Akiko Takahashi

Akiko Takahashi is one of our newer board members, joining in 2022. With her Japanese and Indian roots, Akiko is familiar with the topic of identity and describes herself as an individual who fits “nowhere and everywhere.” Akiko has a master of arts from University of Toronto with her research centred on the question of identity politics in Japanese history. She holds a bachelor of art from the University of Toronto in cultural anthropology and French.

While living in Canada, Akiko has been struck by the lack of public knowledge of the history of incarceration and injustices toward Japanese Canadians. Critical of the multiculturalism narrative used to cover a history of racism and discrimination toward Japanese Canadians, Indigenous Peoples and minorities, Akiko sees the urgent need to work toward preserving and raising greater awareness of experiences within a problematic past and its effects today.

Fluent in Japanese, French and Hindi, and with experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors, Akiko is committed to sharing her skills with the community. She lives with her husband and eight-year-old son in Toronto, and enjoys visiting her mother, who resides in Japan.