Podcasts

Shizuye Takashima – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Shizuye Takashima, artist and author of Japanese Canadian classic A Child in Prison Camp.
Introducing the Nikkei Women series — During the run of the “Iron Willed: Women in STEM” exhibition, will be sharing weekly stories of Nikkei Women. Lives of remarkable Japanese Canadian women who have survived through the Japanese Canadian internment will be presented by Julie Tamiko Manning. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss an episode, and tune in weekly.
Muriel Kitagawa – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Muriel Kitagawa, an eloquent voice for the Canada-born nisei generation.
Midge Ayukawa – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Japanese Canadian historian Midge Ayukawa. Midge was born in Vancouver, interned in Lemon Creek. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry in 1952 and 1953. After completing her master's, she moved to Ottawa by herself to work, starting a prestigious position at the National Research Council where she was the first woman to be hired in her department. In 1983, Midge travelled to Japan, where she became inspired to start a new career, studying Japanese Canadian history at the University of Victoria and eventually earning her…
Mary Kitagawa – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to
Marpole Monogatari – Work — Listen to a variety of former residents, their descendants and associates talk about the work experiences of Japanese Canadians living in pre-War Marpole, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Introducing the Marpole Monogatari — We introduce you to a new podcast series Marpole Monogatari on Life at Home, Work, and in the Community for Japanese Canadians in pre-War Marpole, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Marpole Monogatari – Home — Conversations with former Marpole residents shed light on pre-War Marpole as a home to Japanese Canadians - from celebratory stories of birth and marriage, to tragedies of illness, accidents, and abuse.
Marpole Monogatari – Community — Listen to a variety of former residents, their descendants and associates talk about the community of Japanese Canadians living in pre-War Marpole, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Marie Katsuno – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Marie Katsuno. Marie was one of almost 4000 Japanese Canadians deported to Japan after the Second World War.
Margaret Lyons – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Margaret Lyons who broke down many barriers for Japanese Canadian women with her successful career in broadcast journalism.
Kinori Oka – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Kinori Oka (née Shinohara), who arrived in Canada as a picture bride.
Irene Uchida – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Irene Uchida, a world-famous down syndrome researcher.If you are listening to this podcast at the time of release and live near Burnaby, we welcome you to visit the Nikkei National Museum gallery to explore the Iron Willed: Women in STEM exhibition. It runs till October 2, 2021.
Hide Hyodo Shimizu – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Hide Hyodo Shimizu, an activist and teacher in the Japanese Canadian community.
Hanako Sato – Nikkei Women series — The Nikkei Women series introduces you to Kinori Oka (née Shinohara), who arrived in Canada as a picture bride.
Episode 9 – Registration Cards — In March, 1941, the RCMP, under the orders of Prime Minister King, began registering Japanese and Japanese Canadians. Afterwards all people above the age of sixteen carried registration cards with them at all times. But wait this was nine months before Pearl Harbour?!
Episode 8 – Japanese Folklore (and its Creatures) — Join Raymond and Alexis as they talk about their favourite Japanese folklore creatures, characters and folks including daruma, kitsune and tanuki.
Episode 7 – Prisoner of War Camps — Over the course of the war, around 800 issei and nisei were sent to POW camps. In this episode, Raymond and Alexis look at the camps and the men who were put inside them.
Episode 6 – Pidgin…Bamboo English…Japlish? — Raymond and Alexis look at the mixing of the Japanese and English languages - sometimes called pidgin. Some historically interesting mixes between English and Japanese.
Episode 5 – The Murder of Naokichi Watanabe — On the night of March 29, 1931, Naokichi Watanabe was murdered in Japantown. The suspects were Shinkichi Sakurada, Tadao Hitomi and Bunshiro Fujino. The murder weapon was a hatchet. The motive was insurance money.
Episode 4 – Thomas Shoyama — Thomas Shoyama was the Editor of the New Canadian during the internment period and later went on to become one of the most powerful public servants in the Canadian Government. But throughout his life, it is important to note, that this thoughtful man always took time to water the plants.
Episode 3 – Picture Brides — Picture brides were the early twentieth-century's version of extreme online dating. Japanese men living in Canada would exchange pictures with a Japanese woman back in Japan. Once a match was struck, the woman would marry the man by proxy in Japan and then sail to Canada to meet her husband for the very first time.
Episode 28 – Mixed Heritage — Explore the history, social politics, and personal experiences of mixed Japanese Canadian heritage with Raymond and Carolyn. From "hapa" identity to naming, this in-depth episode dives into a complex and evolving conversation.
Episode 27 – Hastings Park 1942 — It's not all fun and games at The Fair. In this episode, Raymond is joined by guest Erica Isomura to talk about Hastings Park in East Vancouver, better known as the PNE Fairgrounds, and its role for Japanese Canadians from up the coast and Vancouver Island in internment.
Episode 26 – Taiko — In this episode, Raymond and Carolyn explore the fascinating history of Japanese taiko drumming, from its ancient roots in folk culture to the emergence of taiko ensembles in both Japan and North America after the Second World War.
Episode 25 – Dressmaking (Our Mothers Patterns) — Sewing was an important occupation for Japanese Canadian women before and during the Second World War, not only to clothe themselves and their families, but also as one of the few professions which was not barred to them in the racist climate of the time.
Episode 24 – Cultural Centres — This episode, Raymond and Carolyn discuss this phenomenon, from the JCCC in Toronto to centres in Montreal, Steveston, and even the Nikkei Centre which they're recording out of.
Episode 23 – Harmonicas — The harmonica was the musical instrument of choice for young nisei Japanese Canadian men in the 1930s and 1940s.
Episode 22 – Cherry Blossoms — Figures in Japanese folklore, botanical attractions in Vancouver and across Canada, and...mutants and clones?
Episode 21 – Baseball — While the Vancouver Asahi are the most famous Japanese Canadian baseball team, there were many Nikkei teams and leagues throughout BC before the forced removal, in the camps during internment, and even some established east of the Rockies in the 1950s and beyond.
Episode 20 – Cumberland — Labour disputes and racism were rampant, but the Japanese immigrants were also able to build lives there, moving from mining to logging and service industry work, and even bringing over their families and establishing a Japanese Language School.
Episode 2 – Redress — In this episode, Raymond and Alexis look at the three points and six sections of the Redress Agreement and unpack the meaning behind the stuffy wording.
Episode 19 – Place Names — Japanese place names in Canada, from Ikeda Bay in Haida Gwaii to Bonsai Street in Vancouver, and even "Matane" in Quebec.
Episode 18 – Samurai — The samurai way of life - from the Satsuma clan to Inazo Nitobe's Bushido - and its possible influence on Japanese Canadian history and culture.
Episode 17 – Obon — Obon is a summer festival held in remembrance of deceased ancestors, but rather than being a sombre occasion, it is seen as a time to celebrate and show gratitude to those who came before.
Episode 15 – Japanese Canadians in Japan — Experiences of Japanese Canadians in Japan, from the kika-nisei, to the war years and the difficult experience of deportees after the war, to their own stories of living there as Canadians.
Episode 14 – Aiko Saita — The story of Aiko Saita, an international music star and Cumberland-born Nisei. Although she passed away in Japan in 1954, Aiko Saita maintained a deep connection with the Japanese Canadian community.
Episode 13 – Franchise — Japanese Canadians' long fight for the right to vote, and citizenship rights for Canadians of Japanese descent in 1949.
Episode 12 – Magic Hour — Treasures of the collection quirkily curated by the Instant Coffee collective and sharing background stories on some of the items.
Episode 11 – Strawberry Farming in the Fraser Valley — At one point, Japanese Canadians were responsible for as much as 83 percent of strawberry production in British Columbia.
Episode 10 – Hide Hyodo Shimizu — At 18 years of age, Hide Hyodo Shimizu was the first Japanese Canadian teacher to teach in British Columbia's public school system. She was part of the delegation sent to Ottawa in 1936 to campaign for voting rights for Japanese Canadians. She was responsible for organizing schools in the internment camps in British Columbia.
Episode 1 – British Columbia Security Commission — Its main role was to organise and supervise the uprooting and relocation of approximately 23,000 Japanese Nationals and Japanese Canadians. To set up housing and welfare programmes including employment, education for children and medical services for the sick.
Episode 16 – Japanese (Canadian) Food — Raymond and Carolyn discuss some of their favourite Japanese (Canadian) cuisine, sharing stories and interesting facts about different dishes.

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Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre

6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby BC V5E 4M7

September–February: Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm
March–August: Tue–Fri 10am–6pm · Sat–Sun 10am–5pm
Closed: Mondays and statutory holidays
Programs: Daily, 10am–9:30pm

604.777.7000

nnmcc@nikkeiplace.org