Province takes step to acknowledge historical wrongs against Japanese-Canadians

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The Province is providing the Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society with $2 million as part of its commitment to honour the traumatic internment of almost 22,000 Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War. 

“This government acknowledges the role that it played in the historical wrongs committed against the Japanese-Canadians community during the 1940s,” said Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives. “This initial grant is a first step towards lasting recognition of the trauma suffered by the community. We are committed to working with the National Association of Japanese Canadians over the coming year to define recognition opportunities in 2022 and beyond.” 

Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society will use the $2 million to develop and deliver health and wellness-oriented programming for Japanese-Canadian internment survivors. The society will also administer funding with the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) to other Japanese-Canadian organizations that support survivors. 

“The terrible loss suffered by thousands of Japanese-Canadians in the 1940s is still impacting the community today, with many experiencing lasting health issues and trauma,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “This funding will provide much-needed health and wellness supports to internment survivors, helping them to connect with others in their community, to stay healthy and remain independent over the coming years.” 

The funding will help these centres to enhance their programming for seniors in assisted and independent living, as well as the local community. This will include supports for those with dementia and Parkinson’s disease, community talks about current issues and concerns, and exercise classes to help seniors stay fit and healthy. 

“Trauma affects generations, and we have seen this time and time again,” said Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care. “That’s why today is so important – we must recognize the steps needed for the healing and recognition journey for Japanese-Canadians, who are now seniors, and ensure we fulfil our promise to the survivors of these historical wrongs.” 

The grant is a first step towards fulfilling a mandate commitment of the Ministry of Attorney General to honour the Japanese-Canadian community by providing lasting recognition of the traumatic internment of Japanese -Canadians during World War II. This grant responds to recommendations from NAJC for targeted funding for health and social care programs for Japanese-Canadian survivors. 

Lorene Oikawa, President, National Association of Japanese Canadians – 
“In our work to preserve and share the history of Japanese Canadians and prevent injustices now and in the future, we also remember our Japanese Canadian survivors who are living today and they deserve the respect and supports they were once denied.” 

Susanne Tabata, BC Redress Project Director, National Association of Japanese Canadians – 
“Building on this grant, the NAJC will continue to work with our community partners towards more health & wellness supports for our seniors, expanding on a framework to include a focus on intergenerational trauma, along with dementia care, community care, an on-line digital wellness hub, all through the prism of a pandemic.” 

Ruth Coles, President, Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society – 
“These seniors have unique needs that stem from their lived experience of internment, forced uprooting, dispossession and displacement, causing many survivors to rebuild their lives outside of British Columbia. These actions led to challenges that have followed through life - their education was disrupted, friendship and trust taken away, and for much economic hardship, there are health issues, shame, and lack of resolution from these actions.” 

Mary Kitagawa, Elder – 
“The elderly survivors who are living now were children who now must carry on the pain of that cruel journey that our parents and grandparents suffered.” 

Cathy Makihara, past Executive Director, Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society – “To ensure the fund meets priority needs, this will be a community-based participatory grant, where the local community identifies the priorities.” 

Internationally renowned Nikkei architect Raymond Moriyama to be honoured with the 2020 Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award at Charitable Gala in Vancouver

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nikkei Place Foundation
220-6688 Southoaks Crescent
Burnaby, BC  V5E 4M7
604.777.2122
nikkeiplacefoundation.org

BURNABY, BC – Nikkei Place Foundation (NPF) is thrilled to announce that internationally renowned Nikkei architect Raymond Moriyama has been chosen as this year’s Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Moriyama will be presented with the award at their annual fundraising gala, the Thomas Shoyama Sakura Gala, on Saturday, April 4, 2020 at Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. Proceeds support Nikkei Place Foundation to strengthen, connect, and invest in the future of the Nikkei (Japanese Canadian) community.

The Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the achievements of outstanding individuals who have served as leaders in their fields and in the Japanese Canadian community. Previous awardees have included Dr. David Suzuki, Arthur Hara, Gordon Kadota, Henry Wakabayashi, Joy Kogawa, and Kaye Kaminishi (Asahi Baseball Team).

Raymond Moriyama has applied his visionary architectural approach to projects around the globe, including: Ottawa's City Hall, the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, the Saudi Arabian National Museum, and the Canadian War Museum, among others. During the Second World War, Raymond Moriyama and his family were interned in Slocan Valley and his experiences in the camp have informed his personal and professional career. Moriyama believes that "architecture has to be humane and its intent the pursuit of true ideals, of true democracy, of equality and of inclusion of all people."

He has received some of the highest professional honours including the Confederation of Canada Medal, and the RAIC Gold Medal. Moriyama has also received honourary degrees from ten Canadian universities, the Order of Canada, the Order of the Rising Sun, and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.

“The Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award was created to honour Japanese Canadian heroes – to recognize the outstanding achievements of those who have made a profound and lasting mark on the fabric of Canada, and the inspiring legacy they give to future generations. It is with great excitement that we recognize Raymond Moriyama with this award at our upcoming gala.” said Naomi Kawamura, Executive Director at Nikkei Place Foundation.

The gala brings together community leaders, philanthropists, and business professionals to honour and celebrate the achievements of Nikkei in Canada. The evening’s agenda also includes the presentation of the 2019-2020 Nikkei Youth Athletics Bursary recipient (to be announced) and recognition of a Nikkei entrepreneur (to be announced).

Please check www.nikkeiplacefoundation.org/thomas-shoyama-gala for the most updated event information. Tickets on sale now. Purchase online at www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/nikkei-place-foundation/events/thomas-shoyama-sakura-gala-2020/ or contact the Nikkei Place Foundation office at 604-777-2122 or gala@nikkeiplacefoundation.org for tickets and sponsorship information.

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About Nikkei Place Foundation

Nikkei Place Foundation is the charitable fundraising organization for the Nikkei Place Japanese Canadian community in Burnaby. We are the bridge that connects philanthropy with Nikkei history, arts, culture, community, and senior care. Together with our partners, the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC) and the Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society (NSHCHS), we work to build a strong and vibrant community for all.

For media inquires, please contact:

Lindsay Fong
Marketing & Communications Manager
creative@nikkeiplacefoundation.org

Nikkei National Museum is New Again!

May 1, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Art | Installation | History

BURNABY, B.C. — Nikkei National Museum is new again!

Nikkei Centre opened in Burnaby in 2000 with plans to expand its museum and archives in the future; that future has become reality. Museum renovation has been made possible by a generous donation from Yoshiko Karasawa, and in part by the Government of Canada.

On July 20, 2019 we open the new Karasawa gallery with a core exhibit titled Nikkei 日系.  Nikkei, pronounced nee-kay, is a term that identifies Japanese heritage, but its complexity often requires explanation, especially outside of Japan where the label is most relevant.

 With this inaugural exhibit, we deliver on our mission to honour, preserve, and share Japanese culture and Japanese Canadian history and heritage for a better Canada by drawing upon the museum’s archive and permanent collection to tell a layered core story of Canadians of Japanese ancestry. This ambitious exhibit will elucidate milestone events of our community’s history in a non-linear and intersectional way.

More than 25 individuals and family stories, accompanied by rare and previously inaccessible personal belongings from the community, will give evidence to lived experience of Nikkei in Canada. Digitized heritage film footage (funded by Library and Archives Canada) projected onto a double-height wall will be juxtaposed against Cindy Mochizuki’s contemporary interpretation of historic letters showcased in her visually luscious film installation, “Sue Sada was Here”.  We invite visitors to investigate broader questions of migration, racism, identity, and belonging through seeing, hearing, and learning about the Nikkei community’s resilience, resistance, and resonance in this country.

The exhibit will fill the entire new gallery space for its initial run, with built-in flexibility to contract down to a set of core exhibit elements in the future. This will allow ongoing access to a consistent Nikkei narrative for educational tours while allowing for rotating temporary exhibits in the Karasawa gallery space. The core exhibit also promises over time to rotate through a repository of over 30,000 photographs, 35 metres of textual records, 500 oral history recordings, 100 film reels, and over 2500 artefacts and artworks, which continue to grow with the tireless efforts of our archive and collections team.

Concurrent with the new gallery opening, we are also excited to announce a newly refreshed Charles H Kadota Resource Centre, museum archives, shop, and reception.

For more information about the exhibit, visit centre.nikkeiplace.org.

Contact:
Sherri Kajiwara, Director|Curator
skajiwara@nikkeiplace.org | 604.777.7000 ext 112

Kaye Kaminishi of the legendary Vancouver Asahi Baseball Team receives the Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award at 2019 Thomas Shoyama Sakura Gala

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nikkei Place Foundation
220-6688 Southoaks Crescent
Burnaby, BC  V5E 4M7
604.777.2122
www.nikkeiplacefoundation.org

BURNABY, BC – Kaye Kaminishi, third baseman for the legendary Vancouver Asahi Baseball Team, will receive this year’s 2019 Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award at Nikkei Place Foundation’s annual fundraising dinner. Previous recipients include Dr. David Suzuki, Joy Kogawa, Arthur Hara, Gordon Kadota, and Henry Wakabayashi.

 “We are very proud to be able to highlight inspiring heroes from the Japanese Canadian community through our Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award. We feel incredibly excited and honoured to celebrate Kaye Kaminishi at this year's Gala.” remarks Naomi Kawamura, Executive Director at Nikkei Place Foundation.

Kaye will be honoured at the Thomas Shoyama Sakura Gala on Sunday, March 10, 2019 at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel by APA. It will also feature guest speaker Premier John Horgan, and Japanese Canadian actor Kevan Ohtsji as emcee. This inspired evening honours the legacies of Nikkei (Japanese Canadians), and benefits Nikkei Place Foundation in supporting future generations of Nikkei – to change lives and community for the better. Tickets are available through EventBrite.

Joining the Vancouver Asahi team as a third baseman, and the youngest member, was a dream come true for Kaye. He was sometimes called the “Vacuum Cleaner”, as he scooped up the ball for throws to first base. His baseball career did not end when the Vancouver Asahi team were disbanded and interned during the Second World War.

During the war, when over 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from the west coast of British Columbia, Kaye and his mother were sent to East Lillooet, a then-called self-supporting internment camp. There, he helped bridge community relations between the two distinct communities of East Lillooet and Lillooet through the game of baseball.

Kaye organized a softball team amongst the residents of the internment camp, and spoke with the RCMP officers to propose exhibition games between the East Lillooet softball team and Lillooet teams. These games opened up interactions between the two communities which had previously been racially divided, creating a new social and economic relationship that benefitted everyone.

“We spoke English. On the streets we weren’t welcome, but on the field, we were the Asahi, Vancouver’s champions. Everyone cheered for us. Our people had a voice.” Kaye Kaminishi says in the latest Heritage Minute by Historica Canada.

Kaye is a role model for overcoming racial and economic discrimination. The Vancouver Asahi Baseball Team were a symbol of the Japanese Canadian struggle for equality and respect. With their unique way of playing baseball — known as 'brain ball' — they were able to overcome differences for the love of the game. Despite the team being disbanded and interned during the Second World War, they left a legacy of inspiration for future generations of all Canadians.

Event Information

When: Sunday, March 10, 2019 — 5:00pm Registration & Reception, 6:00pm Event Start
Where: Coast Coal Harbour Hotel
Tickets available on EventBrite: https://thomas-shoyama-gala.eventbrite.com
or contact Nikkei Place Foundation at 604-777-2122 or gala@nikkeiplacefoundation.org.

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About Nikkei Place Foundation

Nikkei Place Foundation is the charitable fundraising organization for the Nikkei Place Japanese Canadian community in Burnaby. We are the bridge that connects philanthropy with Nikkei history, arts, culture, community, and senior care. Together with our partners, the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC) and the Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society (NSHCHS), we work to build a strong and vibrant community for all.

For media inquires, please contact:

Lindsay Fong
Marketing & Communications Manager
creative@nikkeiplacefoundation.org

Kaye Kaminishi of the Asahi Baseball Team, role model for overcoming racial and economic discrimination, receives the Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award at Thomas Shoyama Gala

BURNABY, BC – Nikkei Place Foundation proudly announces Kaye Kaminishi of the Asahi Baseball Team is this year’s 2019 Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Previous recipients include Dr. David Suzuki, Joy Kogawa, Arthur Hara, Gordon Kadota and Henry Wakabayashi. He will be honoured at their spring fundraiser, the Thomas Shoyama Sakura Gala, on Sunday, March 10, 2019 at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel by APA. This event benefits Nikkei Place Foundation in supporting future generations of Nikkei (Japanese Canadians) – to change lives and community for the better.

Premier John Horgan is pleased to be a special guest and speaker at the Thomas Shoyama Sakura Gala this year.

Kaye Kaminishi is a role model for overcoming racial and economic discrimination. The Asahi Baseball team were a symbol of the Japanese Canadian struggle for equality and respect. With their unique way of playing baseball — known as 'brain ball' — they were able to overcome differences for the love of the game. Despite the team being disbanded and interned during the Second World War, they left a legacy of inspiration for future generations of all Canadians.

 “We are very proud to be able to highlight inspiring heroes from the Japanese Canadian community through our Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award. We feel incredibly excited and honoured to celebrate Kaye Kaminishi at this year's Gala.” remarks Naomi Kawamura, Executive Director at Nikkei Place Foundation.

 Nikkei Place Foundation is also excited to award this year’s 2018-19 Nikkei Youth Athletics Bursary to the Shin Asahi Baseball Team. The Asahi Baseball Association is spreading the Japanese way of baseball — inspired by the original Asahi team's skill, perseverance, accomplishments, and wishes to inspire a new generation of ball players in Nikkei community in Canada. They are dedicated to building healthy communities through baseball.

The Thomas Shoyama Sakura Gala will be emceed by Japanese Canadian actor Kevan Ohtsji, and the evening will include a silent auction with a variety of items and experiences up for bid, dinner, fund-a-need, and live entertainment.

Please check www.nikkeiplacefoundation.org for the most updated information.

For tickets and sponsorship information contact Nikkei Place Foundation: 604-777-2122 or gala@nikkeiplacefoundation.org. Tickets also available online at: https://thomas-shoyama-gala.eventbrite.com

 - 30 -

 About Nikkei Place Foundation

Nikkei Place Foundation is the charitable fundraising organization for the Nikkei Place Japanese Canadian community in Burnaby. We are the bridge that connects philanthropy with Nikkei history, arts, culture, community, and senior care. Together with our partners, the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC) and the Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society (NSHCHS), we work to build a strong and vibrant community for all.

For media inquires, please contact:

Lindsay Fong
Marketing & Communications Manager
creative@nikkeiplacefoundation.org