Japanese Canadian Oral History Collection

The collection is comprised of interviews conducted by the National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre with Japanese Canadians on topics ranging from early immigration; their participation in pre-World War II industries including fishing, farming, and the lumber industries; and their internment during World War II. The collection is a rich source for the study of ethnic history, BC history, Japanese Canadian history, immigration history, and oral history at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The majority of audio files are in English, but some are in Japanese.

The collection is comprised of interviews conducted by the National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre with Japanese Canadians on topics ranging from early immigration; their participation in pre-World War II industries including fishing, farming, and the lumber industries; and their internment during World War II. The collection is a rich source for the study of ethnic history, BC history, Japanese Canadian history, immigration history, and oral history at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The majority of audio files are in English, but some are in Japanese.

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Acknowledgements

Contributed by National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre in partnership with Simon Fraser University.

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Audio recording of internment camp tours and dinner speeches

Date: 1905-06-09
Description: Tape is audio recorded on a tour bus touring the sites of former internment camps. The latter half of the tape is a recording of speeches and introductions at a banquet/dinner. Some of the tape is distorted and difficult to hear.

Interview Jean Kajiwara (nee Ikeda)

Date: 2011
Name(s): Kajiwara, Jean (nee Ikeda)
Description: The interview conducted in Vancouver, BC on January 25, 2011, focuses on the history of the Ikeda family. In the interview, Mrs Kajiwara discusses life on Powell Street from 1930 to 1942 where she attended Strathcona Elementary School and the Japanese Language School. She goes on to describe her family's living quarters above the Ikeda Barbershop on 360 Powell Street,which was shared with two other families. In addition she reminisces over her experiences as a young girl walking around…

Interview of Teruo (Terry) and Marge Sakai

Date: 2012
Name(s): Nakamura, Raymond, Sakai, Marge, Sakai, Teruo (Terry)
Description: An interview of Terry and Marge Sakai conducted by Raymond Nakamura on April 23, 2012 in Vancouver, BC. The couple were raised in Steveston, BC where their families were involved in the fishing industry.

Interview Takashima

Date: 1976
Name(s): Takashima, Wakayama, Tamio
Description: This interview takes place at a dinner at a house which appear to be in Toronto. Many people are involved in the conversation and at times it can be difficult to make out as 2-3 different conversations are happening at once.

Interview with Abe and Jack Nishizaki

Date: 1976
Name(s): Nishizaki, Abe, Nishizaki, Jack

Interview with Akemi Gayle Sawnson and her mother Emiko Ono

Date: 1994-04-11
Name(s): Ono, Emiko, Sawnson, Akemi Gayle, Shozawa, Katherine Megumi
Description: The sound quality is slightly disrupted throughout this tape, however improves during part B of the interview. Emiko talks a lot about internment, and how it affected various people in her life.

Interview with Akira Horii

Date: 1905-07-04
Name(s): Horii, Akira, Nakamura, Raymond
Description: An interview of Akira Horii conducted by Raymond Nakamura on February 23, 2012 at Nikkei National Museum in Burnaby, BC. In the interview, Akira discusses his life as a fisherman in Steveston, BC.

Interview with Akiyoshi Furuya,

Date: 1983-12-08
Name(s): Furuya, Akiyoshi

Interview with Albert Tsumura

Date: 1993-05-13
Name(s): Tsumura, Albert

Interview with Alfred (Alfie) Keiji Kamitakahara

Date: 2005-11-17
Name(s): Hattori, Minnie, Kamitakahara, Alfred (Alfie) Keiji, Tanaka, Miyoshi
Description: Alfred starts by talking about the education his family had and fishing industry. He speaks about his experience in internment in great detail, and talks about the protests that took place within camps.

Interview with Alice Ennui

Date: 1983-08-05
Name(s): Ennui, Alice, Holroyd, Carin

Interview with Audrey Kobayashi

Date: 1992
Name(s): Kobayashi, Audrey

Interview with Bishop Tsuji

Date: 1973-11-11
Name(s): Tsuji, Bishop, Williams, Mr.
Description: An informative conversation with a set up by Mr. Williams, speaking piece by the Bishop, and a question period.

Interview with Bob Nimi

Date: 2011-01-20, 2011-02-22
Name(s): Nakamura, Raymond, Nimi, Bob, Reid, Linda
Description: The interview was conducted on January 20, 2011 in North Vancouver, BC and February 22, 2011 in Burnaby, BC. In the interview Mr Nimi discusses life on Powell Street and living at 331 Powell Street in Vancouver, BC, where his father owned Nimi Shoten from c. 1918 to 1942. He discusses his father, Toragoro Nimi, in detail,specifically about his time as an early Asahi baseball player and later a coach of an early Asahi team. In addition, he talks about his father's involvement with the 'Tanomoshi…

Interview with Bud Hattori, Motoharu Hattori, Sayoko Hattori, Gord Otsuji

Date: 1990-07-12
Name(s): Hattori, Bud, Hattori, Motoharu, Hattori, Sayoko, Otsuji, Gord, Seki, Mary
Description: This interview mainly talks about Mary's father, Kihei Otsuji. Mary was separated from her father during the wartime and she is trying to gather information about him. She speaks in detail about her father and his devotion to Buddhism and other elements of Japanese culture.