance between honouring the past, and our traditions, as well as looking to the future and what is possible for us and our community to achieve. At its core, this plan centers the importance of relationships and how they help us to learn and grow from one another, as individuals and as a community.

As we move forward, we are honoured to be able to serve and support such a diverse community that

shares our goal of seeing the Japanese Canadian community and its history, culture, and language thrive for future generations.

On behalf of the VJLS-JH Board of Directors, thank you to all of the volunteers, students, parents, families, and other supporters who will help us do this work together in 2023 and beyond. We look forward to connecting, working, and learning with you over the coming year. Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Tomo Machida, Board Chair

Darius Maze, Executive Director

JCCA Donations

The Greater Vancouver JCCA and The Bulletin gratefully acknowledge generous donations received during December, 2022. If we have missed your name, please contact us and we will correct it in the next issue.

Miyoko Croken, Vernon BC

Tsuneharu & Motoko Gonnami, Vancouver BC

Elaine Homma, Burnaby BC

Alan Itakura, Saint Leonard QC

Tomoko Kakehi, Richmond BC

Takeo & Midori Katayama, Surrey BC

Ed & Midori Kozuki, Williams Lake BC

Seiji & Sachi Matsuo, Grand Forks BC

Patricia Miyagawa, Vancouver BC

Les & Phyllis Murata, North Vancouver BC

Wendy S. Nagasaka, Aldergrove BC

Dan & Rury Nakagawa, Whistler BC

David Nishioka, Lantzville BC

Gayle Oliver New Westminster BC

Keiko Robson, Victoria BC

Howard Shimokura, Vancouver BC

Ann Sunahara & Families, ON

Gerry Takahashi, Prince George BC

Ellen Taylor, Vancouver BC

Setsuko & James Toliver, Blaine WA

Ryoko Ward, Richmond BC

Shirley Witherow, Pitt Meadows BC

Sueko Yamamoto, Pitt Meadows BC

As a mixed-race, Jewpanese family there are a few (minor) challenges that crop up now and then, but they are far outweighed by the pleasures of fusing cultures and customs, and making up our own as we go along. These days Amy and I have the joy of spending lots of time with little Keikochan, our first granddaughter. I am still waiting to be given permission to make her first inari sushi, one of the taste treats from my own childhood, but for now we get to watch her try all sorts of other solid foods for the first time. Keiko takes her eating very seriously, which bodes well for her culinary future. Her aunt Emiko recently bought Keiko her first beginner chopsticks (a tad early, but it doesn’t hurt to be ready) and I can’t wait to see her learn to use them.

This year at Hannukah, Keiko got to experience all eight nights (and the little gifts that come with each night) and the candle lighting and singing that are the main part of the celebration. She learned to clap for the first time during the holidays, clapping along to the songs, and then applauding after each one, such a precious moment to witness. Seeing her surrounded by family – Mama and Papa, Jiji and Bubbe, Aunt Emiko, Great-grandma and Great-grampa – all joined together in the spirit of gratitude, wrapped in the embrace of our collective love, was truly a blessing of its own. It reminds me that for all our grownup fears and worries and struggles, there are more important things to focus on, something that I hope to carry forward into this new year. Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. Happy New Year (and Year of the Rabbit) everyone!

President’s Message

by Cary Sakiyama

Happy New Year!!!

Changing from one calendar to the next is always a big deal for me. Growing up in Revelstoke, my Mom and Dad would open up our home and host family, friends and business acquaintances all day. January 1st was a very special day for our family then and it is a very special day for my family now. We celebrate a little differently but the importance of that one day is not lost.

We go camping and ring in the New Year outside at midnight and then wake up outside. Waking up outside, having my first coffee of the year outside, breakfast, etc is my/our thing. We try to continue in nature with a short hike, a walk on the beach and some yummy food. I love seeing other people when we’re out there because I know that they have intentionally made the choice to enjoy that first day of the year. There is an unspoken

connection, a bit of a kinship between us that I don’t feel any other day. It’s pretty cool. How do you choose to start a new year?

Kids are now back in school, back playing soccer and another year begins. I attended the First Friday Forum at Tonari Gumi on January 6 with my eldest, Cedar. It was a truly wonderful evening with a very loving and very supportive group. Wayne on drums and Bob on the piano are amazing musicians who accompany anyone who would like to sing. It was like Karaoke with a live band behind you. But because everyone there is so welcoming, the “feel” was like sitting in your basement with family. I encourage anyone to come and be a part of this as a performer or audience, it is such a nice energy. For more information and history on this Forum please read the December Bulletin (page 19). Next gathering will be on February 3rd.

While it is still only week one of 2023, we had yet another event already, Shinnenkai 2023 was held at NNMCC on January 7. We on the committee had some challenges this year but after all was said and done, the faces of the people who attended told a story of happiness. membership up to date?

GVJCCA

Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens’ Association

Apologies to those who were waitlisted this year as the event sold out quite early. MC Naomi Yamato was brilliant, there was excitement in the room and the osechi bento was a classic way to begin the year. The toast from the Consul General of Japan, the participatory dancing and the space to chat, reconnect with old acquaintances and make new friends made for an evening to remember. For me at least, it felt like a fun party always does …. I wished it was longer.

Shout out to Michael for bringing the Japanese Canadian Heritage Cooking Classes to such a high level in 2022. Our continued sellouts and waitlists were an unexpected difficulty to manage but I suppose, better than the alternative. Based on the feedback from the 2022 participants, we will be tinkering a bit with the ticket prices for the next few classes. Don’t be alarmed, we are still learning. The next scheduled class is January 22 where we will be making takoyaki ! Thanks for your support and I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Reminder that your opportunity to purchase a gift membership at a 20% discount is available until January 31. A valuable way to share community information and to support the GVJCCA.

The GVJCCA Board is busy planning our annual Keirokai!

SAVE THE DATE: April 15, 2023.

More detailed information to come in the next few issues of The Bulletin .

One last thing to mention and it is a big one! Starting now, we have introduced a new convenient way to make payment. Make a donation and/or pay for your membership with a credit card. Please also know that we have set up a super convenient option to automatically renew so you don’t have to think about that either.

Change is possible : )

First Friday Forum

First Friday Forum

Shinnenkai 2023

photos by Wendy Matsubuchi

ADVANCE CARE PLANNING

January 27 | 2023 | 10:00 – 11:30am Nikkei Centre

“The importance of planning ahead before you are sick has never been clearer. COVID-19 and other unexpected events in our lives have reminded so many of us of our mortality and the benefits of planning in advance.

Many people do not know where to begin, while others are unaware that we can have a say in our care.

Together, we will learn about the 5 steps of Advance Care Planning, allowing you, and the people who matter most to you, to be able to start and continue the Advance Care Planning process. Provided insights and resources will help you better understand how to share and document your wishes for future health and personal care.”

Advance Care Planning is for people at any age. Please join with your family and friends!

Followed by bento lunch, free for survivors, $12 for others.

RSVP by January 20 TO REGISTER Please contact Yuko socialclub@tonarigumi.ca or 604.687.2172 ext.105

Japanese Canadian Survivors’ Social Club Health & Wellness Seminar

Presenter: Andrew Saunderson, Fraser Health Advance Care Planning Social Worker

Exhibit TAIKEN: Japanese Canadians Since 1877 Nikkei Centre

Exhibit TAIKEN

Generations of Resilience

New 2022 | Ongoing | Free

Explore Japanese Canadian history and continuing heritage on the walls of the upper level of Nikkei Centre. Learn about the first immigrants from Japan to Canada; vibrant prewar communities in British Columbia; forced dispersal across Canada; and continuing stories of civil rights and Japanese heritage in Canada. Presented in English, Japanese, and French.

Tonari Gumi Supporting the Japanese Canadian community since 1975

To learn about Tonari Gumi’s support services and recreational activities for older adults and upcoming events, visit www.tonarigumi.ca.

Location: 42 W. 8 Ave, Vancouver Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 10am – 3pm Inquiries: 604-687-2172 info@tonarigumi.ca

Nikkei

national museum & c u l tur a l ce n t re

Start Here

All Nikkei Centre Events at

6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC phone: 604.777.7000 info@nikkeiplace.org I www.nikkeiplace.org

Kiyooka, Nakamura, Takashima, Tanabe

September 17, 2022 – January 22, 2023

First Friday of each month

7pm – 9pm

First Friday Forum

Tonari Gumi, 42 West 8th Avenue

Music, diverse genres and cultures. Standards, jazz, pop, classical, folk, world music. Poetry and other readings. Enjoy an evening of music, discussion, friendship. Admission by donation, net proceeds go towards the Aoki Legacy Endowment Fund, UBC.

Art Gallery Of Greater Victoria | 1040 Moss Street Victoria BC Curated by Bryce Kanbara, Guest Curator, Graham Gallery

national museum

Online Talks presented by NNMCC

The Yellowhead-Blue River Road Camps

By Leanne Sumiko Riding

Wednesday, February 1 at 7pm PST

Nikkei Nikkei

c u ltu r al cen t re

In 1942, almost 1,700 issei were sent to the Yellowhead Blue River Highway Project road camps. What was this project, and what was it like? Leanne Sumiko Riding will share details from a recent archaeological study, and insights on resistance, issei self-expression, entertainment, and local response in the camps. Leanne is a descendent of Tashme internees, and grew up in Valemount, BC where the Yellowhead-Blue River Highway Project was located.

Southern Alberta Okinawan Diaspora (1907 – Present) Through the Lens of Naoko Shimabukuro: A Kika Nisei Journey

By Darcy Tamayose

Wednesday, February 8, 5pm PST

Tamayose examines the kika nisei journey of Naoko Shimabukuro whose grandfather was one of the Okinawan migrants who came to settle in southern Alberta in 1907. Darcy Tamayose is a writer, graphic designer, and PhD student. Her recent short story collection, Ezra’s Ghosts (NeWest), was finalist for the 2022 Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and is a CBC Books Best Canadian Fiction of 2022. Free and all are welcome. Zoom links at centre.nikkeiplace.org

Vancouver Buddhist Temple

220 Jackson Avenue, Vancouver, BC Telephone: 604-253-7033

Rev. Tatsuya Aoki, minister www.vancouverbuddhisttemple.com

Sunday, February 12, 10am Nirvana Day and Shotsuki

Sunday, March 5, 10am Spring Ohigan and Shotsuki

Saturday Dharma Service on Zoom starts at 10am (Approximately 30 minutes: Meditation, Sutra Chanting, Dharma Talk)

In-person service at the temple RSVP only. Also available via ZOOM See signup form at temple website to receive Zoom link

Temple updates are found on our website

NEW NISSAN AND MAZDA CAR SALES AND LEASING

Saturday & Sunday, February 4 – 5, 2023

Jazz @ The Bolt

Robbie Fukushima

Japanese and English 604.618.3245

Sales Manager Nissan and Mazda Midway Mazda 604.538.5388 sales@midwaymazda.com #6-3050 King George Blvd Surrey www.midwaymazda.com

King George Nissan 604.536.3644 sales@kinggeorgenissan.com 14948 32 Ave Diversion Surrey www.kinggeorgenissan.com

Two full days, over 25 jazz groups and soloists — all on one weekend, all under one roof!

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby) Tickets: Weekend (Saturday & Sunday) Adult $100, Students $75 Single Day (Saturday or Sunday) Adult $60, Students $45 tickets.shadboltcentre.com/ | 604.205.3000

Jazz Impresario Cory Weeds brings together renowned artists from across Canada and internationally with the best of Vancouver’s talent for one amazing weekend of jazz – all under one roof at Burnaby’s premiere cultural venue, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Jazz @ The Bolt welcomes over 25 groups and soloists performing during the day and into the evenings on Saturday and Sunday, February 4 and 5.

Jazz fans can roam from room to room to hear some of everything, or get comfortable in one room and enjoy full sets. It’s a perfect weekend for folks who love great music – a total festival experience that’s indoors, in a great venue, and with real chairs.

Saturday, February 4 is headlined by alto saxophonist Jesse Davis with The Spike Wilner Trio and vocalist Lezlie Harrison and her group. And, in keeping with tradition, Jazz @ The Bolt, once again features a large ensemble. This year, the Vancouver Jazz Orchestra performs with a special guest, the extraordinary tenor saxophonist, Seamus Blake.

Sunday, February 5 showcases performances by pianist Miki Yamanaka with Mark Turner and The Generations Quartet featuring the daughter/ father combo of clarinetist Virginia MacDonald and tenor saxophonist Kirk MacDonald.

In addition, Jazz @ The Bolt has teamed up with Tim Reinert of Infidels Jazz to present a number of emerging artists over the event’s two days, introducing audiences to some real up-and-comers on the scene!

Other highlights include Sienna Dahlen/Bill Coon, the James Danderfer Sextet, Indo-Jazz Fusion project Raagaverse led by Shruti Ramani, André Lachance’s Quator, and many more!

SAVE THE DATE:

GVJCCA Keirokai Honouring our Seniors April 15, 2023 stay tuned for details!

Upcoming at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts 6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby tickets.shadboltcentre.com

Birthday Present For Myself

March 17-18, 8pm | Studio Theatre presented by the Vancouver International Dance Festival

Kootenay-based dancerchoreographer-actor Hiromoto Ida skillfully merges dance, theatre, classical music and voice to tell the story of an old man, raising a glass of sake to himself in celebration on what will be his last

Sansei: the Storyteller April 27, 2pm, April 28, 29, 8pm | Studio Theatre

Sansei: The Storyteller examines the Japanese Canadian Internment through spoken word and dance.

Miki Yamanaka

Hiromoto Ida

CommunityKitchen

with Alice Bradley and Lea Ault lea@hapaizakaya.com

…Aaaaand we’re into the new year! Hands up everyone who still has loads of chocolate around from the holidays. I know, you think you’re going to be helplessly shoving chocolate into your mouth for the next month, but Mom is determined to get us all back on track:

Alice: It’s that time of year when many of us make resolutions to improve our lives, make us healthier and better people. According to those that study these statistics, the most popular and frequently made resolutions are to exercise more, eat healthier, and lose weight. There are a bunch of other ones but we’ll keep them out of it because we have no suggestions on how to stop smoking or which new language you should learn.

In order to assist with the health-oriented resolutions, we have a few recipes that may inspire healthier eating. Health Canada still encourages us to eat less land animals for protein and to explore vegetarian options. The Mediterranean Diet still leads as the diet associated with fewer health problems and improved longevity. This diet is low in meat, high in fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and fats such as olive oil.

We learn new dietary habits slowly over time and we can gradually incorporate healthier foods into daily intake by gradually trying out new foods and recipes. Some foods appeal faster than others but keep trying new things. We hope you like some of these recipes. (Lea: See how we keep the bar low? “Some”!) Don’t forget that cooking is an art and that cooking (as opposed to baking) recipes are flexible. Taste foods as you cook, adjust seasoning (try to keep salt low) and ingredients (Lea: most vegetarian meals taste better with a little bacon, sorry) until it suits your taste.

Mediterranean Chickpea Stew

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, white and a few inches of the pale green part, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch saffron, soaked in a few tablespoon of hot water*

1 pinch dried chili flakes

2 medium carrots, cut in chunks about 1-1.5 inch cubes

1 small eggplant, also cubed**

1-2 potatoes, white or sweet, peeled and cubed

2 cups cooked ( large tin) chickpeas, drained

1-15 ounce tin tomatoes, cut up

1/3 cup olives, green or black like Kalamata

1 preserved lemon, finely chopped***

1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups vegetable broth or hot water.

*If you don’t happen to have saffron, you can use 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric.

**If you don’t like eggplant, you can substitute a zucchini for it, but I cube it and add in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

*** These are available at Middle Eastern markets but if I don’t have any; I have taken half a fresh lemon, sliced thin, removed seeds, then chopped very finely. It still adds a lemon flavour.

Heat oil and sauté leeks and onions until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté briefly, just to release flavour. Add the spices and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until vegetables are cooked, adding zucchini in the last 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a little more water. It should have a stew like texture.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with rice, couscous or a nice crusty bread.

Cuban Picadillo

Cooking with Vegan “Beef”: I have tried this and it is acceptable for occasional use. These products are made with pea protein, canola and coconut oil plus a number of additives and coloured with beet juice. It is hardly a ‘natural’ product and is not likely nutritionally superior as a vegetarian food but occasionally when my husband feels like a less guilty hamburger, we will opt for this product. It cooks in less time than beef, does not shrink, and, in a burger, tastes somewhat like a beef burger and does have the texture of the real thing. I have tried it in other dishes and find that it works well in well seasoned dishes such as spaghetti sauce, chili and in picadillo. This latter dish originally came from Spain and is a popular comfort food in many Latin countries in the Western hemisphere plus in the Philippines. I first tried this dish in Cuba, liked it, and found a recipe in a Cuban book store. It is also used to fill tacos and pastries like empanadas. It is quick to throw together and in Cuba it is served with black beans and rice.

1 package vegan ‘beef’ or ground beef, chicken turkey or pork

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1⁄2 bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 pinch chili flakes

1⁄4 cup raisins

1/3 cup olives

1⁄4 cup red wine

2 tablespoons capers Salt and pepper, to taste

Brown the ‘meat’ in the olive oil, add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, then add the garlic and saute another minute.

Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, add water if it gets too dry.

Serve with rice and a salad. If you want to be authentic, also serve with black beans, fried plantains in addition to the rice. In some countries, peeled cubed potatoes are added.

Quick Black beans

Olive oil

1⁄2 onion chopped

1 -3 clove garlic, chopped

1 – 15 ounce tin black beans, drained

1 bay leaf

1⁄2 teaspoon oregano

1⁄2 teaspoon cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon coriander

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste. Water as needed.

Saute onion in olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt, Add garlic, saute briefly, add the remaining ingredients plus enough water to keep from burning, maybe 1⁄2 cup. Bring to a gentle boil, simmer for 10-15 minutes. Correct seasoning. Some people mash some of the beans to make it more sauce-like and return it to the remaining beans. Serve topped with chopped fresh coriander and/or chopped green onions.

Bonus recipe for those who read to the end! I’ve been making this to 1) use up eggs and yogurt and 2) to make a light, healthy and EASY breakfast for myself. Check it out:

Greek Yogurt Cake

Depending on your perspective, you will regard this as either a dense cake or a light cheesecake. It’s high in protein and has fruit in it. Done and done.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan and partially line with parchment paper as you would for banana bread or similar.

Whisk together or whiz in a food processor or blender: 1 ½ c. greek yogurt (low fat works, 10% is heavenly, but we’re trying to be healthy here)

¼ c. sugar

4 eggs

5 Tbsp cornstarch

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Add about ½ cup of chopped strawberries and/or blueberries. I have used frozen fruit as well and it’s just fine and more economical although you have to add another 15 minutes of oven time to make up for the temperature difference. Pour it into your loaf pan, top with a few more berries and bake for 1 hour or up to 75 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate overnight. Come morning, cut yourself a slice and top with a little maple syrup for a quick high protein breakfast. I often heat this up a little in the microwave if it’s a very cold morning but it’s nice cold also. I should add, I’ve also used flavoured yogurts, I’ve thrown in a little light cream cheese or mascarpone, and I’ve also added grated lemon rind and a little lemon juice. It all works, so you can make this recipe your own.

#101-42

TONARI GUMI CORNER

Japanese Community Volunteers Association

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone in the community good health and happiness in 2023

Message from Tonari Gumi New Executive Director, Masako Arima

It is an honour to introduce myself to you as the newlyappointed Executive Director of Tonari Gumi.

My name is Masako Arima. As some may know my time at TG started as a volunteer in 2011 within TG’s Community Services and Programs activities. I then worked as staff from 2014 for the Iki Iki program, a successful initiative developed in collaboration with Nikkei Seniors in Burnaby and Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.

Through these experiences, I was able to improve my skills on how to support seniors in their journey to achieve a healthy life. This included teaching physical activities and “brain training”.

Since the spring of 2018, as the community service manager, I have learned how important TG’s services are in helping our seniors to thrive in a society that now sees reaching 100 years of age as not being unusual. I was able to build deeply meaningful and emotional connections with many people, and many people have taught me the importance of compassion and kindness.

I feel that it is important not only to help others understand the roots of what it means to be Japanese but also to work to strengthen the Japanese Canadian community for years to come. Tonari Gumi is a very unique place with immense potential to grow and bring people together. I am eager to make the most of my drive and skills to work and solve the challenges facing the Nikkei community and I hope to be able to work together with our board, staff, volunteers, members, and other Nikkei organizations in achieving these goals. I look forward to learning, connecting and gaining everyone’s support during my time as your executive director. I am very excited to start this position and will do my best to build and strengthen the Nikkei community.

Japanese Canadian Survivors’ Social Club Health & Wellness Seminar: Advance Care Planning

Presenter: Andrew Saunderson, Fraser Health Advance Care Planning Social Worker

January 27, 2023 at 10:00 – 11:30am followed by bento lunch

Nikkei Centre (6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby)

Fee: Bento lunch is free for internment survivors. $12 for non-survivors.

Register by January 20 from socialclub@tonarigumi.ca or 604-687-2172 ext. 105 (Yuko)

The importance of planning ahead before you are sick has never been clearer. COVID-19 and other unexpected events in our lives have reminded so many of us of our mortality and the benefits of planning in advance.

Many people do not know where to begin, while others are unaware that we can have a say in our care.

Together, we will learn about the 5 steps of Advance Care Planning, allowing you, and the people who matter most to you, to be able to start and continue the Advance Care Planning process. Provided insights and resources will help you better understand how to share and document your wishes for future health and personal care.

continued on page 35

The Japanese Community Volunteers Association, “Tonari Gumi” gratefully acknowledges and thanks the following people for their generous donations received November 29 to December 31, 2022. Although we try our best, we may miss your name. Please contact us and we will make correction in the next issue.

Monetary Donations Shoji Komatsu, Mohammad Khodabakhsh, Shinobu Homma, Makoto Inuzuka, Dorothy Matsune, Yasuyo Bosshardt, Tomoyuki Hasebe, Betty Ibuki, Yuko Abeyama, Leslay Fugeta, Oomi Sugawara, Miki Hirai, Kazumi Tanaka, Christine Yoshida, Junji Mizutani, Machiko Nakahori, Cyuichi Nakahori, Masayoshi Mineta, Masao Mizumoto, Akiko Ikeuchi, Eddy Teranishi, Reiko Inagaki, Norie Yamamoto, Seiko Nakazawa, Tsuneko Maki, Sachiko Pretty, Masao Onishi, L.M. Kadonaga, Nancy Tsuyuki, Hasumi Wilson, Jane Iwaasa, Lucy Matsuba, Donna Deyell, Estate of Tsuyako Korenaga, Anonymous (4)

Monetary Donations (Canada Helps) Martin Kobayakawa, Yoshio Arai, Martha Banno, Dan & Colleen Nomura, Mayumi Takasaki, Ed & Carole Iwanaka, Yuko Yasutake

In memory of Tukushi Toki David Kenji Toki

In memory of Hiroshi Matsuba Anonymous

In memory of Akira Oye J. M. Yurugi

In memory of Hisakazu & Makiko Yamamoto (Canada Helps)

Hisami Yamamoto

In memory of Tat Fukuda (Canada Helps) Wayne Soon

In memory of Tokiko Grace Kadonaga (Canada Helps) David Iwaasa

In Kind Donations Susan Tennant, Masako Banno, Chatherine Hui, Noboru Matsumoto, Machiko & Chuichi Nakahori, Aki Foster, Hisako Tanaka, Eri Matsumoto, Nancy Tsuyuki, Yoshio Uchikochi, Emiko Pang, Tak Sugii, Shawn Nishimura, Stella Tin, Jessy Johl/Queen Elizabeth Lions Club, Anonymous (1)

MONTHLY GIVING

Monetary Donations (Canada Helps) Takashi Sato, Tsutae Suzuki, Mitsuko Mizuguchi, Tamotsu Nagata, Satomi Yamashita, Emiko Morita, Anonymous (1)

OUR EDIBLE ROOTS

by Makiko Suzuki

Yuzu, a citrus fruit common to Japan and East Asia, has a tartness and fragrance like that of grapefruit with a touch of mandarin orange. The fruit is a good substitute for lemon in recipes but excels when used as a zest condiment. A small amount of zest scraped from the rind immediately transforms salad dressings, stir fries, ice cream, and other culinary treats.

Many enquiries about yuzu were presented to Tonari Gumi Garden Club members while volunteering at the 2022 Nikkei Garden Markets, indicating interest in cultivating yuzu is expanding rapidly. Perhaps more convincing of this trend: recently spotted at a local Japanese grocer – yuzu on offer at $14.99, for one fruit!

Help is on the way. Yuzu is cold hardy to -12 degrees C and will grow in carefully selected sites. A few garden centres now offer potted yuzu that can be moved to unheated, sheltered areas during winter months to avoid the chance of loss should a severe Artic Outbreak occur.

Springtime, last year, TGGC member Sharon Hara decided to ‘give it a go’ and purchased two flowering yuzu plants at her local garden centre. Sharon placed the potted plants in a bright, south-facing room.

The Yuzu Diary – Sharon Hara

Do you remember the first time you tasted that pure rich flavour of a wild strawberry or experienced the crazy popping, snapping feel of “pop rock” candy melting on your tongue? Sometimes experiences linger in your memories, to be savoured and enjoyed again and again.

A few years ago our son organized a special trip to Hiroshima for us and while there we went to the Sugi Bee Garden shop in Miyajima! It was here that my taste buds were introduced to the refreshing, tangy sweet taste of yuzu-infused honey! One taste and our wallets opened, packages exchanged hands and we trundled off with our newfound treasures!

Back in Canada I hoard my little container, saving it for a special whatever…just happy to have it…in case!

In case of what is up for discussion but hanging on to a treasure is important if you think you can’t ever find it again! And then one day we discover yuzu has become popular and purchasable in Canada! Yippee!

The next step for a TGGC member is to see if you can grow yuzu here! And so, I started my learning curve adventure with support and encouragement from none other than our garden guru, Makiko!

I talk to a wonderfully knowledgeable worker at Art’s Nursery Garden and Home Centre at 8940 192nd Street. She confirms that they will be getting yuzu plants and gives me a few tips on their needs etc. I promise I will be back!

When they arrive, I find them in the little greenhouse situated in the middle of the garden centre. They are only about 1-1/2 to 2 feet tall, need to be sheltered from rain falling on them and are easy to transport home.

I am excited but worried as I am not always successful at keeping plants alive.

Tiny round green balls of yuzu fruit are scattered generously among the leaved branches.

The Japanese Canadian Kitchen Garden

And the challenge begins…keep my plants alive! Excitement turns to dismay as I see little green balls collecting at the base of the plants…more and more rain down over time. I called Makiko, looked up information on-line and learned that it is a common problem when the tree is water-stressed.

I need to be diligent making sure it is regularly watered but not sitting in water. And be patient! The tree will likely not produce mature fruit for a year or two!

One day I am reading my scriptures and come across a verse in Malachi 3:11 that says: “…neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field”

By now all the fruit has “cast of” the one tree and the second tree has only 3 tiny fruit left clinging to the branches.

With faith, I decide to pray over my “crop” and ask that my fruit may not be cast if possible. I lose another one and then another one.

And then…the miracle! That last tenacious fruit kept hanging on and I stayed diligent, watching over it. It plumped up to about the size of an orange seed and I started taking photos! It was a dark green colour like a lime and it seemed to stay the same size for ever…but it did not drop! I kept vigil watch and used my thumb to gage its size in photos taken on my Iphone over time. Makiko continues to encourage me as I excitedly send her photos now and then, recording its growth. She shares tidbits of information now and then, telling me about a fellow in Kitsilano who has successfully grown yuzu and informs me that my yuzu will turn yellow when it is mature.

I wait…and watch….and then…tadaaa! It is turning! And fits into my palm. I am ecstatic but as I see it turn yellow, I am a wee sad as I know it is approaching the autumn of its life and I have grown to love this feisty little fruit. But Spring will come again and so will renewal of life!”

Thank you, Sharon!

Now is the time to review the past growing season and select varieties to grow this year. Restocked seed racks are already being ‘picked through’ by avid gardeners! Cool season greens like mizuna, Tokyo Bekana, other mustard greens, and broad beans can be sown as early as February. Spinach, radish, miner’s lettuce, corn salad, and other greens can be planted under row cover shortly thereafter.

Consult seed catalogues and plan to purchase seeds now!

“Early birds get the worms ….. and prized seeds”

Milestones

AIHOSHI, Setsuko Mae With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Setsuko Mae Aihoshi on December 23, 2022, just a month shy of her 98th birthday. She is predeceased by husband (married 67 years), Barney Aihoshi; parents Magohachi and Eimatsu Seki; sisters Sumiko Seki (Japan) and Theresa Kawai (Ontario). She is dearly loved and greatly missed by her son John; daughter Diane (Charles); grandchildren Kelsey (Greg), Shana (Jordan), Kirt, Mara, Gordon, Mahala; great grandchildren Ashton, Kayden, Charley, Jett and Evie; sister Donna Moray (Ontario); brothers-in-law Herb Sakaguchi (Ontario), Nick Kaji (Ontario); sister-in-law Nora Kaji (Ontario); numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Mom and Dad’s love and endless generosity extended to all family and friends – amazing cottage get-togethers, trips to Hawaii, adventures with their Calgary Japanese club and so much more. But the greatest joy in life for Mom arrived in separate little bundles as each grandchild and great grandchild came into her life. Even into her early ‘90s, Mom would dance about carrying a child in each arm! Later in life, Mom moved to Rosefield Care Centre in Innisfail where she received incredible care from Dr. Wing and all the staff. We can’t thank Rosefield enough for the love, hugs and dances they showered on Mom. I’m sure now that things have come full circle and Mom is dancing once again with Dad. Love you Mom, oodles and scads!

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Expressions of love and sympathy may be made by donating to the Alzheimer Society.

SHINBO, Hiroko September 25, 1932 - November 26, 2022. Hiroko was born September 25, 1932, in Niigata City, Japan.

She married Saburo Shinbo and flew to -40C Edmonton via Trans Canada Airlines. What was she thinking?

While in Edmonton, Hiroko started her career as a dressmaker of Klondike dresses. Both Hiroko and Saburo ventured into opening a Japanese grocery store selling Japanese foods and products, “Japan Food Centre”. They moved to warmer Vancouver and set up their own ma and pa tofu business (Shinbo Tofuten).

In their final retirement years, they enjoyed the lifestyle of Steveston, Richmond BC.

Using her skills as a dressmaker, she made most of their clothing. She was very handy with her hands and made Japanese handicrafts at the

Steveston Community Centre. Residents at their retirement home always requested mom to make them some Japanese ornamental boxes.

Mom always liked to make Japanese food and there was always an ample supply of it when we went there to visit.

I will miss her gentle laughter and her generosity of sharing her delicious Japanese food.

Hiroko has reunited with Saburo & may they rest in peace.

YADA , Kiyoko September 23, 1920 – December 4, 2022. It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Kiyoko Yada on December 4, 2022, at the age of 102. Born in Japan, Kiyoko immigrated to Canada in 1941. She resided in Greenwood, BC, Toronto, and finally returned to Vancouver. Over the years, Kiyoko was always grateful for the support of many close friends. She was predeceased by husband Kiyoshi, son Robert, daughter-in-law Louise, and son-in-law James. She is survived by daughters, Jane and Margaret, grandchildren Stacey (Steve), Darren, Brooke (Sean), Michael (Roula), Aaron, greatgrandsons Lucas and Jacob, and family in Japan. Our heartfelt appreciation to the Fair Haven Vancouver staff for their kind care. Koden and flowers are graciously declined.

SUGIYAMA, Gerard Shigeru (Gerry) November 21, 1924 – December 28, 2022 Gerard Sugiyama (Gerry) passed away peacefully in his home, December 28, 2022 and is survived by his wife, Janet, his son Wilton and wife Jennifer, his two grandchildren, Gabriella and Raiden, and his daughter Eve and husband Peter.

Gerry loved to play tennis and go out fishing in his boat, he would never be idle, always tinkering with something in his workshop. He was a professional mechanical engineer and loved to work with his hands, he built numerous things around the house, furniture, even the family trailer that we travelled everywhere in for camping trips. There was nothing he couldn’t fix.

His patience, creativity and attention to detail was extraordinary, evident in the, to scale, steam engine powered, four-foot model of the Master Tugboat he built, which is currently on display at the Richmond’s Britannia Heritage Shipyards in Steveston. He will be missed.

A private family memorial will be held.

SOKUGAWA, Michael (Mike) October 29, 1937 –December 4, 2022. With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our dear papa, Michael (Mike) Sokugawa. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife Fumi, kids Rick, David (Kelly), Mike (Sue), Jan, Gerald (Caryn) and Dyan (Kelly), many grandchildren,

sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, and nieces and nephews.

After many years at Tree Island Steel, Mike settled into retirement enjoying his garden, taking cruises, playing badminton, and volunteering at the Nikkei Centre. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his family. He adored his grandchildren and was the best Papa. Mike was a hard-working, kind and generous man who cherished his wife. They were devoted to each other to the end.

Thank you to the staff at New Vista Care Home. In lieu of flowers and koden, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Nikkei Place Foundation or a charity of your choice would be appreciated. A private family service will be held.

NAGANO, Roddy Hiroshi October 30, 1942 –November 18, 2022. With sadness we announce the passing of Roddy who died on Nov. 18, 2022 of natural causes in TO, ON. He is survived by his sisters Elizabeth and Peggy, his brother Glen, and many nieces and nephews. Rod had many friends from his days at Strath, Brit, UBC and over his 55 yrs. trading steel.

He was an excellent athlete who enjoyed golf, tennis and esp. baseball (SS).

The family would like to acknowledge the kind and generous support they received from Jim, Pat and Joe Glionna (Rod’s adopted family), as well as Janice Zealand, Stan and Dino Collini and Mario. No koden, donations or flowers please.

Tonari Gumi continued

Japanese

bento

boxes available on Tuesdays

Tonari Gumi’s home-cooked lunches are available for purchase on Tuesdays! Contact the office to reserve your lunch by Friday 3pm to have them ready for pick up on Tuesday at 11am.

$7 for members, $8 for non-members. Please note that the number of lunches is limited and the menu depends on available ingredients.

If interested, contact the Tonari Gumi office at office@tonarigumi.ca or 604.687.2172 ext. 101.

Looking for volunteer drivers! Interested in volunteering in the Japanese Canadian community?

Tonari Gumi is looking for volunteer drivers to help deliver lunch boxes to home-bound seniors on Tuesdays in the Metro Vancouver area.

We are also looking for volunteers interested in hosting various recreational clubs where you can enjoy hobbies together with others. e.g. Cooking Club to share family recipes, Board Game Club, etc.

Please contact Tonari Gumi to find out more. programs@tonarigumi.ca or 604.687.2172 ext. 106

Japanese Dementia Caregiver Support Group [FREE]

Tonari Gumi’s Dementia Caregiver Support Group (in English and Japanese) is a safe place for caregivers in the Japanese Canadian community to share their experiences and to connect with others. Sessions are over Zoom and open to caregivers living across Canada.

Target: Caregivers who are currently caring for family with dementia (at home or remotely)

Facilitator: Masako Sakuma-Anderson, BC Registered Clinical Social Worker

Session: [English] 2nd & 4th Wednesdays 1-2PM/ [Japanese] 1st & 3rd Fridays 1-2PM

Access: Zoom (Link sent upon registration) Inquiry/registration: 604.687.2172 ext. 102 / services@tonarigumi.ca

Art Miki

continued

Being a Citizenship Judge was the most enlightening rewarding experience and personally gave me much joy. It opened my eyes to how important citizenship was for new citizens. I would to share a story of Molly with you. Molly’s sister came to our office one day and asked if there was any way that she could get her citizenship that she so badly wanted but could not attend a ceremony because she was in the hospital. In order to receive citizenship the person must be present at a ceremony and take the oath from a Citizenship judge. I talked to my staff and decided to arrange a special ceremony at the hospital for Molly. On the arranged date we went to the palliative care facility. When I arrived I was taken to Molly’s room to meet her. Molly was suffering from cancer in her throat and I realized that she had difficulty speaking. When we went into the room set aside for the ceremony, Molly was met by over fifty of her friends, doctors and nurses who were present to celebrate her special day. Recognizing that Molly might have difficulty repeating the words to the oath I asked the audience to help Molly by repeating the words with Molly. Once the oath was finished, members of a church choir that Molly had belonged to sang “This Land is Your Land”. It was such a moving experience. Molly was so excited that at one point she stood up from her wheelchair to hug her friend and then collapsed and had to be taken back to her room. A few months later I read Molly’s obituary in the newspaper. What caught my attention was this statement that said, “The greatest day in Molly’s life was the day she became a Canadian citizen.” I was moved by those words and reflected on what citizenship meant to Molly. It was the sense of belonging, belonging to Canada. That was so important to Molly. I think we all want the feeling of belonging and being valued whether it is in the workplace or in the community.

I learned early that you can’t succeed alone but need the strength of others around you. Don’t forget to recognize them, whether it be your colleagues, supporters, friends or relatives. How you incorporate and respect what others contribute will determine your strength as a leader and your success.

In closing I ask the graduates to give thanks to the people who helped you to be here today, your parents, relatives, friends, mentors, teachers and professors for giving you the opportunity to succeed. Aspire to make a difference in other people’s lives. It is all up to you. Much success and congratulations.

Monthly Update Nikkei Place

Nikkei Place Donations

Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre

Honouring, preserving and sharing the history and heritage of Japanese Canadians and Japanese culture in Canada centre.nikkeiplace.org | 604.777.7000 | info@nikkeiplace.org | Support NNMCC: Donate by phone, mail or online

WHAT’S ONSITE 館内にて開催 MORE INFO: https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/upcoming-events VOLUNTEER: https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/volunteer/

Reception | Gallery | Museum Shop: Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00am - 5:00pm Sunday & Monday Closed

Happy New Year!

As we enter this coming Year of the Rabbit, we wish you and your families well - may the peaceful and cheerful bunny bring us optimism and prosperity as we leap forward together into an exciting year.

Nikkei Images is a publication that focuses on the history of Nikkei in Canada. Find past issues: https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/ research/nikkei-images/

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 5PM PST “Southern Alberta Okinawan Diaspora (1907- Present) Through the Lens of Naoko Shimabukuro: A Kika Nisei Journey”

CURRENT

Women of Change: Celebrating Japanese Canadian Leaders

Meet six Japanese Canadian women leaders who upheld the community for over a century: Michiko Midge Ayukawa, Sono Nakazawa, Tomiko Nishimura, Kinori Oka, Maryka Omatsu, and Miyoshi Mickey Tanaka. The stories of these scientists, academics, activists, poets, and businesswomen are told through their art materials, photographs, books, and awards.

In the latest issue of Nikkei Images, we share stories of kika nisei - those who returned from Japan after exile. The stories are excerpts from Okaeri おかえり – Return from exile, all paths lead home, a video history project to be released in February 2023 from NNMCC and the Vancouver Japanese Language School & Hall.

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

The Washi Exhibit is currently closed due to a weather related incident. We are working towards reopening as soon as possible.

36 I 月報 The Bulletin

EXHIBITS 2F

PERMANENT

Kadota Landing

会員 | Visit: https://bit.ly/3vX4Jr6

Monthly Update Nikkei Place

Tribute to Ruth Coles

Easing into retirement after 50 years of volunteer service

by Cathy Makihara

Ruth Coles (nee Nakatani) has been a mentor to me for twenty years. She is now stepping aside from her various leadership roles as she gets closer to her mid-eighties. It is not a surprise that this energetic and sharp individual will continue to help seniors. Simply looking into her eyes you see her strength and determination.

Since the 70s, Ruth has volunteered to help seniors. Her mission was to help the Issei and Nisei seniors to find a safe place to call home. The hardship her parents and friends endured guided Ruth in establishing her work principles – safety – respect – dignity - privacy and independence for seniors.

Ruth was a social worker for Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital until her retirement in 2000. It was there she met many seniors from different cultural backgrounds and came to realize their needs where the same, regardless of their racial diversity.

Ruth worked with fellow volunteers and the government to build and operate a much-needed seniors housing and assisted living residence for Nikkei seniors, throughout her volunteer service.

In 2011, Ruth took the helm of the Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society as President. Her vision was to further enhance the lives of seniors at Robert Nimi Nikkei Home. This vision was made possible in part with the help of Mrs. Jane Nimi, who made a substantial monetary Gift on behalf of her late husband Bob, and family. This contributed to the building of The Kenko Wellness Lounge providing an area in Robert

Nikkei Home for activities for inhouse residents and those living in the community. It also serves as a place for educational programs for seniors and their families. In addition, five enhanced assisted living suites where built within the Nikkei residence.

Then came the development of the Sukoyaka Health Clinic, led by Dr. Asae Tanaka and supported by Yoko Watase. This clinic gave residents and participants of the outreach programs access to a family doctor.

In 2020 came the pandemic, and the board took an additional role focusing on lifting the spirits of residents and staff as visitors were not allowed.

It is very important to note that Ruths’ lifelong husband Mike has been a tremendous mainstay and support enabling Ruth to pursue her voluntary activities.

In 2021, our Society was asked to develop and implement a $2M grant from the BC Government. This was the first commitment showing the Province was serious about addressing historical wrongs which the community had suffered. The Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund was created by the Society. In 2022, the Province announced that the Society would receive a further $2M to develop services that would help the survivors.

Ruth became a founding director of the new Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund. This fund is in development to provide $30M in health support through grants to reach up to 6,600 survivors across Canada.

Now, I go back to Ruth’s eyes. They show strength, kindness, resolve and determination, which has led to so much being accomplished through her volunteer work. I have learned much over the years from Ruth, the kind of lesson you can only get from people with experience and wisdom. I am grateful to Ruth Coles for all she has done for our community and me. Thank you, my dear friend.

Cathy Makihara is former Executive Director of Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society, President of Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund Society.

www.nikkeiplace.org

Monthly Update Nikkei Place

Nikkei Place Donations

Nikkei Place Foundation Donations | Gifts from December 1 - 25, 2022 inclusive

NNMCC

Anonymous (2)

Makiko Ara

Steve & Patti Bates

Louvaine Kadonaga

Imogene Lim

Reizo Nagai

Daniel & Rury Nakagawa

Sunni Nishimura

Lui Passaglia

Rumi Sasaki

Harry Tonogai Barbara Voye

Sam Yamamoto

NNMCC Building Maintenance Frank & Naomi Kamiya Henry & Yvonne Wakabayashi

NNMCC JC War Memorial

Lydia Yatabe

Robert Banno

Endowment Fund

Sandra Appel Sadao & Toshiko Minato

NPF

Anonymous (4)

Alice Asako Bradley

Gordon B. Gallagher Erika & Ken Hasebe

Jim Hori

Masako Hori

Dr. Akira Horii & Hamako Horii

Janice M. Hoyano

Yoshiko Iwamoto

Mona Izumi

Estate of Lily Kamachi

Archie & Marjory Kamiya

Yukimasa & Tamiko Kishimoto

Connie Komori

Rae Kuwabara

Bill McNulty

Mr. & Mrs. Masao

Mizumoto

Junji Mizutani

Wendy Nagasaka

Daniel & Rury Nakagawa

Jean Neher

Terence & Susan Nishi

Kevin Okano

Maryka Omatsu

Chikako Rahman

Margaret Sakon Virginia E. Sato

Ken Schultz

Kazuhiro Shibata

Rick Tajiri

Total Product Marketing

Dan Uyesugi Hisako Wada

Mark & Paula Waslen Sheila Wong

NSHCHS

Anonymous (3)

Toshie Hosonuma Ed & Carole Iwanaka Kazuko Koyanagi Yuki Kurozumi

Wayne & Kaori Lytton Daniel & Rury Nakagawa Virginia E. Sato Keiji & Melody Shudo Sueko Yamamoto Christine H. Yoshida Layne Yoshimaru

HONOURS & TRIBUTES

In Honour of Donna Hamawaki Aaron Kurts

In Honour of Yoshiko Hirano Catherine & Shawn Chapell

In Honour of Peter & Aster Nimi Patricia Gudlaugson

In Honour of Eva Shiho Ann Shiho

In Honour of Cheryl Suzuki Jean Yasuda

In Honour of Sam Yamamoto Eileen Jang Yvonne Kong

In Memory of Donna Adams & Miyoko Hara Jack & Takayo Matsuda

In Memory of Tomiko Aoyama Spain May & Norman McFarlan

In Memory of Robert Banno Sandra Appel Sadao & Toshiko Minato

In loving memory of Nancy Machiko Cameron (nee Uyesugi) Michael Cameron

In Memory of Frank Fukui Yoriko Vickie Fukui & Leanne McColl

In Memory of Yoneko May Goto Frances Yaeki Nakamura

In Memory of Shigeru Hayashi Nancy Hayashi

In Memory of Miyo & Tanejiro Hayashida & Atsuko (Hayashida) & Takeo Hirasawa Dr. Kaye Hayashida

In Memory of George Homma Frank & Naomi Kamiya

In Memory of Katsuko Ishikawa Glenn & Jennie Momotani

In Memory of Gordon Kadota Yuko Yasutake

In Memory of Tatsuo Kage Frank & Naomi Kamiya

In Memory of Kagetsu Logging Camp Anonymous In Memory of Lily Kamachi Gary Kamachi Lorie Naylor

In Memory of Eiji & Emily Kamikawaji Grant Shellborn

In Memory of Kimiko Kanashiro Bruce Mihoko Kanashiro

In Memory of Dr. Karen Kobayashi Glenn & Jennie Momotani

In Memory of Kusuo (Dick) Koyanagi Diane Shikaze & Michael Borowski

In Memory of Nancy Mizuno Anonymous

In Memory of Mother & Father Mukai-Yodogawa Family In Memory of Mom & Dad Shawn Nishimura

In Memory of Tadao Nakauchi Ronald & Marlene Wilson

In Memory of Sanzo & Kinori Oka Peter & Masako Stillwell

In Memory of Sumiko Otsu Anonymous

In Memory of Michael (Mike) Sokugawa Anonymous (2) Teri & Wes Bergman Peter & Louise Doi Christine Hamrol Nobue Hatanaka Kelvin & Kay Higo K. Homma & M. Kitagawa Masako Hori

Frank & Naomi Kamiya Shoichi Koyanagi Glenn & Jennie Momotani Arimasa & Miwako Mori

Roberta H. Nasu Pat M. Sakai

Kenneth & Rosemarie Takeuchi

Yasuko (Suki) Wada Henry & Yvonne Wakabayashi

Dorothy Yamamoto Beverley T. Yamaura Mas & Kaori Yano Irene L. Yano

In Memory of Judo & Mitsue Tasaka Bruce & Nan Tasaka

In Memory of Michiko Urata David & Yuriko Maihara Kathryn & Joe Mukuyama

In Memory of George Uyesugi Fred & Linda Yada In Memory of Minoru Yatabe Lydia Yatabe

MONTHLY GIVING

Anonymous (2) Carina Abe

Ian & Debbie Burgess

Brian & Marcia Carr

Patricia H. Chan

Michael & Ruth Coles

Grant Dustin Masami Hanashiro

Tad & Mitsuko Hosoi

Shaun Inouye

Kenneth & Bernadine Isomura

Mary F. Kawamoto Greciana Langamon Tommy Li Shinobu Kadome Stewart Kawaguchi

Ted Kawamoto Bruce Kosugi Marie McKee

Catherine Makihara

Masako & Ken Moriyama

Anne Motozono

Roberta H. Nasu

Craig Natsuhara

Takeshi & Mizuho Ogasawara Chris Oikawa

Hanako Oye

Linda Kawamoto Reid

Vivian Rygnestad

Jim & Norma Sawada

Howard Shimokura

Audrey Shimozawa

Barbara Shishido

Sharlene A. Tabata

Michael Takahashi

Joyce C. Takeshita

Darlene Tanaka & Trevor Jones

Grace Tanaka

Ginzo & Harue Udagawa

Hisako Wada Fred & Linda Yada

Chris, Jan Yamamoto & Family Norine K. Yamamoto

Sam Yamamoto Tatsuo & Mariko Yamamoto Jack Yeh

HERITAGE ESTATE GIVING

CIRCLE

Yoshiharu Hashimoto

George & Elaine Homma

Betty Issenman

Sato Kobayashi

Cathy Makihara

Robert & Jane Nimi

Carrie Okano

Linda Kawamoto Reid

Richard & Gail Shinde

Norman Shuto

Haruko Takamori

Sian Tasaka

Fred & Linda Yada

Sam Yamamoto

LEGACY GIFTS

Estate of Nancy Machiko Cameron

Estate of LA Dinsmore

Estate of Gordon Kadota

gifts@nikkeiplacefoundation.org.

となりました。それらは、高齢者の「安全」「尊敬」「尊厳」「プライバシー」 　「自立」です。

ルースは2000年に退職するま で、マウント・セント・ジョセフ病院 のソーシャルワーカーとして働い てきました。そこで彼女は、様々な 文化的背景をもつ多くの高齢者 と出会い、人種の違いにかかわら ず、彼らのニーズは同じであるこ とに気づくようになったのです。 ルースは、ボランティア仲間やBC 州政府と協力し、日系シニア待望 の自立型シニア住宅の新さくら荘 と介護付き住宅であるロバート新 見日系ホームの建設と運営に携わ りました。

2011年、ルースは前任のロバー ト・新見の後を引き継ぎ、日系シ ニアズ・ヘルスケア住宅協会の会 長に就任しました。彼女が常に力 をそそいだのは、シニアの健康と ウェルネス、そして生活の質を向 上させることでした。このビジョ ンの一部は、ジェーン・新見夫人 が、亡き夫とその家族に代わって 行った多額の寄付のおかげで、実 現することができました。この寄付 により、ロバート新見日系ホームに

年、BC州は、生存者を支援するサービスを推進するために、当協会にさ らに200万ドルを提供すると発表しました。

ルースは、新しく設立された「日系カナダ人生存者健康福祉基金」の創 設時の理事に就任しました。この基金は、助成金を通じてカナダ全土の 6600人もの生存者の健康支援に3,000万ドルを支給する準備中です。

このたび隣組の事務局長に就任しました。有馬正子です。隣組との関りは、コミュニティ サービス部門やプログラム部門のボランティアとして2011年から始まりました。2014年から はスタッフとなり、連邦政府からの援助を受けて開始した「いきいきプログラム」をバーナビ ーの日系シニアズおよびスティーブストン日系文化会館と協力して成功させることができま した。このプログラムで、運動と「脳トレーニング」を指導しながら、高齢者の健康的な生活 をサポートするための重要なヒントを知ることができました。 　2018年の春からは、コミュニティーサービスマネージャーとなり、隣組のサービス部門の 必要性と人生１００年時代を自立して過ごすために皆さんが何を求めているのかを常に 考えてきました。私はこの経験を通じて、多くの人との暖かい心のつながりを築くことがで き、多くの人々から思いやりの大切さを教えてもらい成長させていただき感謝しています。 　今日本人のルーツに触れるだけでなく、この経験を未来の日系人社会へつなげていくこ とも重要だと感じています。隣組はとてもユニークな機関で、さらに大きくなり、人々を結び つける大きな可能性を秘めています。私は自分の持っているエネルギーとスキルを最大限 に活用し、理事会・スタッフ・ボランティア・会員の皆様・その他日系団体とのチームワークを 尊重しながら、この日系コミュニティが直面している課題の解決と目標の達成に向けて邁進 していきたいと強く思っています。 　最後になりましたが、自分の未熟は十分承知しており、ご迷惑をかけることがあるかも知

※一月のセミナーは午後５時開始です。ご注意ください。 参加費：無料 お申込み：メール coordinator@tonarigumi.ca / 電話 604-687-2172 (内線202) 日本語認知症ケアギバー・サポートグループ [無料]

ティア、ご家族の皆様、スタッフ、理事会員など多くの方々のご意見をもとに策定され、今後5年間の私たちの活動の指針となるものです。新しく 設定したミッション（基本理念）やバリュー（価値観）が、皆様の情熱とVJLSJHとのつながりを反映したものになっていると期待しております。

戦略計画の策定は、私たちの価値観、最も大切なこと、そして団体のビジョンを達成するためにはどういった人々が必要であるかなどについて、 改めて考える貴重な機会となりました。過去や伝統を重んじると同時に、未来を見据え私たちやコミュニティは何ができるのかを考え、調和を保 てるよう考慮しています。この計画の核となる部分は、結びつき、そして個人として、またコミュニティとして私たちが互いに学び、成長することの 重要性です。

私たちは、日系カナダ人コミュニティとその歴史、文化、言語が将来の世代に受け継がれるよう、多様性に富んだコミュニティに奉仕し、サポート することができ大変光栄に思っております。 VJLSJH理事会を代表し、ボランティア、生徒、保護者、ご家族、そして2023年以降も私たちの活動を支えてくださる全ての支援者の皆様に感謝申 し上げます。本年もどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。 理事長 町田 智 エグゼクティブディレクター ダリウス・メイズ

ボランティアドライバー募集中！

日系カナダのコミュニティで楽しくボランティアしてみませ んか？ 隣組では毎週火曜日にメトロバンクーバー近郊在住シニア へのお弁当配達をサポートしてくれる、定期・不定期のボラン ティアドライバーを募集しています。 また、趣味を一緒に楽しむクラブ、日本の家庭料理を作って 食べるクラブなど、ドライバー以外のボランティアも常時募集 しています。 隣組の活動にご興味のある方はお気軽にご連絡ください。 メール：programs@tonarigumi.ca 電話：604-687-2172 内線106

をご覧ください。

航海日誌 元日系ボイス編集者　田中 裕介 日系社会145年史セミナー3回目を終えて ズームが繋ぐ日加のゲストたち 　講師として3回目を終えて感じたこと3点。カナダ日系史を、自分自身 の郷土史の一部として真摯に向き合い語り継ぐ人たちがいたという嬉 しい発見。しかもそれを英語で語って遠来の客人に提供したいと学ぶ 若者がいることへの希望感。そして、19世紀末に冒険心を燃やしてやっ てきた一世と、自分のカナダでの50年弱の生活を重ね合わせて、毛筆 でかかれた古い日記を現代語訳にするために2年にわたり取り組んで きた戦後移民がいることへの感謝。ゲストたちはみな饒舌に自らを語っ てくれた。

なれないズーム操作に怯えつつ挑戦したオンライン・セミナーは、全 10回のうち、まだ3回しか終えていないが、カナダ移民史を白黒の世界 から解放してくれたと思う。移民史は現代史であり、われわれとともに生 きていることを再確認した。

第3回の日系史セミナーのゲストとして出演して戴いたトロント在住 の河合慎一郎さんとは、僕が移民してきた1986当時からの知り合いだ。 彼は1980年代初期には、大陸時報（「大陸日報」の戦後版）の記者をした 後、ジャパン・コミュニケーションズという、異文化コミュニケーション全 般を扱う会社を立ち上げ、40年近く経営してきた。さらに、1990年から 2002年までニュー・カナディアン紙（1938年創刊）を引き継いだいわば 同紙の最後のパブリッシャーでもあった。 　つまり、彼は間違いなく日系史形成の一役を担っていたことになる。 ただし、僕にとって河合氏は通訳翻訳出版の会社社長という認識だっ た。僕自身も1990春に数ヶ月間集中的に通い、カナダ東部に特化した旅 行ガイドブックを編集したことがある。 　その後も、パット・アダチ著「Asahi; A Legend of Baseball」（1992）制 作では、僕が和訳を担当し、河合さんにお願いして日本語を印刷してい ただいた。当時、見栄えのよい「本明朝フォント」を持っていたのは、トロ ントでは河合さんのところしかなかったからだ。隔世の感がある。 ●円入参之助の旅行見聞録 　ゲストの河合さんは、いつもの顔と異なる一面を見せてくれた。一 世・円入参之助の旅行日記の自家版英訳版「The Diary of Sannosuke Ennyu」は、参之助の孫マイク・アシカワなどを中心とする2年越しのファ ミリー・プロジェクトだった。河合さんは、この日記の現代語訳と英訳に

で料理人として働き、キリスト教に帰依し、1902年に帰化している。1908 年、福岡の実家に帰省し、結婚相手を伴ってカナダに戻ってきた。 そして、暖房用の薪木の生産販売業を営んだ。のちに、村の郵便局長も 兼任したというから白人からも信頼されていたのである。

また、参之助の日記には、時折当時の世相が垣間見えて興味深い。冒 頭で、円入を含む8名が乗り込んだタコマ丸が横浜の桟橋を今しも離れ ようとする場面がある。彼は、下等（三等）室の様子、他の旅客について 描写している。室内の換気が悪く中国人たちが吸うアヘンが充満してい て「・・実に耐えがたく、吐き気をもよおすほど」だ。「・・下等室の客は70 数名で、日本人は64名、中国人が12名だった」。日本人は多くが農民で、 2、3人の船大工がいたという。 　ところが船はいつまで経っても桟橋を離れず、出発は2時間遅れた。そ の原因が、「・・・手荷物箱の中に婦人が4名隠れているのが発見され大 騒ぎになった。そのうち二箱の蓋をあけてみると15，6歳と20歳前後の 婦人が隠れていて、そのほかに、男が一人、下等室の寝床の下に潜伏し ていたのが発見された。そこから引っ張り出して、これら5名全員を横浜 に上陸させたが、察するところ、この男は婦人4名を海外に連れ出し、密 売の欲を貪る企てだったようだ」とある。 　僕はこの部分を読んで、以前から自分が求めていた事実の裏付けが やっと得られたと思った。 1889年に初代領事の杉村濬が着任してきた時に、加州から売春婦に 関する報告書が送られてきたことが「岩手の先人とカナダ」（菊池孝育 著）に書かれてある。カナダにも加州から流れてきた女性たちがいたの だ。こういった「唐ゆきさん」たちは単独では渡航せず、必ず男たちが日 本から連れてきた。いわば、女性たちは日本からの「輸出品」第1号だっ たのである。工藤美代子著「カナダ遊戯楼に降る雪は」によると、パルエ ル街で飲食店、旅館業を営む男たちの多くが裏で醜猥業（英語で言うと ころのhuman trafficking）に手を出していたようだ。極めて手っ取り早 く金になる商売だった。そして、その金を元手に農業を始めた男もいた という。

感」を表している。参之助は先進技術のみならず、カナダから自由と平等 の思想を学ぼうとしていたのかもしれない。こうも考えられる。参之助と その仲間たちは、渡加当時はスティーブストンなど出稼ぎが集中する都 市部から離れた遠隔地にいた。そこで彼らは、生き残るために先住民と 寝食を共にし、温泉地で白人たちと一緒に入浴するなど協力し合ってい

寿町はいわゆる「寄せ場」と呼ばれてきた地域で、1950年代 に形成された日雇い労働者の街です。高度経済成長期には若く 働き盛りの労働者が東日本を中心に全国から集まり、港湾（横浜 港）や建設の現場で日雇い労働者として働きました。現在の寿町 は住民約5,800人のうち9割が生活保護受給者で、高齢者、障が いや疾病（依存症を含む）を持つ住民も増えています。 1970年代の不況期に、日本の都市部では失業し日々の食事に も困窮し、野宿を余儀なくされる日雇い労働者たちが増加しまし た。その時に、寝泊まりする場所と食事を年末年始期間中に提 供する支援活動として寿越冬は始まりました。 　寿町とバンクーバーのDTESとは異なる点も多くありますが、 労働者が中心だった地域で福祉への依存が高まり、「福祉の町」 とも称される状況になっている点は共通していると思います。

■3年目を迎えたコロナ禍の寿越冬

2020年春から始まったコロナ禍も3年目となりました。寿町の 年末年始の越冬活動でも、コロナ禍1年目の越冬（2020年12月 末から2021年1月初め）では、支援者は感染に戦々恐々とし、い かにして感染予防を行うか、について何度も会議を重ね、話し合 いました。しかし、コロナ禍3年目となり、世の中全体が良くも悪 くも「コロナ慣れ」してきた中で、感染予防は従前通りしつつ、そ れほど恐れずに対応できるようにもなりました。 　日本ではコロナの感染者数、死亡者数はこれまでで最も多い 数となっていますが、一方で、政府・自治体による行動制限はな いため、年末年始には大勢の人たちが旅行や帰省に出かけ、さ まざまなイベントも各地で行われました。同様に、寿越冬にもコ ロナ禍前と変わらない規模の人数のボランティアが参加しまし た。感染状況は収まっていませんが、徐々に社会が通常に戻って いることを実感します。

■生活保護申請に同行

寿越冬では12月30日から1月3日まで連日炊き出しが行われる と同時に、ホームレスなど居所がない人は1週間だけ市が借り 上げた簡易宿泊所に無料で泊まることができます。1月4日には 役所窓口が開くので、生活保護の受給申請をしたい人たちにボ ランティアが付き添い、福祉事務所に一緒に行きます。私もこの 同行に参加しました。 　以前は、1月4日（正月明けに初めて役所窓口が開く日）に寿町 から30人、40人以上の人が生活保護申請を行うこともありまし たが、2022年1月は14人、今回（2023年1月）は7人と、人数は減っ ています。申請を希望する人たちは健康を害して働けない中高 年男性が中心でした。現在の日本では、コロナ禍で仕事を失った 人々（特に女性や子連れの家族）が生活困窮に陥っていること、 そうした人たちが支援団体による食糧配布の列に並んでいる様 子がたびたび報道されています。寿町の炊き出しの列にも30歳 代、40歳代の人々が並ぶことが増えてきましたが、やはり男性ば かりです。 　寿町では長年、生活困窮者への支援活動が行われてきていま すが、現在のコロナ禍で支援を必要としている人たちには寿町 の情報や支援はなかなか届いていないようです。なぜそうなの か、どのようにすれば届けられるのか、考えていきたいと思って います。

KANATA展2023のテーマは

Meet the Creator

カナタKanataの語源はIroquoian族の言葉で「村」を意味します。

アートを通じて作品を手にとって楽しみ、集まった方々とつながって頂く機会 になりましたら幸いです

【日時】

1日目：1月14日(土) 12:00～17:00 13:00～13:30「ウェルカムイベント♪」として、舞のパフォーマンスと出展者 トークを予定しております。

2日目：1月15日(日)12:00～17:00 イベント入場料無料です。

【出展者】

Rika Kuroki - Ceramic, Jewelry, Indigo dye

Mom’s Care by Megumi - Organic handmade soap

Chiharu Sato - Polynesian Dance

Terry Sasaki - Painting, Clothing, Gemstones jewelry

同時開催で、ササキアートギャラリーでは店頭商品を一部割引価格でご提 供いたします。

【セール期間】1月14日～2月19日まで

・Terry Sasakiデザインの洋服　20％オフ

・シルバー、マーカサイトジュエリー　30％オフ ・Terry Sasaki　ストーンジュエリー　30％オフ ・Sachie Berrys 着物ドレス　50％オフ ・Olga Saras ニット　30％オフ

海外に行きたくても留学もワーホリも選択肢が

明けましておめでとうございます！

年越しは、私にとって毎年大事なイベント です。私自身はレベ ルストークで育ち、実家の両親は一日を通して親戚や友人、仕事 を通じた知り合いの方々を歓迎していました。当時、元旦は実家 にとってとても特別な日で、今は自分自身の家族にとっても特別 な日となりました。実家とお祝いの仕方は少し異なりますが、大 事なのは、今も変わらず特別であるということですよね。 私の家族は、キャンプへ出向き、深夜0時に外で新年を迎えま す。テントで目覚めた後、新年初のコーヒーを飲み、朝食を食 べ、各々過ごします。その日はできるだけ自然の中で過ごすよう、 ちょっとしたハイキングをしたり、ビーチを歩いたり、美味しいご 飯を食べます。私は、すれ違う人々がどのように新年最初の1日 の過ごし方を決めたのか、その日一日人々を観察するのがとて も好きです。言葉は交わさずとも繋がるものがあり、他の日には 味わえない親近感を感じるのです。とても面白いですよね。皆さ んはどのように新年を迎えられましたか？

子供達の学校やサッカー教室も始まって、新しい一年がスタ ートしました。長男のセダーと私は1月6日に隣組のファースト・ フライデイ・フォーラムに参加しました。素敵で優しい方々と共 に素晴らしい夜を過ごしました。ドラムのウェインとピアノのボ ブは、歌いたい方は誰でも受け入れてくれる、素晴らしいミュー ジシャンでした。まるでライブミュージックをバックにしたカラ オケのようでした。でも皆さんの温かい雰囲気のおかげで、家族 と自分の家でゆったりとしているような気分になれました。パフ ォーマー、もしくは観客として、皆さんにぜひオススメしたいイ ベントです。とてもいいエネルギーを感じることができますよ。 フォーラムに関する情報、過去のイベントについては、月報12月 号の19ページをご覧ください。次のフォーラムは2月3日を予定 しています。 　2023年、まだ最初の週ですが、もう一つイベントを行いまし た。1月7日NNMCCで新年会が開催されました。委員会にとって はいくらかチェレンジングな年でしたが、終わってみると、参加 者の方々からは楽しかったという声をいただけました 。チケット が即完売してしまった関係で、今年ウェイトリストに入ってしまっ た皆さんにお詫び申し上げます 。ナオミ・ヤマトさんのMCは見 事で、熱気に包まれた会場で、おせち弁当を食べながら、伝統的 な方法で新年を始めることができました。総領事館の方の乾杯 に始まり、参加型のダンスパーティ、歓談の場、昔の知人との再 会や新しい出会いなど、思い出に残る夜となりました。少なくと も私にとっては、楽しい会ではいつも感じる…終わりが来ない で欲しい、と願うほどでした。

なものに引き上げてくれたマイケルに大きな感謝を。完売やウ ェイトリストの連続で開催に置いて不測の困難に直面しており ましたが、その逆よりは良かったです。2022年参加者の方々の 声を元に、次回以降クラスのチケット料金を変更しようと考えて います。心配しないでください、私たちはまだ試行錯誤している 段階です。次回は1月22日、たこ焼き作りを予定しています。ご協 力に感謝すると共に、お会いできるのを楽しみにしています！

ギフトメンバーシップ20%オフは1月31日までです。コミュニ ティーの情報共有方法として、またGVJCCAへのサポートとして、 ぜひお願いします。

GVJCCAは毎年恒例の敬老会の準備も進めています。 2023年4月15日、お忘れなく！ 詳細は次回以降の月報で随時お伝えしていきます。

最後に、大きなお知らせを！ 今後、より簡単なお支払い方法を取り入れることにしました。寄 付やメンバーシップの支払いが、クレジットカードでも可能にな りました。また、より簡単に自動リニューアルのオプションも用意 しましたので、ぜひご検討ください。

変化は、可能ですよ。：）

大変です。 K A O は編み物が全くできないので、この機 会に一緒に習っていきたいと思います。やる気い っぱいの あすかちゃん と K A O で楽しい誌面を 作っていくよう頑張りますので優しく見守って ください。 2023 年も皆様の健康を祈りつつ よろしくお願いします。

・月報 は日系の歴史の話が多くて私の知らない ことがいっぱいです。これらを日本から来た私 の世代の人たちにもわかるように一緒に勉強で きるような誌面にしたいです。お硬いイメージ を柔軟なイメージに変えて若い人たちにも手に取ってもらいたいです。」 とにかく編み物で人をハッピーにしたいと言 うことなので、２月からあすかちゃんは編み物 ページを担当することになります。簡単な編み 物作品の写真と網図と

かちゃんに無事引き継ぎをしたのでした。あす かちゃん、徹夜でインデザインと格闘した日も あったようですがそれをおくびにも出さず、「次 はイラレとフォトショを使いたいです！雑誌作 りをお手伝いしたら教えてくれるんですよね ？」とやる気満々です。飄々とした印象でした ミーティングの日もこれからどんな誌面作りをが実は負けず嫌いでとても勉強家です。 したいかの抱負をたくさん語ってくれました。 「 T h e B u l l e t i n M a g a z i n e

ト）を知らないの⁉︎」「すぐ加入します！」と決 して安くはないコンピュータープログラムを 躊躇なく購入した。それにしても…フォトシ ョもインデザインもいじったことがないと言 うので多大な不安が残ったのですが、そこは

「

K

Q R コードでオンライ

年末年始は何をしたの？とよく聞かれるのですが、例年はパーティに出向いたり、お正月の準備などと慌ただしいですが 何も計画をせず家でひとり、普段の日と同じように過ごしました。知人には新年の挨拶を遠慮していてもらっていたので、静 かにゆっくりとした時間の中、リラックスした特別な年末年始となりました。

自分の中では「喪中」は日本人であれば誰もが知っていると思っていたのですが、海外生活が長い人や日系の方達においては 知らない人がいて、ましてや、日本から来たばかりの人の中にも知らない若者がいるのに驚きでした。 「何もしなかったんですか？なんで？」と聞かれ、「だから喪中なので」と答えてもピンと来ていない様子。だからと言っていちから説明してもまだピン と来ないようで、、、。 　喪中は身内が亡くなったことを悲しみ、喪に服すことです。 「喪に服す」というと、なんだか宗教的と思うかもしれませんが、死者への哀悼です。 　仏教的には「喪中」は年内はクリスマスやお正月は控える風習ですが、キリスト教は関係ないみたいです。なので別に新年の挨拶を交わしたり、お

それプラス、不思議なことに母の亡くなったのと同時にコンピューターの外付けハードド ライブが壊れ、25年分のアート作品から大事な資料、パスワードまで全てにアクセスできなく なっていて（困ったなぁ）と思っていたところでした。この静かに過ごす年の瀬に復旧作業と、 新しい周辺機器への移行、ついでにコンピューターの中も奥の階層のキャッシュから何か らを一掃し、５年間買い替えなかったiPhoneを新調しました。これで一眼レフを持たずとも iPhoneだけで取材に行けるのは嬉しい。 　友人に言わせると「アップル教（狂）」の私はコンピューターの話を始めると相当オタク