2022 Year in Review
As this year comes to a close, we share with you some highlights from 2022 across the Nikkei Place campus, as well as our plans for the new year.
Nikkei Place: A legacy to be proud of
This holiday season, what are you thankful for? Because we are thankful for you.
When you visit Nikkei Place, you know that you will find…
A place where seniors call home,
and friends & families make memories
A place to honour & remember
the legacies of Japanese Canadians
A place to share & celebrate Japanese culture
It’s a special place that represents a legacy to be proud of. Moreover, it was made possible with the support of our community members.
We carry forward with resilience, pride, memory & respect for our elders
As this year comes to a close, we share with you some highlights from 2022 across the Nikkei Place campus, as well as our plans for the new year. We were able to serve our community is a number of ways thanks to donor support. Some of the exciting news, programs, exhibits, services, and events from this year include...
Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
Japanese Canadian survivors reconnected at Nikkei Centre for the 80th Anniversary of Internment / Relocation Reunion Luncheon on September 22. Supported by the NNMCC Auxiliary and funding from the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund.
Development of a National Japanese Canadian Digitization Strategy for museum collection preservation and access, in partnership with the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (Toronto).
The newly refreshed Taiken: Generations of Resilience exhibit is now on display on the 2nd floor of Nikkei Centre, starting on the Kadota Landing. Free and accessible to public, the exhibit is the foundation for our popular Taiken School Field Trip education programs.
Japanese cultural festivities returned this summer with the 10th Nikkei Matsuri family festival in full swing, including performances and a new Food Truck Plaza. Plus locals and new visitors enjoyed the 2nd season of Nikkei Garden Farmers Market.
Return of in-person activity and weekly programming was complimented by online programs to reach beyond our walls; Washi Talk - The Timeless Allure of Washi with Nancy Jacobi drew over 300 registrants, drawing online guests from all around the world.
Nikkei Seniors Health Care & Housing Society
Outreach programs for seniors ran through 2022 with COVID protocols in place. Our team delivered dementia-friendly programs in a hybrid model to 50 participants weekly, connecting residents and seniors in the larger community. As we continue to improve our programs, we began offering participants the option to receive a delivered bento meal.
Volunteers returned in April to better support our seniors and the community. This has been an integral part of delivering higher quality, more supportive programming.
Renovations of our spa tub and bathing facility is now complete, giving residents that need assistance a more comfortable and relaxing experience.
We began our own food service operations, following the closing of Hi Genki Restaurant after 20 years of service to our residents, families, and the larger community. Stay tuned for future updates on catering and public sales openings.
In the spring, we hosted a smaller “Beat the Odds of Dementia” Charity Golf Day, in support of our dementia-friendly programs. Join us for a full scale tournament next year on May 26, 2023!
Robert Nimi Nikkei Home celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a luncheon on September 17. Over 175 guests came together to reflect, reminisce, and recognize the long-standing service of staff/volunteers. Watch the livestream: http://bit.ly/3tW6unV
Nikkei Place Foundation
We worked closely with the NSHCHS to fundraise for their Nikkei Place Charity Golf Day, successfully raising funding to run their dementia-friendly programs in 2023.
NPF and the NNMCC honoured Japanese Canadian leaders and celebrated nikkei youth bursary recipients at the “Legacy Gala” on October 22. We honoured the late Robert T. Banno, Raymond Moriyama, Suki Takagi, Susanne Tabata, Paul Kariya and Yoshi Hashimoto.
Change is in the air. After 5 years, Naomi Kawamura stepped down as our Executive Director. Our Recruitment Committee continues a search for leadership at NPF, while Karah Foster acts as Interim ED.
Building a strong & vibrant community in 2023
Nikkei Place serves a powerful purpose that we continue to uphold: to Build a Strong and Vibrant Community. While Nikkei Place began as a collective dream decades ago, it came to be what it is today thanks to dedication, hard work, and the generosity and commitment of many individuals and organizations.
We look forward to sharing more events, programs, and initatives with you in 2023. As this year comes to a close, please consider making a year-end donation to Nikkei Place this holiday season and help continue the legacy. If you have already made a gift recently, we thank you for your generosity.
Thank you for being part of our growing community, and for your support time and again. From all of us at Nikkei Place, we wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday season!
Nikkei Place gets into the holiday spirit with the Christmas Extravaganza
Decorated trees and wreaths will be on display at Nikkei Centre beginning on November 19 & 20, as we kick off the season with the 20th Annual Nikkei Craft Fair.
Nikkei Place gets into the holiday spirit with the Christmas Extravaganza
Nikkei Place is getting into the festive spirit with the Christmas Extravaganza! Decorated trees and wreaths will be on display at Nikkei Centre beginning on November 19 & 20, as we kick off the season with the 20th Annual Nikkei Craft Fair. Trees are hand decorated by Nikkei Place staff and volunteers, complete with the name of a donor or sponsor that has given immense support to our community this year. Thank you to our supporters for helping build a strong and vibrant community!
TREES
Cathy Makihara
Jane Nimi
Ken & Junko Shinozaki
Sam Yamamoto
Wreaths
Leigh Ann Shoji-Lee
Akiko Gomyo
Fred & Linda Yada
Nancy Miki & Adam Smith
Andrew & Donna Elliott
Masaye Uyesugi
The Nikkei Craft Fair has been a time honoured tradition since 2002. Tickets are available for $5 at the door, and gives you access to over 80 local vendors, food, and more. Free for NNMCC members. There is also a chance to participate in the following workshops/activities:
Nikkei Origami Christmas Tree Decorating - Free - Drop-in | 1:00pm - 3:00pm
In conjunction with the Washi 和紙 (Japanese paper art) exhibit, come decorate a Christmas tree with red and gold Origami decorations. Drop by the Karasawa Gallery to learn origami and add your creation to the tree!Photos with Santa - Sunday, November 20 only - By Donation - Bring Your Own Camera
Capture your holiday memories and get a festive photo taken with Santa.Tsumami Zaiku Workshop - $35 +tax - Register Here | 11:00am - 12:30pm
Price includes entrance fee into the Nikkei Craft Fair.
Expert craftswoman Fumiko Horan will teach you how to make palm-sized and elegant Christmas ornaments out of cloth and textiles.Temari Workshop - $35 +tax - Register Here | 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Price includes entrance fee into the Nikkei Craft Fair.
Learn how to make a palm-sized base for a Temari Ball and stitch together a traditional Japanese Pine Leaf pattern. Take it home and decorate your Christmas tree!
On December 29, join us for Nikkei Mochitsuki もちつき hosted with the NNMCC Auxiliary Volunteers, and experience the traditional Japanese new year activity of mochi pounding! The event features mochi pounding by the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association, and cultural demonstrations. Try your hand at pounding rice to make sticky, gooey, irresistible mochi.
The 2022 Legacy Gala raises over $105,000 for the Japanese Canadian community at Nikkei Place
Thank you to all our friends, donors, sponsors, volunteers and staff for making the Nikkei Place Legacy Gala a great success!
The 2022 Legacy Gala raises over $105,000 for the Japanese Canadian community at Nikkei Place
On October 22, 2022, the Nikkei Place Legacy Gala was hosted at Nikkei Centre. On behalf of the Nikkei Place Foundation and Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, thank you to all our guests for joining us! We extend our deepest appreciation to our friends, donors, sponsors, volunteers and staff for making the Nikkei Place Legacy Gala a great success.
Special thanks to our Gold sponsors Canadian Tire (Cambie & 7th and Grandview Hwy & Ruper St.), Tompkins Wozny, and our Award sponsor DLA Piper for their support.
Our event committee worked tirelessly to bring together an evening to remember; 180 guests gathered to reconnect, rediscover, and honour community leaders for their enduring and dedicated service. Among the guests included Premier John Horgan, City of Burnaby Mayor, His Worship Mike Hurley, newly appointed Consul General Kohei Maruyama, and Deputy Consul General Masayo Tada.
Emceed by actors Hiro Kanagawa and Jennifer Spence, the program included:
Welcome Blessing by Elder Sam George of Squamish Nation
Live Entertainment by Jason de Couto Jazz Trio
Silent Auction featuring spotlight sponsor Air Canada
Welcome to Burnaby from Mayor Mike Hurley
Dinner Service by Zen Japanese Restaurant
Award Presentations
Speech by Premier John Horgan
Fund-a-Need
50/50 winning number drawn by Consul General Kohei Maruyama
It was an inspiring evening, that gave us the opportunity to celebrate our 2020-22 nikkei youth athletics bursary recipients Max Hamanishi, Kenji Yamamoto, and Kianna Darbyshire, and honour the following six awardees for their immense contributions to the Japanese Canadian community:
ROBERT BANNO
2022 Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award
Posthumous Recipient
YOSHI HASHIMOTO
2022 Outstanding Community Service Award
RAYMOND MORIYAMA
2020 Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award
PAUL KARIYA
2022 Outstanding Community Service Award
SUKI TAKAGI
2020 Nikkei Community & Business Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award
SUSANNE TABATA
2022 Outstanding Community Service Award
In conjunction with the award presentation to Susanne Tabata and Paul Kariya for their leadership for BC Redress, Premier Horgan spoke poignantly about historical wrongs, and the $100M Legacy Package promised to the Japanese Canadian community by his BC Government in May 2022.
The evening also came with an official announcement of the naming of Mitsuo & Emmie Hayashi Hall at Nikkei Centre:
“...It is a pleasure to officially announce the naming of this event hall in their honour through a legacy gift to the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre from the family of Mitsuo & Emmie Hayashi…Stay tuned for upcoming news on the official unveiling and honouring their legacy!”
In the room, we saw a number of generous donors raise their paddles during the fund-a-need portion of the program, and we are immensely grateful for all the support. We also wish to thank donors who contributed directly to the Robert Banno Endowment Fund. In total, the Legacy Gala raised over $105,000 for Nikkei Place! These funds support the needs of children, families, new immigrants, and seniors in the Japanese Canadian community.
Thank you to everyone for being a part of continuing the legacy!
Legacy Galaへの多大なご支援、ありがとうございました。今後ともどうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。
Photo Gallery
Photographer: Adam PW Smith
Reflecting on this year & Renewing aspirations for the next
Reflecting on This Year & Renewing Aspirations for the Next
As 2021 comes to an end, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to all Nikkei Place supporters for their dedication throughout this pivotal year. Nikkei Place is a unique cultural gathering place and home — not only for Japanese Canadians, but a welcoming place for all. We continue to focus on collaboration among the three Nikkei Place charities to rebuild opportunities with the return of more in-person and online programming and services. We are grateful to our founders, who had the vision to build a place to preserve and share Japanese Canadian history, heritage, and culture, care for seniors, and connect generations through exhibits, events and programming — we remain committed to this lasting legacy.
Highlights in 2021
Nikkei Place Foundation
Collaborates to honour and support our community, and ensure its enduring legacy.
• NEW planned giving resource available: the Japanese language edition of our Will Toolkit.
• The $1,000 Nikkei Youth Athletics Bursary’s 2020-21 recipient will be awarded in the new year.
• Worked closely with Nikkei Senior’s Health Care & Housing Society’s “Inspire Action” spring fundraiser, and the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre’s current “Inspiration” fundraiser to support their ongoing needs and goals.
Throughout the year, we helped to highlight some of our amazing volunteers, staff, nurses and donors that contribute to our vibrant community.
Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
Continues to connect, learn, and inspire, while providing a place for our culture and history to be discovered, re-discovered, and shared.
• “Taiken” digital Field Trips launched to reach students across Canada and the US.
• Nikkei Matsuri festival returned with “Mini Matsuri”, offering a smaller but lively 2-day showcase of Japanese arts and culture to 3,500 people.
• Upgrades to our museum’s Collections Vault — the installation of compact mobile shelving units maximize storage for valuable historical and cultural artefacts, effectively doubling our capacity.
After 21 years, our cultural centre is now in need of enhanced care and repair. From now until the end of February 2022, our Inspiration Fundraiser is on to support our Friends of Nikkei Centre Maintenance Fund!
Pictured Item: Registration card of Ed Kitagawa, center fielder for the Vancouver Asahi baseball team. You can also visit the SAFE | HOME exhibit in our Karasawa Gallery until April 2022, where contemporary artist Kellen Hatanaka re-imagines the influence and importance of the Vancouver Asahi through yonsei (4th generation) eyes.
Watch “Treasures from the Vault” on the NNMCC YouTube channel to discover items in our museum’s collection and the fascinating stories behind them.
NNMCC YouTubeチャンネルより「Treasures from the Vault」を、ぜひご覧ください。当館のコレクション及び、その背景にある魅力的なストーリーを発見していただけます。
Nikkei Seniors Health Care & Housing Society
Remains focused on the health and wellness of seniors in our community, and fighting the effects of the pandemic.
20th Anniversary
Join Nimi Nikkei Home in 2022 as it celebrates its 20th Anniversary!
2022年、Nimi Nikkei Homeは創立20周年を迎えます。
• Launched the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund through funding from the BC government and NAJC BC Redress initiatives, to help administer health and wellness grants to Japanese Canadians who lived through the internment.
(Learn more: www.jcwellness.org)
• A limited run of hybrid outreach programs began in the fall, including “Kenko Talks” educational series, “Be Fit” and “Outfight Parkinson’s” exercise, and “Iki Iki Light” and “Eat, Move & Relax” social connection programs.
• In 2022, we will see the revitalization of our bathing facility, the installation of a new spa tub, and the return of more hybrid outreach programming — made possible through the success of our INSPIRE ACTION spring fundraiser! We are also partnering with Powell Street Festival Society on a Radio Taiso pilot project.
Together We Can Make a Difference
Successes this year were made possible through the support of individuals like you. Thank you for encouraging us to remain resilient and resourceful. Each one of us can make a difference in the world today. We all have something to give — unique talents, gifts, perspectives and experiences that inspire and strengthen our community.
As this year comes to a close, we ask you to consider making a year-end gift to Nikkei Place this holiday season. If you have already made your year-end gift, we thank you for your generosity! Gifts can be made online here, by mail, or by phone (604.777.2122).
Wishing you and your families health and happiness throughout the holiday season, and into the New Year! We look forward to all that 2022 will bring.
20 things to look forward to in 2020
As we approach the end of 2019, what we most appreciate about the upcoming year is…
Moving Foward & Changing Lives at Nikkei Place
As we approach the end of 2019, what we most appreciate about the upcoming year is a sense of hopefulness! In the Japanese tradition of “osouji”, many of us clean our homes to welcome in the new year. At Nikkei Place, we have also been looking at ways to welcome in change to improve the ways in which we operate.
Nikkei Place underwent some significant changes in 2019! The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC) re-opened our now-named and newly expanded Karasawa Museum in July with our new exhibit, “Nikkei 日系”. We also said goodbye to Roger Lemire to welcome in Karah Goshinmon Foster as the new NNMCC Executive Director. The Nikkei Place Foundation (NPF) also brought on two new staff, Bobby Ruegamer and Mari Mikuni. Both NPF and Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society (NSHCHS) also launched new websites!
Building Community in 2020
Next year, NPF will be launching our 2020 Campaign “Building Community” in tandem with initiatives happening at the NNMCC and NSHCHS. Please join us throughout the year, as we celebrate the achievements of our diverse, strong and vibrant community!
There’s a lot to look forward to in 2020! View the list below.
The NNMCC will be celebrating twenty years of operations, since first opening its doors in Burnaby on September 22, 2000. Join us on September 5th & 6th to experience Japanese arts, culture and heritage at Nikkei Matsuri. Visit the Landscapes of Injustice traveling exhibit, the final stage of a 7-year project, developed in partnership with the Royal BC Museum the week of September 22nd! Celebrations will culminate at the 10th annual Nikkei Place Community Awards Dinner on October 24, 2020.
The NPF will be honouring a Nikkei community leader with the Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award (to be announced) at our Thomas Shoyama Gala on April 4, 2020. We will also be launching a bilingual version of our Will Toolkit and offering a Kenko Talk education seminar about Planned Giving, in collaboration with NSHCHS.
The NSHCHS will be raising funds for our seniors at our Charity Golf Tournament on May 29, 2020 at Riverway Golf Course. We will also be offering our “Open Doors” programming, an initiative that makes several in-house programs of Nimi Nikkei Home available to the broader community. Some of these activities include ChairFit, Tea & Chat, and others still in development.
We are immensely grateful to our staff, volunteers, donors and supporters of Nikkei Place. Our continued success is due, in large part, to their efforts and generosity. Please consider making a gift to Nikkei Place today. Donations can be made online or by contacting the NPF office at 604.777.2122.
Here's our list of 20 things to look forward to in 2020!
Nikkei Legacy Project Wrap-up report
O Hanami - April 3 & 4, 2020 at Nikkei Centre
Gladstone Language School kids start a new school year
Open Door Programs at the Kenko Wellness Lounge
Nikkei Youth Athletics Bursary: Now Accepting Applications!
Thomas Shoyama Gala - April 4, 2020
Capital improvements to New Sakura-so
Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Cheer on your fave team!
Go to the Powell Street Festival in Summer 2020
Come to Nikkei Matsuri! - Sept 5 & 6, 2020 at Nikkei Centre
Nikkei Centre Turns 20! Join in on the celebrations
Nikkei Place Charity Golf Tournament - May 29, 2020 at Riverway Golf Couse
Head to Steveston for the Salmon Festival
Bilingual Will Toolkit available to donors
Exhibits to Visit: “Nikkei 日系” rotates (February 2020), “Landscapes of Injustice” (September 2020)
Community Awards Dinner - October 24, 2020
Research Study Results: Seniors & Light Impact
Kenko Talk X NPF - Topic: Planned Giving
Mochitsuki - December 29, 2020 at Nikkei Centre
Hand-made Manju by the NNMCC Auxiliary