Japanese Canadians
Encyclopedia
Japanese Canadians are Canadians of Japanese
ancestry, and are mostly concentrated on the west coast, and central Canada, especially in and around Vancouver
and Toronto
. In 2006, there were 98,900 (about 62,430 of whom are of mixed heritage).
(日系) was coined by sociologists and encompasses all of the world's Japanese immigrants across generations. Japanese-Canadians (and Japanese-Americans) have special names for each of their generations in North America. These are formed by combining one of the Japanese numbers with the Japanese word for generation
(sei 世):
, who lived in Victoria, British Columbia
(a mountain in the province was named after him in 1977). The first generation, or Issei
, mostly came to Vancouver Island
and Fraser Valley
from fishing villages on the islands of Kyūshū
and Honshū
between 1877 and 1928. Since 1967, the second wave of immigrants were usually highly educated and resided in urban areas.
Until the late 1940s, Japanese Canadians—both Issei and Canadian-born Nisei — were denied the right to vote. Those born in the 1950s and 1960s in Canada are mostly Sansei
, third generation. Sansei who mostly have little knowledge of the Japanese language
. Over 75% of the Sansei have married non-Japanese. Nisei and Sansei generally do not identify themselves as fully Japanese, but as Canadians first, who happen to be of Japanese ancestry.
The younger generation of Japanese Canadians born in the late 20th century are mostly Yonsei, fourth generation. Many Yonsei are of mixed racial descent. According to Statistics Canada
's 2001 census of population information, Japanese Canadians were the Canadian visible minority group most likely to marry or live common-law with a non-Japanese partner. Out of the 25,100 couples in Canada in 2001 which had one Japanese person, only 30% had two partners of Japanese descent and 70% included one non-Japanese partner. As of 2001, 65% of Canada's Japanese population was born in Canada.
(Second World War), in 1942, Japanese Canadians were interned by the federal government
as security threats by evoking the War Measures Act
. 20,881 were placed in detention camps and relocation centres. 75% of them were Canadian citizens. A parallel situation occurred in the United States
. (See Japanese American internment
.)
After the war, the property and homes of Japanese Canadians living in province of British Columbia was seized and they were told by the federal government to either move to another province "East of the Rockies" or to go back to Japan.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, documents on the Japanese Canadian internment were released, and redress was sought. In 1986, it was shown that Japanese Canadians lost $443 million during the internment. 63% of Canadians supported redress and 45% favoured individual compensation. On September 22, 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
provided $21,000 for each individual directly affected, that is, by 1993, almost 18,000 survivors. However, perhaps more importantly, was the Prime Minister's formal apology in the House of Commons and the certificate of acknowledgment of injustices of the past, which was sent to each Japanese Canadian who was displaced.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
ancestry, and are mostly concentrated on the west coast, and central Canada, especially in and around Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In 2006, there were 98,900 (about 62,430 of whom are of mixed heritage).
Generations
The term NikkeiJapanese diaspora
The Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as , are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants that reside in a foreign country...
(日系) was coined by sociologists and encompasses all of the world's Japanese immigrants across generations. Japanese-Canadians (and Japanese-Americans) have special names for each of their generations in North America. These are formed by combining one of the Japanese numbers with the Japanese word for generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
(sei 世):
- IsseiIsseiIssei is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify the Japanese people first to immigrate. Their children born in the new country are referred to as Nisei , and their grandchildren are Sansei...
(一世) - The first generation of immigrants, born in Japan before moving to Canada. - NiseiNiseiDuring the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
(二世) - The second generation, born in Canada to Issei parents not born in Canada. - SanseiSanseiSansei is a Japanese language term used in countries in South America, North America and Australia to specify the children of children born to Japanese people in the new country. The Nisei are considered the second generation, grandchildren of the Japanese-born immigrants are called Sansei and...
(三世) - The third generation, born in Canada to Nisei parents born in Canada. - YonseiYonsei (fourth-generation Nikkei)is a Japanese diasporic term used in countries, particularly in North America and in Latin America, to specify the great-grandchildren of Japanese immigrants . The children of Issei are Nisei . Sansei are the third generation, and their offspring are Yonsei...
(四世) - The fourth generation, born in Canada to Sansei parents born in Canada. - GoseiGosei (fifth-generation Nikkei)is a Japanese diasporic term used in countries, particularly in North America and in Latin America, to specify the great-great-grandchildren of Japanese immigrants . The children of Issei are Nisei . Sansei are the third generation, and their offspring are Yonsei...
(五世) - The fifth generation, born in Canada to Yonsei parents born in Canada.
History
The first Japanese settler in Canada was Manzo NaganoManzo Nagano
was the first Japanese person to officially immigrate to Canada.He did so in 1877, arriving in New Westminster, British Columbia. He became a salmon fisherman working in the Fraser River and later moved to Vancouver to load timber on to ships. He returned to Japan in 1884 briefly then moved to the...
, who lived in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
(a mountain in the province was named after him in 1977). The first generation, or Issei
Issei
Issei is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify the Japanese people first to immigrate. Their children born in the new country are referred to as Nisei , and their grandchildren are Sansei...
, mostly came to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
and Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
from fishing villages on the islands of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
between 1877 and 1928. Since 1967, the second wave of immigrants were usually highly educated and resided in urban areas.
Until the late 1940s, Japanese Canadians—both Issei and Canadian-born Nisei — were denied the right to vote. Those born in the 1950s and 1960s in Canada are mostly Sansei
Sansei
Sansei is a Japanese language term used in countries in South America, North America and Australia to specify the children of children born to Japanese people in the new country. The Nisei are considered the second generation, grandchildren of the Japanese-born immigrants are called Sansei and...
, third generation. Sansei who mostly have little knowledge of the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. Over 75% of the Sansei have married non-Japanese. Nisei and Sansei generally do not identify themselves as fully Japanese, but as Canadians first, who happen to be of Japanese ancestry.
The younger generation of Japanese Canadians born in the late 20th century are mostly Yonsei, fourth generation. Many Yonsei are of mixed racial descent. According to Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
's 2001 census of population information, Japanese Canadians were the Canadian visible minority group most likely to marry or live common-law with a non-Japanese partner. Out of the 25,100 couples in Canada in 2001 which had one Japanese person, only 30% had two partners of Japanese descent and 70% included one non-Japanese partner. As of 2001, 65% of Canada's Japanese population was born in Canada.
Internment
After the Pearl Harbor attack by JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(Second World War), in 1942, Japanese Canadians were interned by the federal government
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
as security threats by evoking the War Measures Act
War Measures Act
The War Measures Act was a Canadian statute that allowed the government to assume sweeping emergency powers in the event of "war, invasion or insurrection, real or apprehended"...
. 20,881 were placed in detention camps and relocation centres. 75% of them were Canadian citizens. A parallel situation occurred in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. (See Japanese American internment
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
.)
After the war, the property and homes of Japanese Canadians living in province of British Columbia was seized and they were told by the federal government to either move to another province "East of the Rockies" or to go back to Japan.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, documents on the Japanese Canadian internment were released, and redress was sought. In 1986, it was shown that Japanese Canadians lost $443 million during the internment. 63% of Canadians supported redress and 45% favoured individual compensation. On September 22, 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
provided $21,000 for each individual directly affected, that is, by 1993, almost 18,000 survivors. However, perhaps more importantly, was the Prime Minister's formal apology in the House of Commons and the certificate of acknowledgment of injustices of the past, which was sent to each Japanese Canadian who was displaced.
Prominent Canadians of Japanese ancestry
- Masami TsuruokaMasami TsuruokaMasami Tsuruoka O.Ont is a Canadian born karate instructor and practitioner recognized as "The Father of Canadian Karate" by Black Belt Magazine. Although mainly responsible for establishing the Chito-ryu style in Canada, Tsuruoka is also known as founder of his own karate style known as Tsuruoka...
, martial artist, "Founder of Karate in Canada" - Ken AdachiKen AdachiKen Adachi was a Canadian writer and literary critic, who was associated with the Toronto Stars literary section from 1976 until his death....
, author, The Enemy That Never Was: A History of the Japanese Canadians - Mio Adilman, radio and television personality, actor
- Nobu Adilman, television personality, actor
- Dennis AkayamaDennis AkayamaDenis Akiyama is a Japanese-Canadian actor and voice actor best known as providing the voice of Iceman/Bobby Drake and Sunfire in the X-Men Animated Series and Malachite in the English version of Sailor Moon.He was also a frequent guest star on Katts and Dog.-Filmography:* Repo Men 10 .....
, actor - David AkutagawaDavid AkutagawaDavid Akutagawa was a martial artist active during the late 20th century. He held 8th Dan in Shitō-ryū was 6th dan, shihan, and renshi in Chitō-ryū; his karate history spanned a half-century. Akutagawa first came to Canada after receiving a degree in Economic Science from Kohnan University in...
, martial artist - Tracey Asano, surgeon/medical researcher
- Brooke Berry, model
- Jeff Chiba StearnsJeff Chiba StearnsJeff Chiba Stearns is a Canadian independent animation and documentary filmmaker who works in traditional and computer-based techniques.- Biography :Chiba Stearns was born in Kelowna, British Columbia, of Japanese and European heritage...
, animated filmmaker - John Endo Greenaway, taikoTaikomeans "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
drummer, founder of Uzume Taiko - Randy Enomoto, writer, past president, National Association of Japanese Canadians
- Denise Fujiwara, dancer/choreographer
- Hiromi GotoHiromi GotoHiromi Goto is a Japanese-Canadian editor, fiction writer, cultural critic, arts advocate, youth organizer, teacher of creative writing and a mother of two children.-Life:...
, author - Arthur S. HaraArthur S. HaraArthur Shigeru Hara, is a prominent Japanese-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, renowned for his work in promoting Canada's relations with Pacific Rim nations ....
, business leader,Officer and Companion, Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. - S.I. Hayakawa, Canadian-American linguist, academic and U.S. Senator
- Jay Hirabayashi, member of the butohButohis the collective name for a diverse range of activities, techniques and motivations for dance, performance, or movement inspired by the movement. It typically involves playful and grotesque imagery, taboo topics, extreme or absurd environments, and is traditionally performed in white body makeup...
dance troupe Kokoro DanceKokoro DanceKokoro Dance is one of Canada's leading butoh dance troupes. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, it was founded in 1986 by artistic directors Barbara Bourget and Japanese Canadian Jay Hirabayashi. They have performed across Canada, in the United States, and abroad.As is characteristic of butoh... - Mary ItoMary ItoMary Ito is a Canadian television and radio personality who currently hosts Fresh Air, CBC Radio One's regional weekend program in Ontario. She previously hosted TVO's More to Life and Second Opinion and CBC Television's Living in Toronto....
, journalist - Robert ItoRobert ItoRobert Ito is a Canadian voice, television, and movie actor of Japanese decent.A Canadian actor of Japanese descent, Ito was, for many years, a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada before turning to acting in the mid-1960s...
, actor - Hiro KanagawaHiro KanagawaHiro Kanagawa, born , is a Vancouver-based actor.He was born in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. He is perhaps best known as Principal Kwan from Smallville. His most notable anime role is Gihren Zabi from Mobile Suit Gundam...
, actor - Martin KariyaMartin KariyaMartin Tetsuya Kariya is a professional ice hockey right winger for HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss Hockey League.-Amateur:...
, hockey player - Paul KariyaPaul KariyaPaul Tetsuhiko Kariya is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League . Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
star player - Steve KariyaSteve KariyaSteven Tetsuo Kariya is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and younger brother of retired National Hockey League player Paul Kariya.-Playing career:...
, hockey player - Sarah KawaharaSarah KawaharaSarah Kawahara is a Canadian figure skater and choreographer. She won an Emmy Award in 1997 for Scott Hamilton Upside Down and was the first skater to win the Best Choreography Emmy. She won her second Emmy in 2002 for choreographing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics....
, figure skater and choreographer - Yukiko KimuraNaked NewsNaked News, billing itself as "the program with nothing to hide", is a subscription website featuring a real television newscast. The show is prepared in Toronto and runs daily, with 25-minute episodes 6 days per week. The female anchors read the news fully nude or strip as they present their news...
, former newscaster - Andrew KishinoAndrew KishinoAndrew Kishino is a Japanese-Canadian voice actor in video games, animation and voice-over narration.-Animation:*The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy - Additional Voices...
, voice actor - Muriel Kitagawa, writer
- Roy KiyookaRoy KiyookaRoy Kenzie Kiyooka, was an influential Canadian arts teacher, painter, poet, photographer, multi-media artist of national and international acclaim....
, artist, Member Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit... - Ron KorbRon KorbRon Korb is a Canadian flautist, composer, songwriter, and record producer, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is also known as Dragon Flute in China, Thunder Blessing in Taiwan and Prince of Flutes in Japan-Musical style:Korb is known for writing culturally diverse...
, Musician, Composer - Tsuneko Kokubo, painter/textile artist/designer
- Audrey Kobayashi, scholar/activist, Queen's UniversityQueen's UniversityQueen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
- Joy KogawaJoy KogawaJoy Nozomi Kogawa, CM, OBC is a Canadian poet and novelist of Japanese descent.-Life:Born Joy Nozomi Nakayama in Vancouver, British Columbia, she was sent with her family to the internment camp for Japanese Canadians at Slocan during World War II...
, novelist and poet - James J. Koyanagi, architect
- Catherine ManoukianCatherine ManoukianCatherine Manoukian is a Canadian violinist.-Background and Early Life:Catherine Manoukian was born in Toronto, Canada. She is from an ethnically diverse background, consisting of Armenian, Russian, German, and Japanese origins...
, violinist - Jon Matsumoto, ice hockey player
- Nina MatsumotoNina MatsumotoNina Matsumoto is a Japanese-Canadian comic book artist and writer, also known as "space coyote", and most known for creating the comic book series Yōkaiden for Del Rey Manga...
, comics artist - Kirsten McAllister, scholar, Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
- Nobu McCarthyNobu McCarthyNobu McCarthy was a Japanese Canadian actress, stage director, and fashion model.-Early life:McCarthy was born Nobu Atsumi in Ottawa, Ontario, the daughter of Yuki and Masaji Atsumi, a Japanese fashion designer and diplomatic attache stationed in Canada at the time. She was raised in Japan, where...
, actress - Glenn MichibataGlenn MichibataGlenn Michibata is a former professional tennis player and current head coach of the Princeton University Tigers collegiate tennis team.-As a pro singles player:...
, tennis player - Art MikiArt MikiArthur Kazumi Miki, CM is an activist and politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians from 1984 to 1992, and is best known for his work in seeking compensation for Japanese-Canadians who were interned by the Government of Canada...
, National Association of Japanese Canadians leader - Roy MikiRoy MikiRoy Akira Miki, CM, FRSC is a Canadian poet and scholar.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to second generation Japanese-Canadian parents, he attended the University of Manitoba, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University, where he is currently a professor emeritus. He lives in...
, professor emeritus, Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
and poet, Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit... - Masajiro MiyazakiMasajiro MiyazakiDr. Masajiro Miyazaki D.O., CM was a Japanese-Canadian osteopath who practised in Vancouver prior to World War II. During World War II, he was appointed as a coroner by the British Columbia Provincial Police in the town of Lillooet, British Columbia...
, osteopath/coroner and community activist; Companion of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. - Kenzo MoriKenzo MoriKenzo Mori was an Nisei Japanese-Canadian journalist, writer, editor and publisher of the New Canadian, an English-language newspaper aimed at second- and third-generation Japanese Canadians.-Early life:...
, editor of New Canadian - Frank Moritsugu, journalist
- Raymond MoriyamaRaymond MoriyamaRaymond Moriyama, CC, O.Ont is a Japanese-Canadian architect. He has designed several buildings at Brock University from the 1970s through the latest campus expansion and is the University's former chancellor....
, architect - Issey Nakajima-Farran, Canadian national soccer team Canada men's national soccer teamThe Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
player - Paris Nakajima-FarranParis Nakajima-FarranParis Yui Nakajima-Farran is a Canadian footballer of Japanese descent, who currently plays for South China Athletic Association in the Hong Kong First Division League.- Personal :...
, footballer - Kazuo NakamuraKazuo NakamuraKazuo Nakamura was a Japanese-Canadian painter and sculptor and a founding member of the Toronto-based Painters Eleven group in the 1950s.-Life:...
, painter - Bev OdaBev OdaThe Hon. Beverley Joan "Bev" Oda, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, as well as the first Japanese-Canadian MP and cabinet minister in Canadian history. She represents the riding of Durham for the Conservative Party of Canada. She was...
, first Japanese-Canadian MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and cabinet ministerMinister (government)A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
in Canadian history - Kevan Ohtsji, actor
- Midi OnoderaMidi OnoderaMidi Onodera is an award-winning Japanese-Canadian filmmaker. Her work is short and feature-length films and videos, and is exhibited internationally....
, filmmaker - Ruth OzekiRuth OzekiRuth Ozeki is a Canadian-American novelist, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest. She worked in commercial television and media production for over a decade and made several independent films before turning to writing fiction.-Life:...
, novelist, filmmaker - George NozukaGeorge NozukaGeorge Koichi Nozuka better known by his stage name George is a Canadian singer. He is signed to HC Entertainment Group record label as their main act.-Career:...
, musician - Justin NozukaJustin NozukaJustin Tokimitsu Nozuka is a American-Canadian singer-songwriter. His debut album Holly has been released in Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States...
, singer - Kristy OdamuraKristy OdamuraKristy Odamura is a Canadian softball second baseman. She began playing softball at age eight. She is a graduate of the University of Hawaii-Hilo...
, softball player - Linda Ohama, director (Obaachan's Garden)
- Natsuko Ohama, actress
- Santa J. OnoSanta J. OnoSanta J. Ono is a Canadian-American biologist and university administrator. He is currently Senior Vice President and University Provost at the University of Cincinnati.-Biography:...
, biologist - Maria OzawaMaria Ozawa, who used the name early in her career, is a former Japanese adult video actress known in Japan as an AV idol.-Early life:Ozawa was born in Hokkaidō, Japan. Her mother is Japanese and her father is Canadian. Since she always attended an international school, she claims that her English reading...
, pornographic actress (Japanese mother, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
ois father) - Jon Kimura ParkerJon Kimura ParkerJon Kimura Parker, OC is a Canadian pianist.- Biography :He was born in Vancouver, Canada, the son of Keiko Parker and the nephew of Edward Parker.He appeared with the Vancouver Youth Orchestra when he was five...
, Classical pianist and recording artist - Kerri SakamotoKerri SakamotoKerri Sakamoto is a Canadian novelist. Her novels commonly deal with the experience of Japanese Canadians.Sakamoto's debut novel, The Electrical Field , won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book. It also won the Canada-Japan Literary Award and was a finalist for a Governor General’s...
, novelist - Raymond SawadaRaymond SawadaRaymond Masao Sawada is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League He played at Cornell University from 2004–2008, where he was co-captain as a senior and a member of the Quill and Dagger society...
, hockey player - Yoshio Senda, judoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
ka, former Canadian Olympic Judo Team Coach, first in North America to attain Level 9 Black Belt, Order of Canada. Died September 9, 2009. - Devin SetoguchiDevin SetoguchiDevin Charlie Kenichi Setoguchi is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . Known by the nicknames The Gooch, and Seto, Setoguchi is Half-Yonsei...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
First Liner - Tetsuro ShigematsuTetsuro ShigematsuTetsuro Shigematsu is a Canadian radio broadcaster, comedian and filmmaker. He was the most recent host of CBC Radio One's former afternoon series The Roundup, where he replaced Bill Richardson in 2004, making him the first visible minority to host a daily network radio program in Canada. The show...
, radio host - Aki ShimazakiAki ShimazakiAki Shimazaki is a Canadian novelist and translator. She moved to Canada in 1981, living in Vancouver and Toronto. She has lived in Montreal, where she teaches Japanese and publishes her novels in French, since 1991....
, novelist - Henry J. Shimizu, one of the first Japanese Canadians to practise medicine in Canada, teacher and researcher at University of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. - Rick ShiomiRick ShiomiRick Shiomi is a Japanese Canadian playwright, stage director and taiko artist. He is a founder and currently the Artistic Director of the Minneapolis, Minnesota based Asian American theater company, Mu Performing Arts.-Early life:...
, playwright - Thomas Kunito ShoyamaThomas ShoyamaThomas Shoyama was a prominent Canadian public servant who was instrumental in designing social services in Canada, especially Medicare.-Early life:...
, economist - Jamie StorrJamie StorrJamie Storr is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Storr was the first goalie selected in the 1991 OHL Entry Draft and played major junior with the Owen Sound Platers and the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League . In the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, Storr was...
, ice hockey player - Vicky SunoharaVicky SunoharaVicky Sunohara is a three-time Olympian and is known as one of Canada's all-time most popular female ice hockey players. She was once considered to be the best female ice hockey player in the world and was described as the "Wayne Gretzky of women's hockey"...
, Olympic gold medalist in women's hockey - David SuzukiDavid SuzukiDavid Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
, biologist, environmentalist, host of CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's The Nature of ThingsThe Nature of ThingsThe Nature of Things is a Canadian television series of documentary programs. It debuted on the CBC on November 6, 1960. Many of the programs document nature and the effect that humans have on it. The program was one of the first to explore environmental issues, such as clear-cut logging... - Severn Suzuki, environmentalist, activist. Daughter of David Suzuki.
- Toyo Takata, author Nikkei Legacy
- Mas Takahashi, judoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
ka - Mutsumi TakahashiMutsumi TakahashiMutsumi Takahashi is a Canadian journalist. Since 1986, she is one of the lead news presenters of CFCF-TV.-Career:After emigrating to Canada from Shiroishi, Japan, Takahashi graduated from Concordia University in 1979. She joined radio as Lisa Takahashi and then CFCF in Montreal in 1982 as a news...
, news anchor - Shizuye Takashima, artist, author, Child in a Prison Camp
- Norman Takeuchi, painter
- Takao TanabeTakao TanabeTakao Tanabe, CM, OBC is a Canadian painter.Born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the son of a commercial fisherman, he was interned with other Japanese-Canadians in the British Columbia interior during World War II...
, artist - Miyuki TanobeMiyuki TanobeMiyuki Tanobe, CM, OQ is a Canadian painter.Miyuki Tanobe was born in 1937 in Morioka, Japan. She was named Miyuki, which means “deep snow”, for there was a violent snowstorm raging on the day she was born....
, artist - David TsubouchiDavid Tsubouchiis a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves.-Education:...
, former Ontario MPP and cabinet minister. - Takumi Tsumura, judoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
ka - Irene Ayako UchidaIrene Ayako UchidaIrene Ayako Uchida, OC is a Canadian scientist and Down's Syndrome researcher.Born in Vancouver, she initially studied English literature at the University of British Columbia...
, scientist - Juhn Atsushi WadaJuhn Atsushi WadaJuhn Atsushi Wada, OC is a Japanese Canadian neurologist known for research into epilepsy, including his description of the Wada test for cerebral hemispheric dominance of language function.- Biography :...
, neuroscientist, Professor, University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit... - Tamio Wakayama, photographer
- Peter Wakayama, architect
- Arthur Wakabayashi, Chancellor of University of ReginaUniversity of ReginaThe University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
- Terry WatadaTerry WatadaTerry Watada is a Toronto writer with many productions and publications to his credit. His publications include Ten Thousand Views of Rain , Seeing the Invisible , Daruma Days , Bukkyo Tozen: a History of Buddhism in Canada and A...
, novelist, poet, playwright, historian - Michelle Sagara WestMichelle Sagara WestMichelle Michiko Sagara is a Japanese-Canadian author of fantasy literature, active since the early 1990s. She has published as Michelle Sagara, as Michelle West and as Michelle Sagara West....
, author - Naomi YamamotoNaomi YamamotoNaomi Yamamoto is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election, representing the riding of North Vancouver-Lonsdale....
, politician - Keith Yamauchi, Justice on the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench
- Brian Yasui, news anchor
- Christine YoshikawaChristine YoshikawaChristine Mari Yoshikawa is a classical pianist.-Biography:Born into a musical family to a Canadian father and a Japanese mother , Christine Yoshikawa began her musical studies at an early age. She began her piano studies at the age of two with her mother, and the violin at the age of six...
, classical pianist and recording artist - Kimiko ZakreskiKimiko ZakreskiKimiko Zakreski is a Canadian snowboarder who currently resides in Calgary, Alberta. Zakreski competes in alpine disciplines, Parallel GS and Parallel Slalom....
, Olympics snowboarder
See also
- Asian CanadianAsian CanadianThis is a list of Canadians of Asian ancestry. Asian Canadians comprise the largest visible minority in Canada, at 11% of the Canadian population.- Ethnicity :List of Asian Canadian Demographies according to the 2006 Census- Notable Asian Canadians :...
- Japanese AmericanJapanese Americanare American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
- Japanese Canadian internmentJapanese Canadian internmentJapanese Canadian internment refers to confinement of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia during World War II. The internment began in December 1941, following the attack by carrier-borne forces of Imperial Japan on American naval and army facilities at Pearl Harbor...
- Asahi (baseball team)
External links
- Multicultural Canada website images in the BC Multicultural Photograph Collection and digitized issues of The New Canadian (Japanese-Canadian newspaper) and Tairiku Jiho (The Continental Times)