Japanese Canadian National Museum presents...
Ohanashi: The Story of Our Elders
A public screening of Ohanashi: The Story of Our Elders , a 10-part series of life stories of Japanese Canadian elders, directed by Susanne Tabata and produced by the Japanese Canadian National Museum.

February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, 2010, 2pm
(A 5-part showcase)
Admission by donation
National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre
6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC V5E 4M7
604.777.7000 | www.jcnm.ca

Some screenings will be followed by a discussion about the Japanese Canadian internment lead by Leslie Komori. Leslie Komori is a third generation Vancouverite. She is active in the Japanese Canadian community, creator of the Lemon Creek Map Project, and a member of several Taiko groups.

February 13, 2pm
Kazue Oye (30 min) and Alfie Kamitakahara (43 min)
After completing grade 8 in Steveston, Kazue Oye went to Japan for higher education. She married and had two children in Canada, but was widowed soon after. During WWII she worked at the self-supporting community of Christina Lake.
Alfie Kamitakahara grew up in Steveston and spent internment years in Slocan. Following internment, he worked on a farm in Alberta before starting his own insurance agency.
Kazue Oye and Alfie Kamitakahara will be in attendance.

March 13, 2pm
Tom Sando Kuwabara and Shig Kuwabara (47 min) and Susumu Tabata (44 min)
Brothers Tom Sando and Shig Kuwabara were born in Skeena River, and were sent to a prisoner-of-war camp during WWII. After the war they were offered jobs in Northern Manitoba.
Susumu Tabata was born in Steveston and spent the internment years in Kaslo. He later worked in Nanaimo and earned a Masters in Oceanography from UBC, and a PhD from the University of Tokyo.
Shig Kuwabara and Susumu Tabata will be in attendance.

April 10, 2pm
Marie Katsuno (35 min) and Shirley Omatsu (44 min)
Marie Katsuno grew up in East Burnaby and West Vancouver where her family was part of a fishing village. During the internment her family lived in New Denver, and after the war they moved to Japan. She returned to Canada with her husband in 1994.
Shirley Omatsu grew up on Powell Street and went to the self-sustaining community of Notch Hill in the Okanagan Valley during WWII. Following internment, she returned to Vancouver and managed a high-end hair salon.
Marie Katsuno and Shirley Omatsu will be in attendance.

May 8, 2pm
Midge Ayukawa (33 min) and May Komiyama (34 min)
Midge Ayukawa grew up in a mixed-background neighbourhood in Vancouver until the interment separated her family. Her father was sent away to a labour camp and the rest of her family went to Lemon Creek. Later on, she earned her PhD at the University of Victoria studying Japanese Canadian history.
Born in Vancouver, May was raised in a non-Japanese neighbourhood. Her nursing school training was disrupted by internment and the family’s move to Kaslo. After internment she completed nursing at Guelph.
Midge Ayukawa will be in attendance.

June 12, 2pm
Irene Tsuyuki (45 min) and Tak Miyazaki (35 min)
Born and raised on Powell Street, Irene Tsuyuki and her family moved to Tashme during internment. After internment, her father’s poor health took the family to Japan, where he recovered. Irene worked there but never felt welcome, and she had to be sponsored by a family in Canada in order to return.
Born in Steveston, Tak Miyazaki spent time in the internment communities of Bridge River and Minto City. After internment, he returned to the coast to help his father in the fishing industry. He represented Steveston during the redress settlement and is active in the local Buddhist community.
Irene Tsuyuki will be in attendance.

* The title ohanashi means ‘story’ in Japanese.