NIKKEI IMAGES

Japanese Canadian National Museum Newsletter ISSN#1203-9017 Autumn 2002, Vol. 7, No. 3 Kendo in Canada, 1900-1950 by Joseph Svinth

Vancouver Kendo Club gathering to celebrate the promotion of Mr. Matsushita to “Master”. (JCNM photo, 1940) Kendo appeared on British New Westminster, Sunbury, Although born in Vancouver around Columbia’s Lower Mainland during Whonnock, and Woodfibre. The 1918, Matsushita attended high the early 1910s. For example, kendo instructor at Vancouver and school in Japan. Therefore he was Kentaro Tsuzuki established a dojo Woodfibre was Motoo Matsushita. Kibei. While in Japan he earned dan called Yoki Kan at Steveston (a Continued on page 2 fishing community located near the Contents Kendo in Canada, 1900-1950 1 mouth of the Fraser River) in 1913. Our Living Treasure: Thomas Kunito Shoyama 3 Nineteen-year old Rintaro Hayashi Tsuneharu Gonnami 4 became Steveston’s head instructor Why Hakujin Can’t Catch Sockeyes or a Japanese Canadian Fishing Legacy?5 in 1920. Seven years later Yuichi Home Again 6 Akune became head instructor and he Spirit of Steveston 8 Galiano Island Vice-Regal Visit 8 subsequently renamed the Speaking Notes for Mayne Island Japanese Garden Dedication Ceremony 9 organization Yosei Kan, a name The NIPPON MARU Visit 10 meaning “roper Upbringing Hall.” JCNM Members Vote YES on Merger 11 By 1940 there were at least Still Lingers On: The 60th Anniversary of the Internment 12 My Experiences During the Second World War 18 six kendo dojo in British Columbia. Nikkei Week Festivities, 2002 20 These were at Vancouver, Steveston,

1 ranking in both judo and kendo, but tournament held in Steveston on preferred kendo. So when he returned April 18, 1931. Documentation for to Canada in the late 1930s he this event includes a photo in the City Announcements immediately started a kendo club. of Richmond Archives. In Henry Shimizu’s Exhibition The Vancouver classes met inside the Washington State, the first Aug. 15 -Sep. 19, 2002 judo school located on Powell Street. tournament of which I am aware is JCNM “As a little girl on my way home from the Seattle Kendo Kai tournament of Japanese Language School I July 4, 1933. After that tournaments remember looking in the open door were reasonably regular affairs in NIKKEI WEEK to see all the action,” Jean Okazaki both Washington and British Sep. 14 - 22, 2002 recalled in 1999. Columbia. *Nikkei 125 Celebration Dinner The Steveston instructor was Yeikichi Matsumura, who Yuichi Akune. An Issei, he was small won a Hokubei Butokukai kendo *Obaasan’s Garden and thin, but very strong. His students tournament held in Seattle in were of course mostly Nisei and November 1937, recalled that travel *Talk on Tomekichi Homma Kibei, and included Masao Hayashi, to Seattle was via the Great Northern Katashi (“Ken”) Hibi, Yeikichi Railway. The Canadian team had *Japanese Fishermen’s Dedication Matsumura, Makami Shiomi, and about ten members, and in Seattle it Moriharu Tanigami. Classes ran from stayed at the Holland Hotel. During October to March, and training took the competition Matsumura defeated place at the Japanese Language nine other competitors, thus winning School. a prize cup awarded by the Consul Equipment came directly General of Japan, Issaku Okamoto. Nikkei Images is published by the Japanese Canadian from Japan. Steveston kendoka Unfortunately during the internment National Museum Yeikichi Matsumura, for example, of World War II that trophy was either recalled that his father had bought his lost or left behind. armor while visiting Japan. The cost By 1940 a typical season saw Editorial Board: was about $100, which was a lot of a Seattle Kendo Kai tournament in Stanley Fukawa, Grace Hama, money during the Depression. November, a Hokubei Butokukai Frank Kamiya, Mitsuo Yesaki, In those days holders of kyu tournament in late January (venues Carl Yokota grades did not receive certificates. alternated between Seattle, Tacoma, Instead instructors simply told them and Gresham, Oregon), and a what rank they held. Holders of dan Steveston or Vancouver tournament Subscription to Nikkei Images is free with your yearly grade, on the other hand, received in mid-February. If modern subscription to JCNM: certificates from Japan. Usually the tournaments are any indication, then Family $25 instructors mailed their part of the competition involved each Individual $20 recommendations to the Dai Nippon group trying to outdo the others in Senior/Student $15 Butokukai in Kyoto but sometimes the quality of the food served to Senior Couple $20 visiting instructors awarded them. contestants and their parents. Non-profit Association $50 Such visitors included Sasaburo “Rules regarding contests Corporate $100 Takano (a physical educator and peer yesterday did not seem as $1 per copy for non-members of Jigoro Kano who was arguably the complicated as they are today,” most influential kendoka in Japan) in recalled George Izui, then a Seattle JAPANESE CANADIAN June 1938. Takano’s son Hiromasu, kendoka. In November 1937, Seattle NATIONAL MUSEUM a 7-dan, also visited British held a tournament in which Tokichi 6688 Southoaks Crescent, Columbia during late 1939 or early Nakamura of California brought two Burnaby, B.C., V5E 4M7 1940. of his kendoka. One of the Canada Prewar Canadian dan competitors was Moriharu Tanigami tel: (604) 777-8000 holders were often excellent in of Steveston, who recalled, “In the fax: (604) 777-7001 competition (shiai). The first finals, I, a 3-dan, was challenged by [email protected] Canadian kendo tournament of which a student of Mr. Nakamura for the www.jcnm.ca I am aware is the Yosei Kan championship and I won. For this

2 achievement I received a trophy known as Shoko Dojo, a name that important hobby, though, was the donated by the Japanese Consul that essentially translated as “Mr. rock garden in front of his house. It was presented to me by Mr. Issaku Matsushita’s Lakeside Kendo Club.” had a stone lantern and everything, Okamoto.” Once the tournament was The reference was of course to its and elicited many compliments from over and the trophies handed out, location, near Lake Superior, and to visitors. “How do you do that?” kendoka usually celebrated by going its head instructor, 25-year old Motoo people asked him, knowing that he to a restaurant for dinner. Matsushita. Assistant instructors had had cataract surgery and other As in the United States, the included 26-year old Ken Hibi, 23- ailments associated with advanced Canadian government began year old Sakuzo Furukawa, and 42- age. “Kendo”, he replied: “I took up relocating Japanese Canadian men year old Haruo Ichikawa. Equipment the kendo and I tell myself because I almost immediately following the consisted of about a dozen sets of did I must watch my conduct and attack on Pearl Harbor and by kendo armor and assorted shinai behavior every day. I know I don’t September 1942 even women and [bamboo practice weapons] that the want to spoil my name or the name children had been relocated to Canadian YMCA arranged to have of my kendo club. Because of that concentration camps located in the shipped to Angler from storage sites people respect me. I think, I believe, Kootenays or Alberta. Although the in British Columbia. that all this is due to my kendo. I got US guarded its equivalent Learning to judge matches a lot of influence from my kendo.” “relocation centers” with soldiers and was important because the Shoko Canadian wartime kendo barbed wire, the Canadians guarded Dojo held two tournaments, one in practice was not restricted solely to what they termed “Inland Housing August 1944 and another in August the internment camp at Angler. For Centres” mostly with open space. 1945. The Angler kendo club had example, the Japanese Canadian But, while the American camps had maybe 50-60 members. Most had National Museum owns a photo fences they did include schools, never done kendo before the war, but showing members of the kendo club electricity, and running water, by the time they left three years later at Kaslo, British Columbia during amenities the Canadian camps didn’t many were ranked 1-dan. Instructor 1944. Meanwhile at the Buddhist have until the summer of 1943. Nor Matsushita gave his own certificates church in Raymond, Alberta, did the Canadian government allow to these people, as of course there Moriharu Tanigami taught kendo to Japanese Canadian men to enlist in was no access to the Japanese about forty students. Tanigami the Canadian military; instead they associations at the time. returned to Steveston after the had to join the British Army. Finally Following his release from Canadian government authorized Japanese Canadians were told that Angler in April 1946 Motoo Japanese Canadians to return to the they must either relocate east of the Matsushita went to Moose Jaw, coast in 1949, and he and Rintaro Rockies or prepare for postwar Saskatchewan. After a couple years Hayashi almost immediately set repatriation to Japan. This caused there he accepted relocation to Japan. about reorganizing what would severe disagreements within the He opened a kendo school in Gumma become the Steveston Kendo Club. Japanese Canadian community — Prefecture but it lost money and Club members joined with members those who chose to relocate were eventually he had to close it. of the Steveston Judo Club to called dogs and those who chose to Nevertheless he stayed with kendo organize permanent training areas, repatriate were called fools. and by the time of his death during and in 1972 the City of Richmond, Anyway, while most the early 1990s he was ranked 7-dan. the Steveston Community Society, Japanese Americans rejected kendo Ken Hibi decided not to teach kendo and the Japanese Canadian as a form of cultural nationalism in his postwar home in Thunder Bay, Community Association jointly during World War II, many Japanese Ontario, in large part because he financed a Martial Arts Centre. Canadians embraced it. There was, couldn’t afford the multiple sets of Offering judo, karate, aikido, and for example, a kendo club at the armor a class required. In 1999 Hibi kendo, the Centre therefore played an internment camp located near Angler, was 82 years old. During the summer important role in preserving Japanese Ontario as early as 1943. At its peak, he played nine holes of golf several Canadian culture into the twenty-first the Angler camp housed about 760 times a week and went walking century. a men. The Angler kendo dojo was almost every morning. His most Our Living Treasure: Thomas Kunito Shoyama by Midge Ayukawa It was a chance remark by alerted me to the fact that he had to the long list of recognitions for his Tommy Shoyama in mid-May that received yet another honour to add Continued on page 4 3 accomplishments and services. The constitution.” for the habit of sitting silently latest honour was the naming of a “During the Jan. 17 meeting through meetings until they meeting room in the School of Public room naming ceremony, speakers approached their close, and then Administration at the University of recalled that while Trudeau sported offering the few lines that shaped the Victoria as the Tom Shoyama Room. the roses in his lapel, it was Shoyama outcome. People usually didn’t On the front page of the who grew them. The horticulture- bother continuing the debate after January 24, 2002 issue of The loving economist was born in Shoyama had said his lines.” He also RING—The University of Victoria’s Kamloops in 1916. Between 1939 described Shoyama as “un petit gar Community Newspaper is a photo of and 1945, Shoyama worked as editor de Kamloops, son of a Japanese Tom holding “a photo of himself and publisher of a civil rights weekly immigrant, who was taken during his days as an advisor newspaper, described as a “lifeline” unceremoniously escorted out of to former Prime Minister Pierre for Japanese Canadians in British Columbia by the RCMP, and Trudeau.” (See NIKKEI IMAGES, internment camps, and served briefly forty years later, having served in his July 1997, Vol. 2, No.3.) To quote in the intelligence corps of the country’s army at war, having served further from The RING: “Appropri- Canadian army. Following the end at the very peaks of his country’s ately, Shoyama’s photo will face of the Second World War, he began public service, returned home Trudeau’s portrait across the meet- his public service career with the wearing the highest honours his ing room’s table.” Saskatchewan government in 1946.” country can bestow upon a loyal “Shoyama was honoured for “Shoyama also holds the citizen.” He referred to Tom as “a his work as a former faculty member Order of Canada, the Order of the Living National Treasure.” To this of the school and his life of public Sacred Treasure from the government most apt tribute, we Japanese service, including positions as of Japan, and a 1999 honourary Canadians can merely nod our heads Canada’s deputy minister of finance degree from UVic.” in complete agreement, in awe, and and special advisor to the Privy One of the speakers noted with pride. a Council on economic aspects of the that, “in Ottawa he [Tom] was famed Tsuneharu Gonnami, by Mitsuo Yesaki Tsuneharu Gonnami, a significant collection and native of Hikone City, Shiga preservation projects undertaken by Prefecture, graduated in 1962 from the Library. the Japan Library School of Keio In the autumn of 1970, Basil University in Tokyo. He worked for Stuart-Stubbs (Head Librarian, the Technical Library of the UBC), John Howes (Professor of Meidensha Electric Manufacturing Japanese Studies, UBC), Tsuneharu Company Research Library in Tokyo Gonnami and Mitsuru Shimpo (Pro- from 1962 to 1969 before his fessor of Sociology, University of immigration to Canada. Waterloo) met with Tsutae Sato, the Gonnami met many former principal of the Vancouver Japanese Canadians in Japan after Japanese School. Sato suggested a World War II as many repatriats were systematic survey be conducted to originally from Shiga Prefecture. collect historical documents and pub- Their stories about Canada piqued his lished books about Japanese Cana- interest to immigrate to Toronto in dians. Stuart-Stubbs appointed September 1969. He applied for Gonnami as liaison between the UBC employment with the Asian Libraries Library and the Japanese community. of the Universities of Toronto and He was responsible for gathering British Columbia. The Asian Library material in British Columbia and the of UBC accepted and sent him an other provinces, except Ontario. airline ticket and he commenced Shimpo collected material in Ontario Tsuneharu Gonnami (Stan Fukawa working in October 1969. During his and sent it to UBC. The Japanese photo, 2002) long tenure with the Asian Library, Canadian Collection is housed in the Gonnami participated on several Special Collections Division of the

4 Main Library and consists of 41 lin- microfilming the 1941 issues of the Company presented two sets of the ear feet of unpublished documents, KANADA SHINBUN and NIKKAN Kanada Iminshi Shiryo to the Asian 240 published books, 8 periodicals, MINSHU on two reels in 1994 and Library on December 5, 2000. The 850 photographs, 2 films, 140 pho- the 1938-1948 issues of THE NEW Company also donated a complete set nographs and 134 audiotapes. CANADIAN (4 reels) in 1999. The of these volumes to The Japanese Gonnami assisted in a entire Japanese Canadian Collection Canadian National Museum. An program initiated by the UBC was microfilmed onto 19 reels in English supplement, comprised of Library in 1987 to preserve journals, 1996. tables of contents in English and a unpublished documents and A joint publication project translated version of Kanada to monographs on microfilm. The first between the UBC Library and the Nihonjin, was published in February project involved the microfilming of Fuji Publishing Company of Tokyo 2001. the TAIRIKU NIPPO (68 reels), a for preserving important Japanese Mr. Toshiro Ozawa, Consul- Japanese language newspaper Canadian historical books began in General of Japan gave the keynote published from 1908 to 1941. A 1994. Gonnami was appointed as speech “Japan’s Visions for the Asia- generous donation by Mr. and Mrs. editor and translator for Series II. Pacific” at a retirement reception Naomichi Nishimura of Hikone Volume 1 to 5 of Series I and Volume held for Tsuneharu Gonnami on May Public Library to the UBC Library 6 to 10 of Series II were published in 31, 2002 at the Institute of Asian provided funds for the master 1995 and 2000, respectively. The Research, UBC. Gonnami presented microfilm of this newspaper. Other officials of the Fuji Publishing a lecture titled “The Japanese newspaper projects included Collections at UBC Libraries”. a Why Hakujin Can’t Catch Sockeye or a Japanese Canadian Fishing Legacy? by Paul Kariya During the late 1960’s on the Tofino, Prince Rupert, Port Edward to get the Nikkei back on the coast fishing docks of Ucluelet it was and elsewhere. These were full of British Columbia. During the pretty well common knowledge that featured places with schools, stores, second peak, the dominance of the the Japanese Canadian trollers would churches and various clubs and Nikkei fleet was not as huge as during load up their boats with sockeye associations. Pre-war, despite the the pre-war period, but none-the-less while the non-Japanese Canadian restrictive and discriminatory actions it was just as significant. fishermen could hardly catch one or of governments to limit the Japanese Today most of the fish can- two incidental sockeye. At its worst, Canadian influence it still pervaded. neries of the coast are gone – fish the Nikkei boats unloading at the BC Finally (and some commentators processing is concentrated in Packers camp, “Retriever II” or the would say fishing was the catalyst), Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Ucluelet Fishing Company would in 1942 the federal Cabinet of the day Ucluelet (for hake). Commercial have 200 – 300 sockeye per day while took drastic action under the War salmon fisheries are a remnant of the non-Nikkei vessels might have 2 Measures Act to dispossess and what they were only a decade ago. – 3 sockeye. In a previous era this remove all Japanese Canadians from There are now only a handful of Japa- type of disparity might have led to the coast. This action solved the nese Canadian fishermen who have riots and discriminatory retaliation. competitive disadvantage problem endured and continue to make a liv- Was there something racial or that many non-Japanese Canadian ing from the sea. But nobody can cultural in this? What was going on? fishermen felt they had been under. take away the legacy that the Japa- At its peak (and there were Boats gone, homes gone, nese Canadian fishermen have left on probably 2 peaks, pre and post World people gone; West Coast fishing the West Coast fishery and probably War 2), Japanese Canadians following the war years was very the making of Canadian history. The dominated the West Coast fishing different from what it had been. old-timers (Nikkei and non-Nikkei) industry. Their influence touched all Many fishing company executives can pick out the stylistic influences aspects of the fishing enterprise from lobbied the federal government to of Japanese Canadian boat builders boat building, gear design, fishing, permit Japanese Canadians to return (many who also fished). Atagi, fish transport, to processing. Large to the coast to fish and work in the Kishi, Nakade, Taguchi and many and colourful communities existed in canneries. Bizarre, but fishing might others produced vessels with unique places like Steveston, Ucluelet, in part have been a political impetus Continued on page 6 5 sea-kindliness or flare. Similarly, the nese Canadian fishermen. The for- Is it true that Hakujin fisher- impacts on gear design and fishing mal ceremony will take place on a men could not catch sockeye on troll technique are significant but largely site located just east of the former gear? Yes, for a number of years, undocumented and untold. Consider Imperial Cannery and west of the until the innovation that the Japanese the early development of the beam Britannia Shipyards. Local Rich- Canadian fishermen had come up trawl shrimp and prawn industry. mond artist, Junichiro Iwase has cap- with had been shared and found its Indeed, in the 1980’s when the tured the strength, poise and will of way into common usage, it looked Vancouver Canadians baseball team the fishermen in a simple but power- like non-Japanese Canadians needed annual net maintenance on its ful image. couldn’t catch sockeye. The inno- large nets to protect fans from foul Former Japanese Canadian vation was to troll near dead slow balls at Nat Bailey Stadium, they fishermen and their spouses, current speed, with Red Hotspot flashers or turned to an all Nikkei former fish- fishermen, special guests and digni- Abe and Al Flashers with a huge ermen crew for help! taries will gather on site to witness pitch in them, towing short leaders A group of retired Japanese the unveiling. with back mustad hooks with only a Canadian fishermen have been meet- Phase 3 will commence in bit of red hoochie tied to them with ing bi-weekly for over a year to de- the fall of 2002. The Japanese Ca- red wool. The adaptations seemed velop and implement a project to rec- nadian Fishermen’s Committee simple, but were a mini-revolution to ognize and thank all Japanese Cana- wants to research and publish a dogma that had pervaded the troll dian fishermen. Phase 1 began with photo-history of the development of fleet for generations. a thank you dinner in which all Japa- the fishing industry and communities These commemorative nese Canadian fishermen, their in British Columbia from the per- projects are being undertaken by the spouses, widows and widowers over spective of the contribution of Japa- Japanese Canadian Fishermen’s the age of 60 met in Steveston and nese Canadians. Subjects to be cov- Committee in partnership with the had a wonderful reunion in Septem- ered could include: where did the Japanese Canadian National Mu- ber 2001. People came from as far pioneer first generation come from seum as part of the Japanese Cana- away as Toronto and Prince Rupert in Japan, what are prefectural influ- dian community’s celebration of 125 to attend. And despite the degraded- ences they brought, what were the years since the arrival of the first im- ness and infirmities that age brings, new innovations vs. adaptations, migrant from Japan. Financial sup- the celebration was joyous and the what was everyday life like in the port has been received from a large pride of these people evident. Japanese Canadian fishing commu- number of Japanese Canadian fish- Phase 2 is a monument to be nity, the role of women, key people ermen, National Association of Japa- unveiled on the Fraser River in and key places, etc. There is much nese Canadians, Consulate General Steveston on September 20, 2002, as to be researched and interpreted that of Japan, Vancouver Japanese Gar- part of Nikkei Heritage Week. The the Fishermen’s Committee in part- deners Association, City of Rich- Japanese Canadian Fishermen’s nership with the Japanese Canadian mond, CIBC, fishing companies and Committee will unveil a statue which National Museum wishes to under- many community and business do- pays tribute to the courage, persever- take. nors. a ance and accomplishment of Japa- Home Again by Carl Yokota On Saturday, July 6, 2002, I south of Los Angeles. The majority former residents returned only to find accompanied my mother, Ayako, to of the men were immigrant Japanese that their homes had all been attend the unveiling of the much- fishermen and many of the women destroyed and any semblance of awaited Terminal Island Memorial worked in the numerous fish Terminal Island’s once bustling Monument. It would be my mother’s canneries or raised their families. furusato was gone forever. first visit to Terminal Island, After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Over the years a tireless California since her birth there nearly all of the Terminal Island residents group of former Terminal Islanders 77 years ago. were forcibly removed from their have dedicated themselves to honor Two years ago, I first wrote beloved Fish Harbor homes and sent the self-sacrificing contributions of about this pre-WWII Japanese off to interior relocation camps. their issei parents and grandparents. enclave of nearly 3000 residents When WWII ended, some of the The Terminal Island Memorial

6 Zen garden. To one end of the Monument is a bronze, life-like statue of two Japanese American fishermen, one crouched on his legs mending a net looking back towards Fish Harbor, while the other is standing and pulling in a net, looking out towards the sea. The physical features of the statue are very convincing right down to their facial features, muscular arms and fishing needle in one of their hands. Directly behind the bronze statue is a clear glass panel, etched with a Japanese poem and its English translation and a superimposed scene of old Fish Harbor. On the other side of the torii, Ayako Yokota in front of the Terminal island Memorial Monument. (Carl Yokota and secured to the seawall are photo, 2002) stainless steel panels inscribed with Monument is the latest and most The Terminal Island the names of pioneer Terminal endearing of their many group- Memorial Monument is comprised of Islanders and project donors. My initiated projects. With sunny skies several unique design elements. The mother’s parents, Shigematsu and and the sound of seagulls in the most striking feature is a 17-foot high Koyo Ozaki as well as my background, an estimated 800 invited replica of an original Terminal Island grandfather’s fishing boat, the MIO guests, family members and friends temple torii straddling a raised and MARU, are on one of these panels. gathered at the Memorial site walled concrete platform. There is a A time capsule containing some adjacent to the new Los Angeles walkway on each end leading the Terminal Island memorabilia was County Fireboat Station No.111. visitor up to the torii gate. Secured secured inside the base of the bronze With Los Angeles’ KABC 7 into the front of the arched wall are statue, which is to be opened in 2042, Eyewitness News’ Rob Fukuzaki, pre-WWII photos and accompanying 100 years after the original forced whose own great grandfather was a written captions of Terminal Island eviction off Terminal Island. Terminal Island fishermen, acting as life etched into black marble panels. Near the conclusion of the master of ceremonies the two hour- In front of the wall, is a mini Japanese Continued on page 8 long program included a taiko drum salute, speeches and attendance by local, city, port authority, state and out of town dignitaries. Also present were several television and newspaper reporters to record this memorable event. There was even a shinto purification rite and the ceremonial breaking of a sake barrel and kampai toast. Official ribbon- cutters included one of the few remaining Terminal Island Issei, 105- year old Mrs. Shie Shindo of Berkley, California. As the eager crowd of guests looked on, the executive committee members of the Terminal Islanders organization formally unveiled the Terminal Island Ayako Yokota, K. Stanley Yamashita, Yukio Tatsumi, Chiye Tatsumi and Dorothy Memorial Monument. Yamashita beside the bronze statue of two Japanese American fishermen. (Carl Yokota photo, 2002) 7 dedication ceremony the crowd was For all their hard work the attending the ceremonies, she did not pleasantly treated to several water- Terminal Islanders led by club know any other former Terminal gun salutes by a City of Los Angeles president Yukio Tatsumi and through Islanders. But, not surprisingly, she fireboat, which had quietly the vision of the late Dr. Robert C. was immediately and warmly positioned itself inside Fish Harbor. Ryono now have a lasting legacy for welcomed back into their fold. Once Afterwards, a luncheon was held at all to enjoy. This trip to Terminal a Terminal Islander always a the Ports O’ Call Restaurant in Island especially for my mother was Terminal Islander. She was finally nearby San Pedro where over 200 a very moving one. Prior to our home again. a people attended. Spirit of Steveston by Carl Yokota On July 1st, Canada Day celebrations at the 57th annual Steveston Salmon Festival were a smashing success. “Canada’s biggest little birthday party” attracted a record crowd in excess of 50,000 visitors to this historic fishing community. Overcast morning skies soon cleared, drawing thousands of enthusiastic and patriotic visitors to enjoy the over two-hour long, 100 entry-plus Steveston Salmon Festival parade as it made its way through the village of Steveston. This year’s Kotokane-kai members from Niitsu City giving a recital of Japanese folk and honorary Parade Marshall was popular songs on their taisho kotos . (Carl Yokota photo, 2002) Steveston resident, Lanky Mizuguchi. At the conclusion of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centres. melodic songs including a nostalgic parade, everyone headed for the There were displays of model fishing rendition of the late Kyu Sakamoto’s Steveston Community Centre site boats, Japanese bonsai, shodo 1961 hit song, Ue o Muite Aruko where a variety of unique and crowd- (calligraphy), ikebana, origami, (better known as Sukiyaki in North pleasing attractions were featured. pottery, traditional Japanese ningyo America). The Steveston Buddhist There was fun for the entire dolls, miniature Japanese paper dolls, Church volunteers also took part in family: a Children’s Festival, a Trade bread dough flowers and handicrafts traditional Japanese obon dances, and Craft Fair, a Flower and Garden made by the Steveston’s Japanese and outside at the Japanese food Show, Main Stage Musical Senior’s Club. Martial arts booths eager and hungry festival Entertainment, a midway carnival, techniques for judo, kendo, aikido visitors quickly queued up to sample baseball games, and many different and karate were also demonstrated favorites such as chow mein, gyoza, community food booths, including throughout the afternoon. sushi, and yakisoba. the always-popular Steveston A group of Japanese guests At dusk, spectators were Salmon Barbecue which sold out from the Kotokane-kai, a music treated to a fireworks show held at quickly. school in Niitsu City, Japan, gave Garry Point Park. It was a colorful Steveston’s Japanese performances on the Taisho Koto, a and appealing way to conclude community was well represented modern version of the Japanese Canada’s 135th birthday celebrations through exhibits and activities held stringed koto. They played several in Steveston. a at the Steveston Martial Arts and Galiano Island Vice-Regal Visit by Stan Fukawa On May 28, two parties of Gulf Islands ferry bound for Galiano group went to mark the visit of Japanese Canadian visitors left and Mayne Islands. British Columbia Lieut. Governor, Tsawwaasan Ferry Terminal on the The smaller Galiano Island the Honourable Iona Campagnolo, to

8 elegance and impressive both in her graciousness and her down-to-earth approachability. In her speech, she explained that she was a child of nine when suddenly her Japanese Canadian class-mates were gone from the Prince Rupert school, followed a year later by the removal of her First Nations friends and school-mates to residential schools. She had not realized at the time the pain that her chums would be facing in their respective exiles. She spoke of the injustices to Japanese Canadians who had The Honourable Iona Campagnolo with Jim Tanaka, Mary Ohara, Eizo Hayashi, proven their loyalty by volunteering Moe Yesaki, Masami Hirano and Stan Fukawa at the restored charcoal pit kiln for the Canadian forces during the site on Galiano Island. (Stan Fukawa photo, 2002) First World War. She acknowledged the island of her birth and the site of Ohara who was also born on Galliano the errors of the past and the better the Japanese Charcoal Kiln Island. Past-president Jim Tanaka times that have allowed us to see the reconstructed by Steve Nemtin. spoke on behalf of the WKK as it was contributions that all the different Steve’s work has been described in under his leadership that the group groups have made to the previous issues of this newsletter, as had erected the bronze plaque development of our country. It was has his research on the subject of marking the site. The particular style a short speech but one that showed Charcoal Pits. Nikkei Images of the Galiano charcoal pit was both her first-hand knowledge and publisher and B.C. fisheries identified as coming from Wakayama her sympathy for those who had historian, Moe Yesaki, claims that Prefecture and this was the impetus suffered unfairly. charcoal was important for about 15 for the WKK to assist in preserving Allan Forget of the Galiano years from around 1885 to 1908 this relic of Japanese Canadian Club presented the Museum a when a high temperature fuel was history. Also, in the very brief videotape of interviews with Galiano required to solder the cans. Some ceremony unveiling the notice board old-timers recalling the early days of Japanese fishermen made use of their describing the kiln, Jim Tanaka paid the community, including a five- charcoal-making expertise for tribute to the hard work and ingenuity minute segment with Mary Ohara on additional income in the off-season. of the Wakayama pioneers and their the Japanese settlement of 60 years With advances in canning important contributions to the history ago. Many photos were taken, one technology, charcoal was no longer and economy of the province. of which appears here. Representing needed and charcoal production was The Honourable Iona the Museum were Mitsuo (Moe) curtailed. Campagnolo, the Lieutenant Yesaki, our publisher, and Stan The Wakayama Kenjin Kai Governor of British Columbia, Fukawa, your scribe. Our thanks to (hereafter WKK) was represented by arrived at the kiln with her Steve Nemtin and Martha Miller for the current president Eliza Hayashi, ceremonially attired aide-de-camp. their kind hospitality and wonderful past-president Jim Tanaka, former The rest of us were still in our rain- luncheon, and to the Galiano Society president Masami Hirano and Mary gear but she was the picture of for their gracious afternoon tea. a Speaking Notes for Mayne Island Japanese Garden Dedication Ceremony by Jenji Konishi Your Honour, the men: extended to us on this special Honourable Iona Campagnola, Lieu- On behalf of the Japanese occasion. tenant Governor of British Columbia; Canadian families who resided on We thank you for your warm Members of the Mayne Island Parks Mayne Island prior to April 21st, friendship, you community spirit and and Recreation Commission; Mayne 1942, I wish to thank you for the leadership, which have been Island residents; Ladies and Gentle- warm welcome and hospitality Continued on page 10 9 demonstrated through the enemy aliens, divested of all human luncheon at the Lighthouse, the development and dedication of this rights and freedoms; properties were ceremony of the dedication of the beautiful garden. Your actions have confiscated and sold without our Japanese Garden, and the memorable provided a legacy of goodwill for the permission for a fraction of their words of our Lieutenant Governor, generations to follow. worth; and as mentioned before, we the Honourable Iona Campagnola, all What happened on April were forced to move from our homes. serve to highlight the continuing 21st, 1942? This was the day, 60 years We on Mayne Island were friendship and the recognition that ago, when Canadians of Japanese very fortunate indeed to have so Justice came in our time, whatever ancestry – 50 people from 11 families many friends in the community who rights or wrongs were done during – were forcibly removed from Mayne stuck by us and provided friendship World War II. Island, as were 21,000 other Japanese and support, prior to, during and after As guests and recipients of Canadians living within 100 miles of World War II. This support was and what Mayne Island Parks and the BC coast. All these people forced still is very deeply appreciated. We Recreation Commission has done from their homes were sent to the are especially thankful to Marie today, we Canadians of Japanese interior of British Columbia to Elliot, daughter of the late Fred and ancestry shall be forever thankful and internment centres or to camps east Margaret Bennett and for their grateful. a of the Rockies. All this occurred as a family’s support. Marie’s book, (This address was delivered by result of the bombing of Pearl Mayne Island and the Outer Gulf Dick Nakamura at the Japanese Garden Harbour by Japan on December 7th, Islands – A History, was published Dedication Ceremony on Mayne Island on May 29, 2002.The Honourable Iona 1941. in 1984 and related much about the Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of This action had terrible Canadians of Japanese ancestry who British Columbia, unveiled the plaque significance. We Canadians of resided there. dedicated to the Japanese residents of Japanese ancestry were declared Today’s events, the buffet the island.) THE NIPPON MARU VISIT by Kelvin Higo food purchasing and preparation for the barbeque after the ball game. The Committee also approached Jim Tanaka of the Wakayama-Kenjin-Kai to host the crew and cadets and the Kenjin-Kai graciously offered to sponsor a luncheon. The Captain and crew had many official visits to attend during their stay, including a Captain’s Reception held on the ship on the evening of July 11th. However, Sunday was left free for the officers, crew and cadets to relax and take in the local sights. Arrangements were made to have some tour guides take the cadets NIPPON MARU at moorage with all sails set for appreciative on-lookers. (Larry on a walking tour of Steveston. Mr. Maekawa photo, 2002) Toshio Murao, Mr. and Mrs. Mits The NIPPON MARU hosting of the cadets and crew of the Sakai, Mr. S. Morishita, Mrs. Frank visited Steveston and was moored on NIPPON MARU as the cadets Sakai and Mrs. Tabata the Fishing Pier at the foot of No. 3 wished to have a goodwill baseball enthusiastically volunteered. Cadets Road from the 10th to 17th of July. game against members from the local were first driven to the Britannia Richmond Tall Ships community. Helping with the event Historical Shipyards for a tour of the Committee requested the Steveston were Kelvin Higo, Ross Sakai, Marty Kishi Boat Works and the adjacent Japanese Canadian Community Tanaka, Julie Matsuyama and Kay shipyard. They were then taken to Centre to become involved in the Higo. Julie and Kay took care of the the Steveston Community Centre

10 where they disembarked on a walking accommodate the number of cadets event, especially those playing tour of Steveston. The tour ended wanting to play baseball. All games baseball expressed their thanks in with a visit to the Gulf of Georgia were enthusiastically watched by being allowed to be part of this event. National Museum where the cadets members of the community, many The cadets and crew especially were hosted by the museum and who were seniors watching their appreciated the participation of the taken on a tour of that facility. grandchildren play baseball for the community in the celebrations of Upon returning to the very first time. their visit. community centre, the cadets and The team players enjoyed a The cadets noted the officers were taken through the park short rest period after the spirited welcome they received from the local to the Steveston Buddhist Church baseball games, and then were residents was such that when they where they were feted to a delicious invited to a barbeque of hamburgers, were walking to Steveston or back lunch hosted by the Kenjin-Kai. hot dogs and watermelon. Afterwards to their ship, they never completed President Hayashi welcomed the it was noted that all the cadets were their walk without someone stopping invited guests including Mayor walking around the park with their to offer them a ride. Malcolm Brodie and his wife, heads looking down. Kay Higo On Monday, one of the Councillor Harold Steves and various inquired of the Captain whether female ball players ran into a few of City staff. anyone had lost something, the cadets. The cadets immediately After the luncheon, the whereupon the Captain chuckled and recognized her as the girl the pitcher cadets changed out of their uniforms stated, “No, the cadets are just had almost hit with one of his pitches to play baseball on two fields in picking up all the garbage!” during the game. The trio of cadets Steveston Park. All members of the Once the area was clean, the immediately bowed to the girl and Steveston community teams were cadets all gathered before their hosts expressed their apologies and they all comprised of persons of Japanese and sang a rousing version of had a good laugh over the incident. ancestry. One team was comprised of “sailing, sailing”. The hosts The girl then offered to take the trio girls, most of them from various responded by singing “row, row, row shopping to Richmond Centre where teams in Richmond. The other team your boat” and then to the surprise they all had lunch together. was made up of local males between of everyone, the cadets and crew led Everyone is excited of the the ages of 15 to 21 years. The cadets by the captain shook hands of all the prospect of the NIPPON MARU ranged in age from 20 to 23 years. hosts for the enjoyable day that they visiting Steveston again when the Four mini games, each of four had had. Almost every person next Tall Ships event takes place. a innings duration, were played to participating in this community Japanese Canadian National Museum Members Vote YES on Merger by Stan Fukawa On July 20, 2002, the JCNM Kamiya, a long-standing and development of the Museum as part held a Special General Meeting at the continuing leader of the Museum, of an integrated organization in National Nikkei Heritage Centre to expressed great satisfaction in both combination with the NNHCS. decide on a proposal to merge the the percentage of members who JCNM President Stan Museum with the National Nikkei participated in the voting and the Fukawa raised his wineglass to lead Heritage Centre Society (NNHCS). overwhelming percentage of those the gathered party in a toast to the Craig Natsuhara served as Chair. who were in favour. “This is a clear success of the yet-to-be-named Larry Okada, of Staley, Okada, and strong mandate to go ahead,” he society which will rise out of the Chandler and Scott, the JCNM said. The process had begun a year merger process. He thanked all the auditors, counted the ballots. Of the earlier with talks between the Merger people attending the meeting for their 357 members eligible to vote, 245 or Committees from the two societies. support as well as the many more 69% participated, mostly by mail-in A beaming Mits Hayashi, President who took the time to read the material ballots with some ballots brought in of the NNHCS and himself a JCNM and participate in the mail-in ballot. by members to the meeting. Of those member, congratulated the JCNM The resolution that was voting, 233 members or 95.1% voted Board on having achieved the strong passed by the membership includes: for the merger. support of the membership in going (a) adoption of a new name Past President Frank forward to the next stage in the Continued on page 12 11 for the merged organization such as “Japanese Canadian is to be constituted for the first three years of half of the National Museum and Nikkei Heritage Centre” or similar directors from each of the two groups, JCNM and mutually agreeable name which clearly expresses the NNHCS. concept of a Japanese Canadian national museum. (d) merging together of the assets and liabilities (b) retention by the merged organization of the of the JCNM and the NNHCS. national mandate of the JCNM and the original museum It is anticipated that the process for merger will goals outlined in the JCNM Constitution. go ahead fairly quickly and be completed within a few (c) board of directors of the merged organization months. a 2002 A.D. - 60th Anniversary of Internment Still Lingers On: The 60th Anniversary of the Internment. Part 2 “A Ganbare Family” by Tom I. Tagami This is the second part of my account of my dance hall called Happyland. The dance hall was just on family’s forced removal from the West Coast of British the other side of the fence, where people were allowed Columbia during the Second World War. These are my to come and go freely. I watched a lively bunch of young memories of our stay in Hastings Park, and our subse- people about my age – Caucasians – dancing to the quent move to Slocan City, an internment camp in the popular music of Glenn Miller, such as In the Mood, interior of British Columbia. Moonlight Serenade, and other songs. It was such a Hastings Park was not a comfortable place to be contrast to the miserable living conditions we were in, as a person never knew when you’d get a paper to sign with no choice given. I could name quite a few who sided with the British Columbia Security Commission in order to better their own position, but I will keep it con- fidential. I spent close to three months in Hastings Park. There wasn’t a moment to relax. In the middle of our sleep, around 3:00 a.m., they would come around with a sprayer and spray us with disinfectant to prevent any serious sickness in the park. Other times they would demand that we show them our identification cards to see if we were legally in the park. For breakfast we lined up outside, rain or shine, to get a serving of cold mush in a tin bowl and greasy bacon with a cold fried egg on a tin plate. It wasn’t very appetizing and most of it went in the garbage. The only thing that anybody wanted from the kitchen was a slice or two of buttered bread to fill their stomachs. I was one of the janitors in the kitchen and one day they had a hunger strike due to the poor food. It kept six of us busy hauling garbage cans out to where a truck came to pick it up. Everybody complained but it didn’t do much good. They called the food by some fancy names, such as Salisbury steak or shepherd’s pie, but it was always plain old hamburger with chunks of vegetables cooked together. My brother and I were on the afternoon shift and the cooks always had some salmon or good meat put away for us, so it made up for the sloppy cans of garbage we had to wheel down a ramp. Slocan ice rink where we bunked and ate our meals on One Saturday evening after we finished our work, the tables set up on the dusty dirt floor. Goal net in I sat by the window looking across Hastings Park at a background. Slocan, BC. (Tom I. Tagami photo, 1942)

12 Security Commission needed loggers ready to go to work cutting to cut wood and carpenters to build cordwood, they told us to walk to shacks to accommodate the people work. We balked about it but finally stuck in Hastings Park. My older decided to walk the half-mile or so. brother and I decided to venture out But when we came back for lunch, to parts unknown and signed up with my brother was not in his bunk, and about three hundred married and our friend said he went to see the single men to go to Slocan City. We nurse. left Vancouver on June 29, 1942 and When I came back after arrived in Slocan City on a hot 100- work and all my bedding and degree day on July 1. belongings were gone, I asked what There was some kind of was wrong and was told that my celebration going on, but we were brother had caught the mumps. anxious to get settled in before it got Because we were bed partners, they too late. They said we had to had moved our stuff to an isolation Camp 5 crew at Passmore waiting for truck to take us home to Slocan, Friday transport our own baggage about two shack. Just my luck! I had to stay after work. Back L-R: Yuki Maruya, blocks or so from the train station, there with him for three weeks, not Bernie Yokota, Mits Terakita, Tom I. where there was an old rickety allowed to go near anybody else. Tagami. Front L-R: Bill Isoki, Joe skating rink. They had not built an There was a family of three in there Eguchi, Gen Nakahara. (Tom I. Tagami office yet, so the supervisor came out with us, as their young boy had also photo, ca. 1945) from an old shack to meet us. With caught the mumps. At least we had experiencing inside Hastings Park. It his hands behind his suspenders, all company, but it was still a boring really hit me how unfair it was, that he said was, “My name is Hartley three weeks for me. To make matters even though we were Canadian born, and you take orders from me.” We worse, the shack was located beside just because we were a visible complained about having to carry our an old mine mill building being minority, we were held in a barbed own baggage, and he replied, “If you renovated into small rooms for wire enclosure under guard. I was don’t do as I say, I’ll ship you all to people to live in. On top of the daily saddened at the thought that I was as prisoner of war camps,” so we construction noise next door was a Canadian as they were, but I was reluctantly trudged up the road with big one-cylinder diesel engine going completely segregated from them. our baggage to the old skating rink. Continued on page 14 By far the saddest part of There were already a few Tom I. Tagami high rigging a spar tree men staying there, and they had Hastings Park was seeing women for the Passmore Lumber Co. (Tom I. with three or four children and about constructed a bunch of double-decker Tagami photo, 1945) a six-month old baby strapped to their beds in pairs. This was a very old backs, stuck in the smelly old live- outdoor skating rink, with a stock buildings, trying to dry diapers galvanized tin roof and a dusty dirt in the rainy weather. Their husbands floor. The wallboards were loose and were stuck in the road camps in the flapping around, and some had fallen Rockies, so the onus was on them to off. The bunk beds were set up in one do things themselves. However, over end of the rink, in the middle were time, Hastings Park was getting filled tables to eat at, and a kitchen took up up. The authorities decided to recall the other end. The kitchen area was the married men from the road only partly walled, with the cooks camps, and sent them to ghost towns making food on stoves practically in to help the carpenters build tar paper the open air, flies and all. Talk about shacks and renovate the old hotels, unsanitary. so that the families in Hastings Park Somehow we got to our could be moved away from the coast. bunks and settled down for the night. Once approval came through My brother and I slept side by side for families to live together as a group on an upper bunk. The next morning in the internment camps, the BC he said he wasn’t feeling too well, so he stayed in bed. When we were 13 “Thump! Thump! Thump!” for 24 building, and between all of us we hours a day to keep the town supplied had only one 4 x 5 foot stove to cook with electricity. It was only by the on, so we had to eat in different shifts. very end of the isolation period that These rooms were also near the diesel we managed to grow accustomed to engine, so we still had to listen to it all the noise. thumping away all night. What we There had been lightning and had to endure was not easy. thunder every day since we arrived However, the old mine in Slocan. During every cloudburst, building that we lived in was much the old tin roof on the rink would start safer than some of the other buildings leaking. Either we got cooked in there in Slocan City. For example, in the on the hot days, or everything became eleven or twelve old hotels in Slocan soaking wet when it rained. In the City, they had partitioned the rooms meantime we lived in the dilapidated to make small family living quarters. rink and were busy cutting cordwood The first people to arrive in Slocan, to have dry wood for winter. many of them from the Skeena River Everybody used woodstoves for heat Tom I. Tagami and older brother Ichiro area, occupied most of the downtown and cooking, so there wasn’t much in front of Tagami family’s BC Security buildings. Each floor housed about wood left for winter, despite the Commission shack, dressed up for Mr. ten families, who shared one kitchen amount we cut. Toyota’s funeral in Slocan, BC. (Tom I. stove and ate in their own rooms. We were sent to cut wood on Tagami photo, ca. 1943) Each building had one wood-burning land owned by a man named Shook. started chasing him down the road to heater, with a brick chimney. This He was a strange old man who had a the office. In the meantime, the was connected to a ramshackle piece of land between Popoff and carpenters were putting up shacks in network of six-inch stovepipes on Bayfarm, with timber on it. His shack Popoff, doing the best they could, and each of the three floors, which served was near the Slocan highway in a with little thanks, so they also to heat the rooms. It is a wonder that hollow near Bayfarm, and in the decided to run their foreman out of they never had a fire in any of the evening you could hear him playing Slocan. By coincidence the two hotels. A crew of men cleaned the a piano all by himself. It was kind of crews were doing the two things at chimneys every day, as they only had spooky walking by his house at night, the same time and met at the Slocan wet wood to burn, and this gave off as you could hear the piano music out highway at the same time and chased lots of creosote instead of heat. On in the middle of nowhere, and see both of them out of town. They were top of that, when a new bunch of him playing by lamplight. both gone the next day. We were all people moved into a building, One day when we were young guys and fed up from being someone always had bed bugs in their cutting wood about halfway up pushed around, so it didn’t take much luggage, so the authorities were Shook’s mountain, the bush foreman, to get things going. forever fumigating the hotels. No a man named Bradner, said we While in the isolation shack matter where you lived, there were weren’t working hard enough. We with my brother, I put in an no pleasant places. were paid only 25 cents an hour and application to obtain living quarters We had put our names in for had to use that to pay for our keep, for our family of eleven. Dad and a 14 x 28 foot and a 14 x 20 foot so we worked hard for every mom and the rest of the family house in Popoff, and were hoping to important cent. We were so angry at arrived in Slocan on July 23, 1942, move in before it got too cold. Eleven what Bradner had said, that we got and we moved into the old mine of us were supposed to share the10 x together and decided to run him out building once the renovations were 20 foot, two-room house, and the of Slocan. The next morning we put finished. It wasn’t the best of places three-room, 14 x 28-foot house, our cross cut saws on the stump and they offered us – a 10 x 12 foot room equally. But we let my older brother broke the saw blades in half. We for us seven kids, plus my brother’s Ich and his family live in the small chopped rock with our axes, to dull wife and baby, to sleep in, and a 6 x house, and the rest of us – eight and chip the edges. The Japanese 10 foot space that doubled as our altogether – crammed into the bigger foreman was frantic as we destroyed family mess hall and dad and mom’s house. It was winter by the time our our tools, but we wouldn’t listen to sleeping space. There were ten or houses were built, and the wood was him. As soon as we saw Bradner, we twelve families living in the same cut from second growth trees about 14 eight inches in diameter, so they were skit or shibai, and the hall would be especially Fred Aydon, were always pretty well frozen right through. packed. There was also a younger after me to sign up to go East. He It was one of the worst group of us in our late teens or early even had a sign on his desk that said, winters in Slocan history. We moved twenties. Somebody would say, “Go East Young Man.” I used to tell into our house around the middle of “Let’s have a dance,” and regardless him it should be “Go west young November, and it was almost as cold of what day of the week it was, we man” instead of “east”. But as long inside the house as it was outside. We would all pitch in 25 cents each to as you didn’t sign any papers, they had a tin heater and a kitchen stove rent the hall. We would also pay a couldn’t send you out. to heat the tarpaper shack. It took just few bucks to Tak Toyota, who Families were reluctantly as much wood to dry the wood in the brought his records and P.A. system. going to sugar beet farms in order to oven as it did to keep it warm. The By the fall of 1943 there was stay together as a family unit. I used temperature was about 15 to 20 less work around the camps, so the to tell them if we stuck together and degrees Fahrenheit, so when we got single men were laid off and didn’t budge, the BC Security up in the morning our blankets were encouraged by the supervisors to go Commission couldn’t do anything covered with frost and the whole out east. Many men felt that they but keep us here. But you know the inside of the house was frosted up were being harassed to do so. old Japanese saying, Shikata ga nai like the inside of a deep freezer. But Families like ours with lots of young [it can’t be helped]. People began to we were lucky to have even a shack men old enough to work were being say, “I guess we’ll go too.” I used to – lots of people spent that winter in pushed hard to go to sugar beet farms tell them “Ganbare [perseverance] is army tents set up in Popoff and in on the prairies. Many of the families the attitude.” The farmers would look the front of the rink, due to a housing from the Fraser Valley went directly them over, and the families with the shortage in the camps. It snowed to sugar beet farms as a family group. most able-bodied workers were about waist deep one night and the They had a rough time, working picked first. When they got to their tents collapsed. Everyone had a extremely hard and living in rickety destinations, they found that there rough winter to cope with. There shacks in farmers’ fields, so they told were many other families who had were housing shortages in other ghost the families who were still in BC not come from other ghost towns, all towns, too, so we all suffered the to come to the prairies. stuck on the prairies like a bunch of winter one way or the other. The young men started slaves. After the BC Security By late 1943 or early 1944, leaving in groups, hoping to be Commission got people out of the most of the people were living in allowed to work in Toronto or province, they didn’t care about houses and had dry cordwood to Montreal. By the summer of 1943 I anyones’ well being anymore. burn. They built six two-storey was laid off too, so the supervisors, Rev. G. Nakayama used to apartments for single men and for families whose husbands were in prisoner of war camps. These apartment buildings were meant to house about 100 people each. They built two apartment buildings side by side in Popoff, but ended up using one of them as a school. The single men who lived in the other apartment building slept in 6 x 8 foot cubbyholes, and shared a stove and cooking area of about 4 x 6 foot. The wives and children of men who were in prisoner of war camps took up the rest of the cramped apartments. We had to create our own entertainment, so about once a month a singing concert was held in the Odd Saying goodbye to young men heading east. Photo taken in front of Fellows’ Hall. Issei would put on a Taishodo drug store, Bayfarm, BC. (Tom I. Tagami photo, 1943) Continued on page 16 15 film the people working on the sugar beet farms, and Japanese working for them already, so on weekends the then visit Slocan to show the films he had taken. We saw lumber company brought us home by truck, and picked the awful conditions they had to put up with, and no one us up again at the beginning of the week. I didn’t have to wanted to go east. But people had no choice – they could hike the trail anymore. I didn’t like falling and bucking, either go to the prairies or to northern Ontario, where the but I reluctantly stuck it out for six months, so that I could work was cutting four-foot pulp wood in snowy, minus remain in BC. At that time my work partner decided to 23 to 25 degrees (Fahrenheit) weather. The BC Security go to Japan, and a new logging foreman was hired from Commission had orders to get people out of BC, so if the coast. He started high lead logging, which is what I there was a request for a family out east, they would send did at home, so I finally got a job that I liked and was anyone they could find. More people were sent out than familiar with. there were jobs available, so the government had to set The BC Security Commission stopped pushing up a small manning pool in Ontario for temporary shelter us to go east for a while, but on February 14, 1945 they until people found a place to go. The main objective was came up with a policy that offered us no alternative. We to get the Japanese out of BC. had to move east of the Rockies – get right out of BC – At about this time, we heard that if Japanese or we would be deported to Japan. These “choices” Canadians found work in logging or a sawmill within 50 applied to everyone, regardless of whether we were miles of where they interned, they could stay in BC. My Canadian born, naturalized Canadians, or Japanese younger brother had turned eighteen, so he and I applied nationals. If you didn’t choose, you were classified as to work as fallers with Cady Lumber and Pole Company uncooperative, no longer allowed to work anywhere in in Lemon Creek. There were quite a few Japanese from BC, and subject to deportation. Talk about a tough Lemon Creek camp already working for them. We had to hike up a mountain trail about five miles to our camp. Jirosaku and Koyoshi Tagami (Tom I. Tagami’s parents) This was much closer than going along logging roads by in front of Tagami family’s BC Security Commission shack bus or truck. We found out that logging and sawmill in Slocan, BC. (Tom I. Tagami photo, 1943) workers were classified as an essential service during wartime, so we couldn’t quit or be fired. We went to Nelson on February 7, 1944 to register with the Unemployment Insurance Commission. Six or seven of us met the supervisors in Nelson and they took us up to the camp. It was cold, with lots of snow, and we slept in a tent with about fifteen others. The tent was heated by one 45-gallon drum stove. All we had were cheap leather boots with no caulk on the soles, so we almost froze our toes off. We had to stay up there for the week, but on the weekend we hiked home and had the shoemaker fix up rubber boots with caulk soles, and our feet were not so cold after that. I worked at that job until July. Being used to working with logging machinery back home, whenever the operator was sick I used to take his place. Eventually he decided to quit, so I applied for the job, since I had been doing it part time already. But the Japanese foreman talked the camp boss into giving his brother the job. I was really angry with this, so I told the camp boss that I wanted to quit. He said that he couldn’t fire me, because I was an essential service worker. So I lay around the camp, getting paid for doing nothing, until he found a way to let me go. I went to the Unemployment Insurance office in Nelson and told them why I was laid off. Burns’ Lumber Company, near Passmore, needed a faller, so I applied there. It was handier for me – there were about 50 Continued on page 10 16 decision to make. young people who had gone to Toronto and Montreal to Gordon Burns, the owner of Burns’ Lumber find jobs were slowly allowed to move into the suburbs Company and the man I worked for, was a Liberal, and and smaller towns. By late 1946, interior centres such as had quite a bit of pull in Victoria. One of his Japanese Slocan, Tashme and Lemon Creek were closed. The head office staff told us that Burns had reminded the provincial office of the BC Security Commission was moved to New government that his employees were classed as essential Denver, where they moved the older couples and the service workers. At the time, there was a big demand for disabled, who were unable to survive on their own. lumber to be shipped overseas. If his Japanese workers In the meantime they started selling the were moved out of the province or deported, Burns said internment shacks for $50 – $75 each, a bargain price for he would have to shut down half of his mills. This support the farmers in the Slocan Valley or Slocan City residents came from an unexpected source, but it was good news to purchase storage sheds or new houses. If we had known to hear that our boss wanted to keep us in our jobs. Most that we would continue to live in Slocan for as long as of us refused to choose, and said that we would not leave we did, we would have purchased a few of the shacks BC. I came home to Slocan that weekend and my parents ourselves, as city lots cost next to nothing back then. They and siblings had also signed that they wished to remain moved the shacks by dragging them on skids over the in BC. I said if it came to a showdown and they decided snow, towed by a truck. Some people in the Slocan Valley to deport us, we could always change our minds at the are still living in those old shacks. The unsold shacks last minute and agree to move east, so we took a chance left in Lemon Creek, Popoff and Bayfarm were cut into and left it at that. sections, loaded onto flatcars or trucks, and shipped to In the meantime, more than ten thousand of those the prairies, where they were sold to farmers as grain living in the ghost towns had signed to be deported to sheds or storage buildings. They would pay you $10 to Japan, as they had lost all they had in Canada. It didn’t cut a house up into sections. matter where they went, they would have to start over On January 24, 1947, the deportation orders were with nothing. As people moved east or were deported, cancelled. Organizations and individuals had been the populations of the ghost towns were slowly dwindling. questioning the treatment of Japanese Canadians, On August 6, 1945, when the Americans dropped the especially those who were Canadian citizens. To us, this atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some of those expression of public support seemed too little, too late. slated for deportation began to wonder if their relatives The BC Security Commission no longer pressured us to in Japan would still be alive or not. No one had any direct go out east, but still restricted our movements. Since our communication with Japan – we could only read what savings and the money from property sales had been used was in the newspapers – so the bombing really shook the by the BC Security Commission to pay for our internment, internees. We didn’t know what would happen next. Soon we had no financial resources, so we had no choice but after, Japan surrendered to the United States, ending the to stay in Slocan. Second World War. My brothers and I continued to work as loggers, At this time, Japanese Americans, who had also earning 65 cents an hour. We stayed in the lumber camps, been removed from the west coast, were allowed to return and paid room and board. Our dream was always to try to their homes and reclaim their property. Some moved and get jobs on the west coast where we used to live, east, but most returned to their old homes. We all had maybe even move back to our hometown on Vancouver high hopes of the restrictions being lifted in Canada, too, Island. We stuck it out in Slocan until the end of 1948, but the Canadian government was determined to drive when it came time for our family to make a decision – the Japanese out of BC permanently. The War Measures should we stay where we were, or pack up everything Act expired on January 1, 1946, but the Canadian and start all over again somewhere else? Our family had government maintained its tight control over Japanese grown to 14, as my brother Ich and his wife Tomi had Canadians through Order-in-Council P.C. 8418, the three more children while we were in Slocan. We had no National Transitional Powers Act. We were still unable savings, so we made the sad decision that it would be too to work, travel or relocate without the permission of the hard to move a family of 14 across the province. We authorities. stayed in Slocan City and my brothers and I worked hard Our family rented a two-bedroom house in and saved our money, until we made enough to start our Slocan and tried to support ourselves, but the BC Security own lumber company. But that is another story. This Commission still had final say over our movements. By concludes my memory and experiences of living under mid-1946, larger numbers of people started moving out the clutches of the BC Security Commission. a east, to sugar beet farms or to Ontario or Quebec. The 17 My Experiences During the Second World War by Tamiko Haraga government as soon as war was declared with Japan. Each adult was allowed to take 150 pounds and each child 75 pounds of belongings with them. On April 20, 200 women and children and a handful of men set out for Greenwood, 360 miles away from the coast. At the CPR train station in Richmond, friends and relatives came to see us off. We exchanged “Farewel., Take care. We shall meet again someday”. Some had tears in their eyes. Some couldn’t face the separations, left and went home to wait for their turn. The trip took eighteen hours because of frequent stops. Most of us got sick, because too many people were crowded onto the train. There were about 50 people in each car. When we got to Greenwood, I was shocked to see only three operating stores, the rest were boarded up. Greenwood was once a boomtown in the early 1900s because of the Granby mine and smelter. It had a population of 6,000 people and twenty-eight hotels along Main Street and up the hillsides. It was a ghost town by 1940. The mayor of Greenwood in 1942 was McArthur, who had read in the newspapers about how the Japanese were going to be relocated from the coast. He read there were thousands in Hastings Park with few interior communities willing to accept them. McArthur felt that these hard-working people from the coast could put some life back into Greenwood. Here was a chance to help the war effort by taking the Japanese and improving the Tamiko Haraga in front of a general store in Greenwood. (Tamiko Haraga photo, 1942) economic conditions of Greenwood. There certainly were a lot of empty rooms in town to rent. Old hotels, once It was the month of April 1942. I was busy at my some of the best, were in a state of disrepair, but some store in Steveston, when one of my father’s friend brought were still liveable, after a fashion. McArthur held a public the news of our evacuation. All Japanese, naturalized meeting and 48 of the 50 residents voted to ask the citizens or Canadian born were to be moved 100 miles government to send the Japanese to Greenwood. from the coast. I was sixteen years old at the time and All the families were put in the hotels. The hotels was asking a great deal of questions. “Why us? What did did not have names, but were referred to by numbers. we do to deserve such punishment? I’m a Canadian born My family and nine other families were put in Number citizen.” 5. Each family had one room. Small families had a room Canada has always been a racist country and BC approximately 10-feet by 14-feet. Our room was larger, was probably the most racist of the provinces. Racism about 12-feet by 20-feet, because there were eight of us toward Japanese in BC started back in 1884. The Japanese in the family. The hotels had a stove in the centre of the were a very industrious people. By 1900, there were about hall and a toilet and sink at two corners of the hall. Women 5,000 in BC; most of who were living along the coast had a difficult time cooking on the wood stoves, which and a great many were engaged in fishing. They were were about 3-feet by 4-feet in size. Many people wanted good fishermen and it could be said that they dominated to put little stoves in their rooms, but the government the fishing business. They spoke little or no English at would not allow this because of fire hazards. Besides, that time. The reason for our evacuation was, should with a family living in each room, there just was no space Japanese troops attempt to land here, the government was for a stove. afraid of espionage by the Japanese in British Columbia. It was cold in Greenwood. The fall and winter In a few days we stored all our possessions in of 1942 were the coldest in a long time. All the water one of our friend’s house for safekeeping. My father had pipes and toilets froze and we didn’t have running water a boat. It wasn’t a big, fancy boat, but he owned it and for about a week. There were times we had to drink boiled earned a living with it. The boat was turned over to the snow water. We lived in an old building with high ceilings. 18 The stove in the centre could not me to see whether I was clean and season, we returned to Greenwood begin to heat the floor level. Many then handed me the tickets. We never with about $35 for two months work. people woke up in the morning with called him by his name, only as the We worked on the farms for another frost everywhere: on the windows “Cigar Man”. two seasons. and on their blankets. The first two years were the At the end of the third year, One Sunday morning my 8 hardest. There were only a few men my mother got a job for me. “Any year-old brother went to church. and they had a hard time getting jobs. other job but that,” I told my mother After the service, his right ear froze A few men did maintenance work when she said the job was for a while he was walking home. The around the town fixing up buildings waitress. She replied “You should earmuffs he was wearing did not help for the newcomers, while others got consider yourself lucky to be working in temperatures of minus 40-degrees work on the CPR section gangs. Men close to home and there are so many Fahrenheit. He started crying so my doing maintenance work for the girls looking for any kind of work”. mother rubbed his ear and in a few government were paid 25-cents per Even though I did not enjoy the job, seconds his ear went limp like an hour. A few men worked for Midway I worked days and nights for four elephant ear. All of a sudden he sawmills, nine miles west of years as a waitress. One day a stopped crying. There was no feeling Greenwood. My father was one of the Japanese American soldier came in in his affected ear. He almost lost his men hired by the sawmill that first for a meal and left me a 25-cent tip. ear, but with some treatment from the winter. He earned 47-cents per hour, This was a big tip as I was earning doctor he got better in a few days. which was insufficient to raise a 59-cents per hour. He must have We weren’t prepared for the cold family of eight. He was one of the realized that I didn’t enjoy this job winter, so each of us had to buy few men fortunate enough to be and felt sorry for me. warmer clothes. allowed to stay with his family In spite of all the hardships, When we first went to because of medical reasons. He was we managed to have some Greenwood, the people there didn’t stricken with arthritis in his right arm entertainment. Every year we had know what kind of people the and shoulder just before the war. He concerts and Japanese movies. This Japanese were. They were very was 50-years old when we were man used to show them in Vancouver curious. When the first of us arrived, evacuated. Sawmill work is difficult before the war, and he bought the all the local residents came down to for a 50-year old person, so he was machine and the films with him to the station to see us, to see what kind hired as a cook in the second year. Greenwood. They were old and of strange people we were. But they In Greenwood, there was a scatched, and he used to do all the found out that we were quite similar school for the lower grades taught by voices himself. to the white people in their way of the Catholic nuns, but there were no Most people thought the war living, their way of talking and facilities for the upper grades until with Japan would be over in a short behaviour, so we were able to quite a few years later. The first year time and that we would return to the communicate with each other quite four girls were hired to work in the coast. However, as the war dragged nicely and there was no trouble. The stores. There was close to 2,000 on, some people started to build their mayor was especially good to us. Japanese when all evacuees from the own homes and to move out of the Most of us were on welfare coast arrived. As there were old buildings. Others took the advise during the first four months. We insufficient jobs in Greenwood, of the government and moved their didn’t have the money to feed many young girls went to work on families to the prairies and to ourselves because of the job Grand Forks farms, 27 miles to the Ontario. A few Japanese still remain situation. I hated the word welfare. east. I went to work for a Doukhobor in Greenwood. We were like beggars. Every two family with my younger sister and a In 1949 my husband and I weeks my sister and I took turns in few of my friends. Doukhobors came back to the coast to find my obtaining the tickets. When it was my owned most of the farms in the Grand family possessions were gone. turn mother said, “Now comb your Forks area. They were nice, honest Whether they were looted or hair and try to look neat. You have and hardworking people. We also had confiscated, we couldn’t get answers to see the Commissioner”. Oh how I to work hard. The first year we from anyone. Before we were dreaded the thought of going down started the season picking potatoes evacuated, I hid a picture behind a to see him. He was a mean-looking and tomatoes and by the middle of wall in our house. When we went to man with a big cigar in his mouth. August we were operating the ask, the house had been renovated so He never smiled and just looked at threshing machine. At the end of the the picture was gone. a 19 Nikkei Week Festivities, 2002 Members of the Museum will be excited to hear that we are marking the 125th anniversary of the arrival in B.C. of Manzo Nagano, the first Japanese immigrant to Canada, by joining with other Nikkei organizations to stage celebrations of various kinds, as follows… Sept. 14: Nikkei 125 Celebration Dinner with honoured guests, The Honourable Iona Campagnolo, Lieut. Governor of B.C.; the Rev. Paul Nagano, grandson of Manzo Nagano; and the Consul General of Japan, Toshiro Ozawa. Entertainment will include a dramatic piece written for the occasion by Craig Takeuchi and some songs appropriate to the theme of Nikkei history. Dinner will be catered by Dubrulle and feature salmon and baron of beef. Tickets are $125 for two. Silent auction. Venue: National Nikkei Heritage Centre at 6 p.m. Sept. 16: Showings of “Obaachan’s Garden” at the Tinseltown Cinema in downtown Vancouver, co-sponsored with Tonari Gumi and the Greater Vancouver JCCA. Director/writer Linda Ohama will speak and answer questions at both showings with the matinee at 4 p.m. ($15.) and 7 p.m. ($20). Sept. 17: The Greater Vancouver JCCA will have a session on storytelling, with Linda Ohama at the National Nikkei Heritage Centre at 7:30. Harry Aoki and muscians will reprise the last concert in 1942 on Powell Street. Sept. 18: The Museum will present a talk on Tomekichi Homma and his fight for the franchise which was carried to London and the British Privy Council a century ago. The speaker is Andrea Geiger-Adams, a doctoral student at the University of Washington. Keay Homma, Tomekichi’s son, will be on hand to say a few words about his father. National Nikkei Heritage Centre at 7:00 p.m. Sept. 19: Internment Reunion Dinner and Dance – intended for those who are old enough to remember life in the internment camps. Tickets are $50. Supper is a deluxe o-bento. Entertainment as well as dance music of the period. National Nikkei Heritage Centre at 6 p.m. Sept. 20: At 2 p.m. in Steveston on the waterfront – the unveiling of a memorial statue of a Japanese fisherman – west of Murakami House and Britannia Shipyards, and east of Phoenix Pond. Look for signage on the day. The Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Iona Campagnolo will be in attendance. Sept. 20: Taiko Concert with four local groups: Katari Taiko, Chibi Taiko, Tokidoki Taiko and Sawagi Taiko at the National Nikkei Heritage Centre at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. Sept. 21 – 22: Nikkei Festival 2002 with food booths, crafts, children’s activities, stage performances, martial arts, beer garden, go and shogi, books, etc. 11 a.m. and on at the National Nikkei Heritage Centre. See the schedule in the Bulletin. The Museum is bringing an exceptional teacher of Kamishibai from Japan at this time who will be performing and teaching at Greater Vancouver schools and at the Nikkei Week Festival. The Nagano clan will be represented by a group of twenty people who had booked their hotel rooms at the beginning of August for the occasion. They will share their knowledge of their illustrious ancestor who made his mark in a new country, which was only ten years old when he arrived. For more information and to purchase tickets, Phone 604-777-7000; FAX 604-777-7001; or e-mail [email protected]. Memberships are a vital part of the Museum, and we welcome your interest and support. New and renewing members from the period May 4, 2002 – August 6, 2002. L.A. Dinsmore, Scarborough, ON Delphine & Ernest Lowe, Burnaby, BC Joanne R. Rollins, Regina, SK Mike & Margaret Ebbesen, Burnaby, BC Mika Maniwa, Vancouver, BC Michi Saito, Surrey, BC Kenneth & Nobu Ellis, Winnipeg, MB Duncan & Jenny McLean, Richmond, BC Alan & Carol Sakai, Richmond, BC Kana Enomoto, Scarborough, ON Arthur and Keiko Miki, Winnipeg, Manitoba Helen Sakamoto, Burnaby, BC Andrea Geiger-Adams, Burnaby, BC Florence Mitani, Winnipeg, MB Dennis Shikaze, Burnaby, BC Roy & Audrey Hamaguchi, Vancouver, BC Rose Murakami, Salt Spring Island, BC Henry Shimizu, Edmonton, AB Judy Hanazawa, Vancouver, BC Hiro Nakashima, Toronto, ON Sam & Kumiko Shinde, Richmond, BC Susan Hidaka, Scarborough, ON Henry Grant Naruse, Vancouver, BC Steveston Judo Club, Richmond, BC Daien Ide & Hiroshi Mizoguchi, Burnaby, BC Craig & Sharon Ngai-Natsuhara, Burnaby, BC Ed Suguro, Seattle, WA, USA Judy Inouye, Port Moody, BC Shoji and Eve Nishihata, Richmond, BC Aiko Sutherland, Victoria, BC Kimiko Inouye, West Vancouver, BC Sakuya Nishimura, Burnaby, BC Takao Tanabe &Anona Thorne, Parksville, BC Tokuko Inouye, Burnaby BC Mary Ohara, Burnaby, BC Tom & Margaret Taylor, West Vancouver, B.C. Roger Kamikura, Vancouver, B.C. Amy Okazaki, Calgary, AB Michael A. Thomson, Winnipeg, MB Alfred and Rosie Kamitakahara, Burnaby, BC Reiko Okubo & Guy Champoux, White Rock, Miss Ikuye Uchida, Burnaby, BC Dottie Karr, Chilliwack, BC BC Mike Whittingham, Richmond, BC Mac and Mary Kawamoto, Vancouver, BC Shinichi & Shirley Omatsu, Vancouver, BC Dr. Joji & Sachi Yamanaka, Delta, BC Yoko Kusano, Ottawa, ON Linda Reid & Family, Vancouver, BC Stanley & Aileen Yokota, Toronto, ON A list of donors for the May 4 to August 6, 2002 period could not be accessed due to staff changes. 20