TorontoNAJC AGM Update

TorontoNAJC Held its 2018 Annual General Meeting on January 20 at Momiji Centre.   

Highlights -Presentation of $20,000 to the Momiji Health Care Society’s Wellness Fund.

Outgoing Acting President, Bruce Tatemichi presented Pam Waintraub, President of Momiji and Eric Hong Executive Director with a giant $20,000 cheque representing the 1^st installment of a $60,000 pledge over 3 years. The pledge was first announced at the chapter’s very successful Gala Reception commemorating the 30^th anniversary of the Redress Settlement held on November 8^th last year.  In his remarks Bruce said the chapter is very grateful for the quality care given by Momiji to the senior citizens of the JC community over many years of its existence.  The presentation was attended by many members of the Momiji Board of Directors and we were particularly honored to have Dr Fred Sunahara one of the original founders of the Momiji Society attend the presentation.

TorontoNAJC 2019 Board of Directors

The Election Committee of Jennifer Hashimoto, Shin Imai and Mike Murakami reviewed nominees to the 2019 Executive Committee and recommended a slate of Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi, Mika Fukuma, Yosh Inouye, Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi, Janet Sakauye, Randy Sakauye, Ron Shimizu, Tokuji Suyama, Kim Uyede-Kai and Michelle Walters be appointed to the 2019 Board by acclamation.  The AGM approved the recommendation.  The Board will convene to select individual members of the Committee to specific officer positions at its first meeting in February.

Introducing New 2019 Board Members – Mika Fukuma and Michelle Walters

Katherine Mika Fukuma was born and raised in Toronto and is bilingual in English and Japanese.   A History major in university, her interest in Japanese-Canadian history led her to work for the national newspaper Nikkei Voice from 2005 to 2012.  During those years she developed her interest in Japanese Canadian history and current events and traveled to various Japanese-Canadian communities during the summer. She been involved in the Toronto Fukuoka Kenjinkai since 2004 of which she is now co-vice president.  Recently she wrote the text for signage that was erected at Mount Robson on the Yellowhead-Blue River road camps where Japanese-Canadian men were sent during the Second World War.  She is currently working on webpages for the NAJC National website on three Japanese Canadian road camp projects in B.C. She hopes to further develop and support her interest in the Japanese-Canadian community by working with the Toronto Chapter of the NAJC.

Michelle Walters is a mixed-race Japanese-American, born in Virginia, raised in New Jersey, and transplanted to Toronto in 2008.  Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree of Science in Civil Engineering at Rutgers University, and currently works at Hatch, a consulting engineering firm, as the Engineering Management Lead of the Water Group within Hatch’s Infrastructure team.  Michelle’s volunteer activities include; Engineers Without Borders outreach programs to educate youth on the importance of clean water, Habitat for Humanity Global Village, helping in a home build in Costa Rica and hands-on support of Syrian refugees in Toronto through Ryerson’s Lifeline Syria program.  Michelle is passionate about social equality, water, and sustainability, and feels strongly that the Redress of the Japanese-Canadians is an important historical event, an injustice that should not be forgotten.

Thank You to Outgoing Directors Bruce Tatemichi and Michiko Yano Shuttleworth

TorontoNAJC thanks Bruce Tatemichi for his loyal and active support to the chapter as Vice President for 4 ½ years and as Acting President of the Board for the last year and half.  Bruce contributed directly to the activities of the chapter in a number of ways.  He was instrumental in working with our late president David Fujino in organizing TWO very successful concerts for Nisei musician Roy Miya at Castleview Wychwood Towers which filled its auditorium. In addition, Bruce led the chapter to print a comic book of Roy Miya’s amusing cartoons on a variety of issues both current and in the past. Also, Bruce enthusiastically participated in chapter’s Information Booths at successive Haru and Natsu Matsuri at the JCCC.  Bruce organized a wonderful entertainment program for the 2017 Special Luncheon marking the 75th Anniversary of Internment which was thoroughly enjoyed by the 300 attendees of the luncheon.

This past November Bruce co-hosted the exciting Gala Reception marking the 30th Anniversary of the Redress Settlement along with Gala chair Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi.  As a member of the Executive Committee, Bruce duly attended and chaired meetings of the Committee and represented the chapter a key event for which we are most grateful.   While we will miss having Bruce on the executive, we are very happy that he remains a member of TorontoNAJC and is available to call upon for advice and assistance.

Michiko Yano Shuttleworth resigned from the Board in November 2018.  Michiko successfully organized a workshop on modern costume making techniques for cos-play and anime followers which is popular with young adults today.  She worked with Ken Noma on a significant historical project to have markers placed in specific locales where several hundred Nisei men were assigned as farm labourers in the Chatham – Kent region in South Western Ontario during WW2.  They successfully partnered with the regional municipality to have descriptive historical signs placed in five locations – close to the farms where the men worked and had Sakura cherry trees planted in those spots.