COPANI XX Hear from Our Youth Delegates

Vo l I N e w s 2 0 1 9 -2 0 2 0 The Japanese-Canadian Young Leaders Committee Year in Review

COPANI XX Hear from our Youth Delegates

P r o f il e s : Y o u n g E n s o k u : A G a t h e r in g P l u s : M e e t L e a d e r s F u n d f o r Y o u n g t h e 2 0 2 0 Y l c G r a n t R e c ip ie n t s J a p a n e s e -C a n a d ia n s B o a r d JCYL News

The JCYL News is an annual publication produced by the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) Young Leaders Committee (YLC) to inform of activities in the Japa- nese-Canadian young leader community.

Editors: Alex Miki, Alex Okuda-Rayfuse Layout: Alex Okuda-Rayfuse Proofreading: Alex Miki

Thanks to the following people for their submission of articles and photos: Alex Miki Ramses Miki-Hanson Carolyn Nakagawa Stéphane Hamade Alex Okuda-Rayfuse Jun Cura-Bongolan Chad Pickerell Message from the YLC Chair Kayla Isomura by Alex Miki Caitlin Morishita-Miki Jesse Miki Mark Shigenaga The NAJC Young Leaders Commit- across the country, connecting youth to tee (YLC) is excited to share a look back their local organizations or connecting at an incredible year of youth-led proj- youth around the world at international ects and programming. The YLC meets conventions. It is these connections that monthly and aims to support Japanese make our community stronger and it is Canadian (JC) youth activities and proj- these connections that can last forever. I Edmonton AGM and ects and this newsletter gives us an op- am fortunate to have been able to form Conference 2020 portunity to showcase the amazing, tal- amazing bonds with the young leaders I The YLC is looking for eager ented and hardworking JC youth from have met in the last few years. None of Young Leaders to attend and partic- across Canada as well as share their ex- this could be possible without the hard ipate in the upcoming NAJC confer- periences from conferences and gather- work of my incredible 2020 committee ence to be held in Edmonton October ings they have attended and organized in members: Mana Murata (Vancouver), 2-4, 2020. This is a great opportuni- the last year. Carolyn Nakagawa (Vancouver), Chad ty to meet other young leaders from Since taking over the role of chair of Pickerell (Calgary), Ramses Miki-Han- across Canada, attend workshops and the YLC in October 2018, I was quite son (Saskatoon), Jun Cura-Bongolan to learn more about your local and nervous and unsure I could even begin (Toronto), Stéphane Hamade (Toron- national JC community. to fill the inspiring and fearless shoes to) and Alex Okuda-Rayfuse (Ottawa). To apply for subsidy, please submit of my predecessor Bryan Tomlinson. I look forward to seeing what the YLC your application no later than May Through my time with the YLC and brings in the upcoming years. 31, 2020. For more information and while serving as a director on the Na- I thank you for looking back at an to apply, visit: najc.ca/committees/ tional Executive Board of the NAJC, I’ve amazing year. Please continue to support young-leaders-committee learned that the most important goal JC young leaders in your communities that needs to be achieved is connectiv- and let us all help to create more lasting ity: connecting youth to their JC iden- connections in our community. tity, connecting youth to other youth

Stay Connected with the YLC: What’s inside COPANI XX...... 3 JCYoungLeaders Kessoku...... 5 Ensoku...... 6 najc.ca/committees/ 2019-2020 YLF Grant Recipients...... 8 young-leaders-committee Meet the 2020 Board...... 10

2 Canadian delegates with Norman Mine- ta at COPANI C O P A N I X X the future of our global Nikkei commu- Convención Panamericana Nikkei nity. We knew this workshop should reflect and capture this experience of shar- P h o t o s b y M a r k S h ig e n a g a ing knowledge and we used that as the foundation for our workshop. We asked YLC chair Alex Miki and committee member Carolyn Nakagawa the group to split into five small groups, attended COPANI, a Pan-American Nikkei Convention September each group revolving around one of the 20-22, 2019 in San Francisco. Alex was the co-moderator for the themes: business; activism and diversity; Young Adult Workshop and was a panelist for the all youth panel. history; identity; and arts and culture. In three rounds, they worked together to create an infographic map surrounding By Alex Miki - When the NAJC first ex- something meaningful and tangible to their theme and common goals that per- pressed interest in participating in CO- come out of the two-hour session. We tained to their theme. In the first round, PANI, organizer Roji Oyama suggested I focused on the uniqueness that COPANI they were tasked with thinking of any- help plan a young adult workshop along- offered; this was a chance for Nikkei to thing that came to mind when thinking side former youth chair of the Japanese come together from different countries of their theme. For example, the identity American Citizens’ League (JACL), Kota and communities to share their experi- theme sparked words like ‘food’, ‘family,’ Mizutani. Since COPANI’s theme was ences, their challenges and their goals for and ‘language’. In the second round, they ‘the future is here,’ Roji wanted there to be youth representation at the conference, but also wanted Nikkei youth to be part of the planning and organizing process. Kota and I were first looped in with Nik- kei youth from Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay to get a feel for what youth workshops were like at past COPANIs as well as to gauge current challenges that other Nikkei communities were facing. We found that we all shared common focuses: youth involvement, keeping youth engaged in the community, and organizing youth programming. We kept in touch monthly to share possible ideas for a workshop and to get meaningful input and feedback. The first ques- tion that Kota and I had to ask ourselves was ‘what do we want participants to get Dynamic Duo: COPANI Young adult workshop co-moderators Alex Miki (left) and out of this workshop?’. We both wanted Kota Mizutani (right) 3 focused on each word from the previous round and asked themselves what a Reflections shared goal was surrounding that word. This could be ‘sharing Nikkei recipes Youth Ambassadors at COPANI from around the world’, or ‘wanting to learn more about my family history’. For The YLC and NAJC were pleased to provide subsidy to two Youth the third round, they had to come up Ambassadors (who have recently joined the YLC) to attend COPANI. with a potential solution or action item to achieve each goal. Maybe an online Japanese cooking class that is hosted by a COPANI was an Being Japanese Canadian was just some- different country every month, or having eye-opening experi- thing particular to my family. It wasn’t an intergenerational workshop encour- ence. The attendees, until I was in my early twenties that I be- aging generations to share family stories. having come from all gan to meet other Nikkei people. Being At this stage, we also asked how Nik- over the Americas, able to attend COPANI helped put things kei youth could get involved and stay en- naturally had a wide into perspective for me, particularly re- gaged in these action items. The goal of this Ramses variety of experienc- garding identity and community. There workshop was to create a map of shared Miki-Hanson es and backgrounds. was a real welcoming feeling at COPANI. goals and actions that individuals could It was fascinating to hear about how the It is amazing to see such solidarity with- bring home to their respective communi- South American Nikkei experience var- in our communities, even with such dis- ties but also to think about how to bring ied from that of North Americans’. De- tance between them. The one thing that together the Nikkei community to achieve spite facing their own challenges, the fact united all of us in attendance was the fact our common goals. that they never experienced internment that we all share the same Japanese heri- The workshop overall was very well at- made for some major contrast. tage. No matter how different our experi- tended and the feedback we received was One of the workshops I attended had ences are, we are all Nikkei. positive. It was interesting to see how each group made the workshop their own and to do with Nikkei identity. Young, old, developed their own ideas from it. Each North American, and South American all Last year, I was group had an opportunity to share with shared their views on the issue. Guided the larger group on what they had come up by the facilitator, we discussed how our fortunate to attend with. I was able to capture and transcribe Nikkei identity has shaped our experi- COPANI XX in San each group’s map and have also compiled ences, and what it means to us. Being of Francisco as a Youth a summary map using some of the action mixed ethnic background always brings Ambassador with items from each theme: questions of identity with it. There were support from the Young Leaders Com- This summary map as well as each of some differences, but many similarities. Jun the themed maps in more detail is avail- Ultimately, being of Japanese descent Cura-Bongolan mittee of the NAJC. able at najc.ca/committees/young-lead- formed the core of most, if not all, of the This biennial conven- ers-committee identities of those in the workshop. tion, organized by member countries Creating this workshop was a reward- Growing up in Saskatchewan, I was of the Pan American Nikkei Associa- ing--although sometimes stressful--expe- never very involved with other Nikkei. tion, brings together Nikkei – people rience. I was able to meet a lot of amazing young leaders from across the world. I feel fortunate that Kota and I worked perfectly together, and we were able to turn a con- cept into something we could be proud of. The participants of the workshop worked incredibly hard in the short amount of time to come up with so many amazing and creative ideas that showcased the values that we as Nikkei youth hold. I am thankful to everyone who participated and the COPANI organizing team for giving us the space to create a meaningful youth workshop and I hope to work alongside everyone again in the future. Exploring Nikkei Identity: Ramses Miki-Hanson (left) in a small group discussion at the Identity, Culture & Community workshop 4 of Japanese ancestry – from across the ously thought of in our own Japanese our communities focus on different Americas in order to foster friendship Canadian community. In the afternoon ideals, I believe we can learn from our and mutual understanding among our session, I learned that maintaining tra- Latin American Nikkei friends to re-es- countries and communities. As a Fili- ditional Japanese values and an inti- tablish a connection to our shared an- pino-Japanese Canadian from Toron- mate connection to Japan are deeply in- cestral homeland. This focus on cultural to, one of the most diverse cities in the grained within the landscape of Nikkei identity is, ultimately, what I left with world, even I was not prepared for such communities in Latin America. While upon attending COPANI XX. vibrancy in culture and passion for in- clusivity! Indeed, the theme “The future is here” was a true testimony of this; young people are taking active roles in our communities, multiracial people exist, and standing in solidarity is need- K e s s ok u ed now more than ever. Young Japanese Canadians of Toronto Retreat Such sentiments were conveyed by Roji Oyama, President of the Planning Committee for COPANI XX, whom I had the privilege of working with lead- By Stéphane Hamade - In June 2019, as we learn more about our histories and ing up to the convention. His speech the Young Japanese Canadians of Toron- more members join our group. Overall during the opening ceremony, as well to (YJCToronto) decided to have a retreat the weekend allowed us to get to know as my interactions with him prior, ex- for this very purpose: to bring young each other better and brought many of us pressed a desire for young people to take people closer and to strengthen our ties closer together. over as leaders in our communities, a together as a group. We decided to name The YJCToronto have had month- transition which he believes is currently it Kessoku which means to unite and ly events over the past year, from board underway. This idea of youth leadership stand in solidarity, as well as to bind and game socials to watching the Tashme was also shared by the Honourable Nor- work together. So we went to Fort Erie project to a mask-making event. We are man Y. Mineta, who was a guest speaker to bond as a group, and to discuss com- continuing to look for new things for and participant throughout the week- munity and identity. Over the weekend our group to do and are always looking end. Personally, I found that his analogy we had discussions on what our favourite for new members with new ideas. This on solidarity, sewn together as beautiful things about the community were, a map year we are planning to continue to hold tapestry, not only reflected America’s project to discuss our individual histo- monthly events and organizing fold-ins diversity, but could also very well be the ries, our heritage and what we see as the for the Tsuru for Solidarity event. foundations for a global Nikkei com- future for the community. The mapping munity. Furthermore, his encourage- project was a really great way to explore To find out more on YJC Toronto ment for young people to take political the complexity of our identities and action and roles in our communities histories in an interactive discussion. It Young Japanese Canadians left a strong impact on me throughout allowed us to get to know one another of Toronto the weekend, especially when attend- much better than before, to see similari- ing both sessions of the Youth & Young ties in stories and connections that we’ve @YJCToronto Adult workshops the following day. formed. We are all excited to have this as These sessions were convenient- a continuous project that can be added to ly held at the Japanese Community Youth Council, a non-profit organization which serves young people in San Francisco, regardless of ethnic and so- cioeconomic background. The morning workshop involved a break-out session focusing on the Global Youth Nikkei Research Project, where members from Discover Nikkei and the Nippon Foun- dation navigated questions surrounding Nikkei identity. It was such a privilege to hear and learn from fellow Nikkei living in Peru, Brazil, Paraguay and other Latin American countries, as they brought up issues that I had not previ- Mapping our History: Kessoku participants mapping their family histories 5 All Smiles: Ensoku attendees after a busy E n s ok u day of activities A G at h e r in g f o r Y o u n g -is h J a pa n e s e -C a n a d ia n s To find out more on the Kikiai P h o t o s b y K ay l a I s o m u r a Collaborative Kikiai Collaborative By Carolyn Nakagawa - Over the parts from Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, 2019 May long weekend, 40 young-ish and Ottawa as participants in the event. Japanese Canadians, Japanese Ameri- As explained on the Kikiai Collab- @KikiaiColl cans, and their friends came together in orative website, ““Kikiai” (聴き合い) Vancouver to build community and ex- is a Japanese word meaning “listening kikiaico.tumblr.com plore shared heritage and identity in an to each other.” This word represents “un-conference” called Ensoku (Japanese our group’s philosophy of coming to- for “field trip”). The weekend was orga- gether, mutually supporting, and lis- Our Stories, in Art: Erica Isomura (left) nized by members of Kikiai Collabora- tening to one another as equals, while and Mika Ishizaki (right) at the stop tive, an independent grassroots associa- also giving a nod to our Japanese Ca- motion animation workshop led by local tion of young-ish Japanese Canadians in nadian heritage and community links”. artist Cindy Mochizuki. the Greater Vancouver area. Two days of official activities such as facilitated discussions, a gyoza-making workshop, and an intergenerational community lunch were extended with additional activities such as guided tours of the Nikkei Na- tional Museum and Steveston, and even a semi-impromptu road trip to Tashme. The NAJC Young Leaders Commit- tee was pleased to provide support for Ensoku by funding its artistic showcase component, and by facilitating flight subsidies for out-of-town participants, donated by Kevin Okabe. 2019-2020 YLC Vancouver representatives Carolyn Nakagawa and Mana Murata both facilitated Ensoku events as Kikiai members, and welcomed their YLC counter- 6 built for themselves before the war, filled Reflections me with great pride but also great sad- ness as I came to better understand what A Resounding Success was truly lost. Thoughts on Ensoku In the evenings, we all got a chance to hang out over food and drinks. Through- out the day, you had a chance to meet all these cool and smart people, but it was It was at the 2017 Cindy Mochizuki allowed us to explore great to get a chance to get to know them NAJC conference in new mediums to tell our stories. on a more personal level. Ottawa that I was The Steveston tour was, for me, par- All and all Ensoku was a great time first introduced to ticularly eye-opening. Having read and and Kikiai did an amazing job. It has the Japanese-Cana- heard the stories of my grandparents, almost been a year since, and I’m sure I dian Young Leaders. among others, I had a sense of what speak for more than myself when I say Among our group, was lost as a result of the internment, Alex that it has filled me with a sense of op- we have discussed the but walking around Steveston made it Okuda-Rayfuse timism about the young leader commu- importance of these so much more real. Seeing this vibrant nity and motivated me to keep pushing conferences. These opportunities to community Japanese Canadians had meet face-to-face as a group are key to hard on my own projects. developing relationships, sharing ideas, raising awareness about issues, and en- couraging participation in the community. We have also agreed that it would be great to have a conference organized for and by young leaders. So when I heard the Kikiai Collaborative was organizing Ensoku, I knew right away I wanted to attend. Ensoku definitely didn’t disappoint. There were about 40 of us from across Canada and parts of the US, each with varying degrees of connectedness to our local or national communities, and to our Japanese culture and heritage. There were members of local and national community boards (including six YLC board members). You had people from the Nikkei National Museum and the Minidoka National Historic Site (an internment camp in Idaho), and artists whose works touched on heritage and culture. Then there were others for whom this was their first chance to really get to know other young Japanese Cana- dians. The entire weekend was a lot of fun and between the discussion groups, workshops, tours and socials there was a lot to take away. One of the weekend’s key messages was the importance of storytelling and sharing personal experiences. Discussions on growing up Japanese Ca- nadian/American and the artists’ show- (Clockwise from top) Derek Sakauye (left), Reza Etezal (middle) and April Buscher and-tell provided space for such sharing, (right) enjoying miso soup made at the cooking workshop led by Mana Murata; and one of my personal highlights, the Kurt Yokoyama Ikeda performs spoken word poetry during the open mic event; stop-motion animation workshop led by Olivia Chupik (left) and Joanna Mukai (right) outside the Steveston Museum

7 Choreography of calligraphy: Shion Carter explores her heritage by using brushstrokes of Japanese calligraphy as inspiration for her original dance piece.

Young Leaders Fund

The Young Leaders Fund: 2019-2020 Grant Recipients Meet the Recipients and their Projects The YLF provides grants to young Japanese Canadian individuals and organizations for cultural or community-development projects geared to- Shion Skye Carter: tion on cultural displacement … Young Japanese Canadians need to know that wards young people in Japanese Cana- Residuals (住み・墨) dian communities. the cultural practices they are learning By Carolyn Nakagawa - The NAJC are important, and relevant to their lives Applicant eligibility: Young Leaders Committee is delighted t o d ay.” Individuals to be supporting the creation of an orig- Since receiving funding support • Must be a young person (up to 35 inal dance piece, Residuals (住み・墨), from the Young Leaders Fund, Carter years of age) in a Japanese Canadi- by promising young Japanese Canadian has been brushing up on her calligraphy an community dancer Shion Skye Carter. skills with additional classes at Glad- • Preference will be given to a Ca- Carter was born in Japan and moved stone Japanese Language School, and nadian citizen/resident who is a to Canada at the age of six. She holds creating choreography that, “embodies member of a Japanese Canadian a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from the calligraphic brushstrokes of Japa- community Simon Fraser University. In Residuals, nese characters.” Organizations Carter combines her practice of tradi- YLF support has enabled Carter to • Must be an organization com- tional Japanese calligraphy, which she pay for calligraphy lessons, purchase prised of young people in Japanese studied from a young age at Gladstone calligraphy supplies, as well as to hire Canadian communities Japanese Language School in Burnaby, collaborating artists, and a photogra- The YLC encourages applications BC, and her professional training in pher and videographer to document the from young people of all backgrounds. contemporary dance. performance and its creation. For an Preference will be given to first-time Carter explains, “the feeling of be- emerging artist like Carter, having com- applicants. For more information ing in between two cultures is one that pelling visuals of her original work is as and to apply, visit: najc.ca/funds-and- many Japanese Canadians may relate to. valuable in advancing her future career awards/young-leaders-fund/ My hope is for this project to resonate and opportunities as it is in promoting Applications are due July 19, 2020 with members of the Japanese Canadi- the current work. an community, creating space for reflec- Carter performed a workshop ver- 8 sion of Residuals (住み・墨) at Kinetic woven together to create two kimonos. loom. Finally the weaving itself can take Studio in Halifax in early February. The Her inspiration for this project came place! piece will officially premiere in Montre- from Japan’s National Living Treasure Weaving the tapestries is also a med- al this October, presented by Tangente artist Fukumi Shimura, who has been itative process which allows Caldwell Dance. weaving kimonos since the mid-1950s. to physically work through questions Carter says, “I’m so excited to share Tapestry weaving is a long, difficult, and ideas around her JC identity. By my choreography outside of Vancou- and meticulous process which requires investigating and practising tradition- ver for the first time, and cannot thank great patience. First, the number of ver- al methods of production through her [NAJC and the Young Leaders Commit- tical threads, called the warp, must be contemporary lens, she aims to find a tee] enough for supporting my project calculated. Next, the horizontal threads, space in society where her identity is through the Young Leaders Fund.” called the weft, must be dyed. Then, the valid and visible. The tapestries them- For more updates from Shion Skye warp is measured on the warping mill selves will contain modern imagery Carter and her creative process, follow by threading the mill back and forth and iconography such as designer logos her on Instagram @shionskye, or visit until reaching the desired number and emojis. With this combination of her website shionskyecarter.com. of thread ends previously calculated traditional and present-day concepts, for the given length. The warp is then Caldwell wishes to represent the com- placed on the loom by “back to front” plex identities of Yonsei and future gen- warping. Threading the loom is the last erations. This process will also reflect Molly Caldwell: step before weaving can begin. This in- her own struggles of bridging ancestral volves threading each individual thread traditions with the current western cul- Hand-woven kimono project through wires on the loom, called hed- ture. In the end, she hopes her project By Chad Pickerell - For Molly Cald- dles. Around 350 threads are needed expresses her proud identity as a JC and well’s project, she will hand-weave tex- for these kimonos! Each thread is then how she defines it, not as half Canadi- tiles into tapestries using a floor loom. re-threaded through the beater, a tool an and half Japanese but as a whole new Once all of the tapestries are complete, designed to push the weft yarn securely identity in itself as a Yonsei. the individual tapestry pieces will be into place, and is tied to the front of the Molly Caldwell is a 27-year-old artist currently living and working in Calgary, Alberta. As a mixed-race Yon- sei, she uses her art to understand her identity and to perceive who she is both ethnically and culturally. She hopes that other young Japanese Canadians see a reflection of themselves in her work. Previous art projects at the Banff Cen- ter for Arts and Creativity (2017) and in Reykjavik, Iceland (2019) examined her understanding of being a Japanese Ca- nadian and the struggles the JC community goes through. Recently she attended Ensoku (2019), a gathering of young JC’s in Vancouver, BC. It was here, for the first time, that she was surrounded by other young Japanese Canadians and felt a connection and bond she previously had never felt before. This experience has motivated her to seek out and foster a similar community in Alberta. For more updates from Molly Cald- well, follow her on Instagram@mollyjf- caldwell and @denimjacketsocial (tex- tile-specific collective).

Molly uses a floor loom to weave a kimono containing modern imagery, representing her Japanese Canadian Yonsei ( fourth-generation) identity. 9 Kayla Isomura: Fukusū no By Ramses Miki-Hanson - Fukusū no (meaning “more than” or “plural”) is a collection of stories and artwork from Japanese descendent youths living in Canada and the United States with a focus on intersectional identities. This is inclusive of generation, race, gender, sex- ual orientation, religious faith, and geo- graphic location. Kayla Isomura curated and produced this project with her sister, Erica. The works themselves were solic- ited through submission and invitation, and even included some one-on-one interviews. The overall focus was to explore and share the stories of those youth who are navigating multiple identities. Kayla Isomura speaking at the National Nikkei Museum about her previous project In particular, Isomura wanted to give a “The Suitcase Project” voice to those who are not often includ- roots. Isomura has been involved in the time away from the community, she rec- ed in mainstream conversations among Japanese Canadian community since ognizes the challenges of becoming in- Japanese diaspora. 2014 and has since spent a year doing volved. As a result, one of her main goals Kayla Isomura is a mixed yonsei an internship at the Nikkei National is to help other Nikkei youth become in- Japanese Canadian from Vancouver. Museum & Cultural Centre. She has vol- volved in the community. A photographer with a background in unteered for the Powell Street Festival For more updates from Kayla Isomu- journalism, she also has a penchant for Society, and has attended a number of ra, follow her on Instagram @kaylaiso, or storytelling influenced by her Asian Young Leader Conferences. Being at one visit her website kaylaisomura.com.

M e e t t h e B oa r d ! 2020 Young Leaders Committee Board Members

Chair: Alex Miki (Winnipeg) Jun Cura-Bongolan (Toronto) Alex is a gosei born and raised in Winni- Jun Cura-Bongolan is a Nikkei Canadi- peg. She has been involved with her lo- an of Japanese Filipino heritage. Born cal Japanese Canadian community since and raised in Toronto, he has worked she was little, including volunteering at and volunteered at the Japanese Cana- the multicultural festival Folklorama dian Cultural Centre, and also the Mo- and spending ten years doing Odori. As miji Health Care Society. He is dedicat- the current chair of the Young Leaders ed to promoting other narratives within Committee, she is excited to help bring the Japanese Canadian community, the JC youth together from across the including racial equality, mental health country and to promote youth focused awareness and supporting LGBTQ+ programs and events, tackling issues and achieving goals rele- youth. As a self-proclaimed “Nikkeis- vant to the next generation. ian,” he hopes to educate younger generations on the war-time Alex holds a BSc from the University of Winnipeg and is cur- injustices made against Nikkei communities across the Amer- rently a microbiologist at an environmental testing laboratory icas, and how they can teach us about current prejudices faced in Winnipeg. When she is not working, Alex is travelling or by other communities today. cheering on the Chicago Blackhawks. 10 Stéphane Hamade (Toronto) Carolyn Nakagawa (Vancouver) Stéphane Hamade is a biracial Japanese French Canadian. He is a Carolyn is a yonsei born and raised, graduate of Mathematics of the University of Waterloo where he and currently living in the Great- discovered his interest in social justice while he was an executive er Vancouver area. A graduate of the at the student union. For the last two years, he has been working University of British Columbia’s Asian in politics for racialized elected officials in Scarborough. Canadian and Asian Migration Stud- Stéphane began his involvement in the Japanese Canadian com- ies program, she works for the Nikkei munity in 2017 after a trip to Japan to visit his grandfather’s National Museum & Cultural Centre hometown and helping the NAJC with media and event logis- coordinating educational and cultural tics in their 2017 AGM. In 2018, he got involved with the Young programs. She joined the Young Lead- Japanese Canadians of Toronto and in 2019 joined the JCYL. ers Committee when a spot became Since graduating from university he has been involved with a available while she was serving on the ad-hoc Future Direc- few organizations, including the Canadian Intern Association, tions team. She is a founding member of Kikiai Collaborative the Ontario Arts Council, OPSEU, the Association des Com- in Vancouver, and her small role in helping to organize Ensoku munauté Francophone de l’Ontario-Toronto. He has worked on was one of her highlights of 2019. Carolyn is also a poet and electoral campaigns at three levels of government and a success- playwright - you can find her work in various literary maga- ful federal leadership campaign. zines, and hopefully someday soon, on a stage near you! Ramses Miki-Hanson (Saskatoon) Alex Okuda-Rayfuse (Ottawa) Ramses is a gosei born and raised in Alex is a yonsei on his mother’s side Regina, Saskatchewan. He grew up in and was born and raised in Ottawa. a Japanese Canadian household, but Alex grew up an active member of the is relatively new to the larger Japanese Ottawa Japanese community and cur- Canadian community. Ramses is currently serves on the board of the Otta- rently studying for his Juris Doctor at wa Japanese Community Association. the College of Law at the University of He is also the creator and editor of the Saskatchewan. He also holds a BAH in Ottawa Japanese Activities Guide, a Philosophy, with a certificate in interna- bi-annual publication that advertises tional studies. Ramses has travelled to workshops and classes related to Japanese culture and language Japan a number of times, and has lived there for a number of being offered in the Ottawa area. years. He spent a year studying Japanese in Kobe, and was hired Alex studied at Queen’s University, where he earned a BAH in by the JET Programme as an English teacher following his un- History with a minor in Philosophy and currently works for dergrad. These experiences, coupled with his upbringing have Elections Canada. He has been to Japan twice and hopes to re- given him a deep interest and appreciation for Japanese culture. turn in the future. In his free time, he enjoys drawing, as well as playing hockey and soccer. Mana Murata (Vancouver) Chad Pickerell (Calgary) Mana attended Carleton University Chad is a yonsei born and raised in in Ottawa, where she studied Interna- Taber, Alberta. After moving to Cal- tional Law and was the President of the gary, Alberta he started getting in- Carleton University Japanese Associ- volved in the local Japanese commu- ation (CUJA) for two years. Through nity with volunteering and helping CUJA, Mana has collaborated with the organize various events. Chad studied Embassy of Japan in Ottawa and the lo- at the University of Calgary where he cal chapter of the NAJC (OJCA/OJCC) earned a B.Sc in computer science. He in various cultural events as well as the has worked in the Insurance Tech sec- AGM conference of 2017. Mana has tor for over 8 years and continues this a passion for making traditional Jap- work today. Some of his hobbies include curling, softball, and anese hair ornaments from small square-cut silk, called Tsu- travelling. mami-Zaiku. She started Flowers for Fukushima Fundraiser, where she sold her Tsumami-Zaiku accessories for donations to Minamisoma City in Fukushima post 2011 triple disaster. Mana leads various Japanese workshops at the Centre in Van- couver, including Tsumami-Zaiku and Ichigo (Strawberry) Daifuku workshops for young children. 11 (Top left): Ensoku participants ; (Top right) Intergenerational lunch at Ensoku; (Middle) Group photo of COPANI attendees in front of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco; (Bottom) COPANI attendees at the young adult workshop led by Alex Miki and Kota Mizutani (Photos by Kayla Isomura and Mark Shigenaga)