Produced by the Powell Street Festival Society • Tonari Gumi Vancouver
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VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE JAPANTOWN & POWELL STREET NEIGHBOURHOOD Produced by the Powell Street Festival Society • Tonari Gumi Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall and Vancouver Moving Theatre For information: 604-628-5672 or www.vjls-jh.com Greetings On behalf of the citizens e are delighted to wel- Japantown Multicultural Table of contents of Vancouver and my come everyone to the Neighbourhood Celebration colleagues on Vancouver Japantown Multicultural Credits & Thanks ................................... 4 City Council I am delight- Neighbourhood Celebra- Saturday March 28, 2009 Powell Street (Japantown) ed to welcome everyone Wtion! Today’s celebration arose from the Historical and Cultural Review ............ 5 to the fi rst Japantown vision to create a collaborative, com- 10am to 9pm The Japanese Community and the Multicultural Neighbour- munity-based event that explores the hood Celebration – an multicultural past and present of Japan- Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement ... 8 event that celebrates the history, diversity town - and contributes to its future. My life in the Downtown Eastside ...... 8 and enduring promise of Vancouver’s Ja- The Japantown area is one of Van- Various locations in the Japantown A Field of Dreams ................................. 9 pantown/Powell Street area. couver’s most interesting communi- and Powell Street neighbourhood History Walking Tours ........................ 10 Neighbourhoods are a foundation ties: rich in history, culture, stories and Displays & Story Sharing ..................... 11 of our City. The Japantown neigh- home to people who deeply care for Produced by Powell Street Festival So- Schedule at a Glance .......................... 12 bourhood has vital historic and cul- their neighbourhood. By showcasing ciety, Tonari Gumi, Vancouver Japanese Daytime Activities ............................... 14 tural signifi cance to Vancouver, and I the artists, art forms, organizations Language School & Japanese Hall and Procession ............................................ 16 am very pleased to see the local com- and cultures of Japantown we work to Vancouver Moving Theatre, in associa- Ceremony & Performances ................ 18 munity coming together to contribute strengthen the relationships between tion with a host of community partners to its future. neighbourhood residents and orga- Evening Performances ........................ 20 Congratulations to the many people nizations, educate the general public www.vjls-jh.com or call 604-628-5672 Japantown Live/Work Studios ........... 21 and organizations that have helped to about the neighbourhood, and foster Other events ........................................ 22 All events are free admission. realize this event. Your efforts to contrib- community led renewal through arts, Historical Area Map .............Back Cover ute to your community are greatly appre- culture and heritage. ciated and valued. The City of Vancouver Thanks to all the celebration artists, is proud to support this Celebration. historians, presenters, community part- Enjoy the history walks, displays, per- ners, volunteers and staff who have formances, ceremony and gala everyone! contributed to today’s celebration. The Japantown Multicultural Neigh- Yours truly, A special thanks to Celebration Co- bourhood Celebration acknowledges Gregor Robertson, Mayor ordinator Teresa Vandertuin who has and honours that our neighbourhood worked with such dedication to pro- lies within the Traditional Territory of It is my pleasure to duce this event. the Coast Salish people. congratulate the or- We trust that you will be inspired by ganizers on the open- today’s sharing of the history, culture ing of the Japantown and people of Japantown. Enjoy the Multicultural Neigh- celebration everyone! borhood Celebration in recognition of the Kristen Lambertson 80th anniversary of Ja- Powell Street Festival Society Front cover pan-Canada diplomatic relations. Such a Photos David Cooper, Terry Hunter, Joji Kumagai community-based cultural promotional Michelle Richard, creative commons Tonari Gumi event is commendable because of its Design Big Wave Design contribution to the deepening of mu- Rika Uto Appearing in the photo Oppenheimer tual understanding among the different Vancouver Japanese Language Totem Pole, Vancouver Japanese Lan- cultural and ethnic communities’ people School and Japanese Hall guage School (archive), DTES Samba Band, Morimoto doorway design (ar- in Canada. Best wishes for a very success- Terry Hunter chive), Stephen Lytton ful celebration. Vancouver Moving Theatre Seiichi Otsuka Consul General of Japan in Vancouver Photo: Michelle Richard 2 3 Producing Partners Powell Street (Japantown) Historical and Cultural Review In 1977, the Japanese Canadian centen- Established in 1906, the Vancouver Japa- By Savannah Walling • Welcoming Community; nial year, the first Powell Street Festival nese Language School & Japanese Hall • Powell Street Cycles of Prosperity and Loss; was initiated in an effort to celebrate Ja- (VJLS-JH) is a community centre dedicat- The Report • Exclusion, Perseverance and Resistance; pantown and produce an event similar to ed to promoting Japanese language and The Powell Street (Japantown) Historical • Church and Cultural Precincts; the summer festivals in Japan. Today, the culture, Japanese Canadian heritage and Cultural Review was prepared for • Housing and Home; mission of the Powell Street Festival So- and cross-cultural understanding. It of- the City of Vancouver by a team led by • Japanese Canadian Settlement; and ciety is to celebrate the arts and culture fers classes to all age groups, organizes Strathcona resident James Burton. This • Gathering at Powell Street Grounds. of Japanese Canadians and Asian Cana- cultural events, and provides a gather- involved a community consultation pro- dians, to encourage Asian Canadians to ing place for local community groups. cess to review the historical and cultural Historical context take a leadership role in the develop- heritage of the Powell Street area com- The Powell Street (Japantown) area is ment of the arts in Canada, and to foster Vancouver Moving Theatre (VMT) is an monly known as Japantown. I was one the place from which Vancouver began community development through cul- award winning Downtown Eastside of the co-writers. and grew. Some stories about Vancou- tural events, including the annual Powell based professional theatre company The team was guided by the wisdom ver’s early development are to be found Street Festival in August every year. founded in 1983 by residents Terry Hunt- of an Advisory Group: individuals with only in its streets and buildings—and er and Savannah Walling. Recognized a deep understanding of the physi- in the memories of its residents. Powell Tonari Gumi (Japanese Community Volun- nationally for its innovative arts based cal place and its cultural history. Many Street (Japantown)’s history is part of teers Association) was established in the community development projects tai- community members generously shared the founding story of this city and there- DTES in 1973 to help Issei (first generation) lored with and for its home community, through their writing, interviews and fore the common heritage of all who Japanese Canadian seniors who suffered VMT’s activities include original theatre conversations. They told us about the live in Vancouver—the site of many his- from cultural and economic alienation in productions, community festivals and area’s history, identified some of its criti- toric events, waterfront industries and the Japantown area. Today, it provides so- cultural services. cally important stories and the spaces cultural institutions key to the city’s de- cial services and a variety of cultural, recre- and buildings needed to tell them, and velopment. It’s also the story of a partic- ational and seniors-based programs from shared ways to do the telling. ular place and of the people who have its East Broadway location. We built on the research of other lived here and do so now. important projects such as the City of Powell Street/Japantown lies on Vancouver DTES Public Realm Plan and land within the unceded territories of Association, The Living Room, National the Strathcona Business Improvement the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil- Credits & Thanks Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre, Association’s Open Windows streetscape Waututh First Nations. One of the ear- Oppenheimer Park, Vancouver Heritage improvements project. liest European settlements - Hastings Staff Foundation The Review surveys the area’s history; Mill—was erected on an ancient Coast Producing Committee Terry Hunter, Joji its historical themes; places of heritage Salish site. This area was a hub of major Kumagai, Kristen Lambertson, Rika Uto Special Thanks value; cultural activities that celebrate trade routes between inland Coast Sal- Celebration Coordinator Teresa Vandertuin Rick Archambault, Tomi Asakawa, Ayex heritage; management tools for historic ish and interior groups: it was a “place Procession Coordinator Michelle Richard Bathan, Leo Cooper, Leah Diana, Kira and cultural management; and ideas for to meet other people who gathered and Procession Banners Diane Wood Gerwing, Leith Harris, Barb Hinton, Miko future planning. It concludes with lots of hunted with us.” There has always been Graphic Designer John Endo Greenaway Hoffman, Mari Honma, Jennifer John- community suggestions on “next steps.” a strong First Nations presence here and Publicist Sabrina Furminger stone,