TorontoNAJC Update – August 2018
July 31, 2018
TorontoNAJC at Natsu Matsuri
TorontoNAJC took a table at the JCCC’s Natsu Matsuri and Obon on Saturday July 14 and set up a Chapter information booth. Members of the Board of Directors – Ron Shimizu, Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi, Randy and Janet Sakauye and Bruce Tatemichi attended the booth and were ably assisted by Caitlyn Miki, Steven Deutscher Kobayashi,Thuy Truong and Derek Sakauye, members of the Chapter’s Gala Reception Organizing Committee. Information on the Chapter’s activities and the upcoming Gala Reception was discussed with many people from among the very large crowd the Matsuri had attracted.
L-R Thuy Truong, Steven Deutscher Kobayashi, Caitlyn Miki, Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi signing up a new member at TorontoNAJC’s booth at Natsu Matsuri.
CEREMONIAL UNVEILING JAPANESE CANADIAN HERITAGE SIGNS on September 7, 2018 at 11:00 am, Mitchell’s Bay Park, Chatham, Ontario […]
In the spring of 1942 several hundred Nikkei men were sent from the incarceration camps of British Columbia to Northern Ontario to build the Trans-Canada Highway and were housed in four camps between Schreiber and Jackfish. Most of the men left the road camps to work on farms in Southwestern Ontario and once settled they encouraged members of their family to migrate to Ontario. These men formed the nucleus of the Japanese Canadians today in London, Hamilton, Toronto and other parts of Eastern Canada. Others chose to return to British Columbia after the war.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent had five farm work camps organized by the provincial and the federal government under the Ontario Farm Labour Force Project. All sites will have signs with cherry trees to mark the memorial.
On September 7, 2018 at 11:00 pm a ceremonial unveiling of heritage signs and the planting of Yoshino cherry trees will be held at Mitchell’s Bay Park (Main and Park Streets) in Chatham, Ontario.
The history of our community is incomplete, as the dominant voice of the incarceration has been focused west of the Rocky Mountains. Lethbridge has had a Nikkei community in the 1930s and in the 1920s there was a Japanese Men’s Association in Regina. The lack of attention and information of the exile of Nikkei to Japan and the story of the diaspora of those who moved to the rest of Canada must be told.
The Chatham-Kent heritage markers and the marker in Schreiber, Ontario are the only two public reminders of those dark days in the history of Canada.
RSVP to TorontoNAJC (torontonajc@gmail.com or 647 932-1296) by August 31st, 2018.
Update on the Gala Reception Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Japanese Canadian Redress Settlement, to be held at the TIFF Bell Lightbox – LUMA and the Founder’s Lounge on Thursday, November 8th, 2018 – 7:00 PM
The reception acknowledges redress campaign activists both within the Japanese Canadian community and individuals and organizations at large who supported the campaign.
With special guest speakers – Art Miki, former president of the NAJC and Madam Justice Maryka Omatsu-leaders of the National Redress Campaign.
Come meet local redress leaders, Bill Kobayashi, Shin Imai, Bryce Kanbara, Joy Kogawa and Frank Moritsugu and many others.
Talk with JC authors Mark Sakamoto, winner of the 2018 Canada Reads Award, Terry Watada and Kerri Sakamoto and architects Raymond Moriyama, Bruce Kawabata and Jack Kobayashi (2006 Prix de Rome award-winner).
Also included is a Silent Auction including Japanese articles to benefit the Momiji Health Care Society.
Tickets are being sold online for $100 (age 31-64) and $60 for those 30 & under and 65 or older. Check www.torontonajc.ca for online ticket purchase
Early Bird Special only to August 31st includes no online processing fee and a drink ticket for a beverage of choice worth up to $12.00. Currently we have over half of our target 225 guest target.
Due to generous community support, we now have only two remaining sponsorship packages available with several benefits. Please contact event coordinator Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi at redressgalareception@gmail.com for details
Denis Akiyama (1952-2018)
The Toronto Chapter of NAJC acknowledges with sadness the untimely passing of Denis Akiyama.
Denis acted in numerous movies and commercials and had a lead role in the Broadway and Toronto production of Miss Saigon. His instantly recognizable face would pop up everywhere and we were proud to call him one of ours. Active in movies and tv shows since 1982, his most recent role was in the newly released TV mystery show “Carter” in which he played the continuing character role of Koji Yasuda.
We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed but his inspiration lives on. Bruce Tatemichi, President, Toronto NAJC.
See 2013 interview with Denis Akiyama by David Fujino, Toronto NAJC & go to www.imdb.com/name/nm0015124/ to see Denis’ extensive filmography.