The Japanese Canadian Experience Conference - November 19-21, 2010
August 10th, 2010
November 19-21, 2010 at the
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
6 Garamond Court
Toronto, ON M3C 1Z5 (map & directions)
This conference, hosted by The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (“JCCC”) is dedicated to preserving and sharing the Japanese Canadian history of the war years (1941-1945), and is a tribute to our founding generations.
We invite all Japanese Canadians who experienced the war years to come and share their stories in a small round table discussion format.
Other generations (those born after the war) and anyone interested in Japanese Canadian history is welcome to attend this Conference!
Download the Conference Poster (JPG, 440 KB)
Download the Conference Brochure (PDF, 1 MB)
Download the Information Package (PDF, 200 KB)
To register, download and mail in the Registration Form (PDF, 580 KB) by Friday, November 5, 2010.
For more information, contact Lisa Uyeda at 416-441-2345 ext 303, or by email at lisa.uyeda@jccc.on.ca
Janice Fukakusa, SEDAI Project Honourary Advisor
September 29th, 2008
Among the Honourary Advisors to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre’s Sedai Committee in Toronto is Janice Fukakusa. Janice holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto, an M.B.A. from York University, and the professional designations of Chartered Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator.
Janice is presently the Chief Financial Officer of Royal Bank of Canada. She joined RBC in 1985 and has held positions in retail and business banking, corporate banking, account management, corporate finance, treasury, strategic development, and corporate functions.
Janice sits on the Board of Governors of Ryerson University and on the International Advisory Board of the Schulich School of Business (York University).
The Women’s Executive Network has chosen Janice four times as being among “Canada’s Top 100 Women” and in 2007 inducted her into the Top 100 Hall of Fame. She was named as one of the 25 most powerful women in banking in 2005.
Janice is on the Board of CAMH Foundation, sits on the United Way of Greater Toronto Investment Committee, and will be joining the Board of Wellspring in the Fall.
At the beginning of World War II Janice’s Nisei mother and father were living in British Columbia. With the forced removal of the Japanese Canadians her mother was sent to Lemon Creek (a town in the B.C. interior) and her father to a labour camp in northern Ontario. After the war her parents met and married in Fort William (Thunder Bay) and then settled in Toronto.
Her parents rarely discussed the war experience at home. Janice maintained her links with the JC community in her youth by taking dance lessons at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and attending selected events.
Bill Hatanaka joins SEDAI Project’s Honorary Advisors
August 8th, 2008
TORONTO, Ontario, August 7, 2008: Connie Sugiyama, Founding Chair of SEDAI , the Japanese Canadian Legacy Project (www.sedai.ca) ( the “Sedai Project“) of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, is pleased to announce that William H. Hatanaka, Group Head, Wealth Management for the TD Bank, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., has joined the Sedai Project’s distinguished panel of Honorary Advisors.
Mr. Hatanaka has 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. He joined TD Bank Financial Group in January 2003 as Executive Vice President, Wealth Management and prior to that was the Chief Operating Officer of the Global Wealth Management Organization of the Royal Bank of Canada. Previously, Mr. Hatanaka also held senior executive positions at investment firms Richardson Greenshields and Midland Walwyn Capital. During his career he has gained considerable experience as a leader of various businesses including discount brokerage, financial planning and full service brokerage, private banking and trust, global operations and asset management.
Prior to his career in the financial services industry, Mr. Hatanaka played professional football in the Canadian Football League and was a member of the 1976 Ottawa Rough Riders Grey Cup Championship Team setting a record for the longest punt return (79 yards) for a touchdown in a Grey Cup game.
Mr. Hatanaka also acts as Chairman of the TD Bank’s Diversity Leadership Council, which has been charged with the building of an inclusive organization through “best in class” diversity initiatives which in turn will contribute to the building of an intuitive and relevant institution for customers and employees. Additionally, he serves on the Board of TD Ameritrade, is the former Chairman of the Board for the Investment Industry Association of Canada and is also a board member of the York University Foundation, currently co-chairing the University’s capital campaign.
“We are both delighted and honoured that Bill Hatanaka has agreed to become an Honorary Advisor to the Sedai Project. Bill has distinguished himself as a leader in a number of fields, most recently in financial services, and he has deep roots in our community” said Sedai Project Chair, Connie Sugiyama.
Mr. Hatanaka joins Janice Fukakusa, Chief Financial Officer, RBC Financial Group, Tom Ikeda, Executive Director, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project; Joy Kogawa, Author; Bruce Kuwabara, Partner, KPMB Architects; Karen Kuwahara, President, Nestle Purina Canada; Judge Maryka Omatsu, Ontario Court of Justice; Raymond Moriyama, O.C., O.Ont., Architect; Linda Ohama, Filmmaker; Scott Oki, Philanthropist; Senator Vivienne Poy, Senate of Canada; Kerri Sakamoto, Author; Dr. Henry J. Shimizu, M.D., FRCS(C), C.M.; Dr. Gerri Sinclair, Executive Director, Masters of Digital Media Program @ the Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver, B.C.; David Tsubouchi, Former Ontario Cabinet Minister, Counsel to Fraser Milner Casgrain; and Akemi Kikamura Yano, Chief Executive Officer, Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, California, all Honorary Advisors to the Sedai Project.
The goal of the Sedai Project is to share the unique history and experiences of Canadians of Japanese ancestry using oral histories, text, archival photographs and related material, available to everyone, everywhere, anytime through a “digital archive” on its website. The first version of the Sedai Project website was launched in May of this year and has already attracted widespread interest and accolades. The Sedai Project operates under the auspices of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.
Japanese Canadian Legacy Project Launches SEDAI Website
May 1st, 2008
TORONTO, Ontario, May 1, 2008: SEDAI, the Japanese-Canadian Legacy Project (the “Sedai Project”) announces the launch of version 1 of its website and digital archive which highlight the unique history, experiences and contributions of Canadians of Japanese ancestry. The website at www.sedai.ca contains video clips of oral histories, text, archival photographs and related material.
Connie Sugiyama, a longtime advisor to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (“JCCC”) and founding Chair of the Sedai Project said: “We are very excited and proud to be launching our first website. It is a remarkable achievement from a dedicated and talented group of volunteers on the Sedai Project Committee who have worked collaboratively and given so generously of their time, talents and skills to make this website a reality. It is our hope that our website will capture the oral histories and first hand accounts of members of our community and will serve as a valuable educational resource for all Canadians and for all those interested in the history and legacy of our community in Canada.”
The Sedai Project has received the generous support and sponsorship of Densho, the Japanese American Legacy Project; the Japanese American National Museum and its Discover Nikkei Project, Mr. and Mrs. David Kitamura, the National Association of Japanese Canadians, the Nelson Hyland Foundation; Sony Canada and many individual members of the community.
The Sedai Project operates as a special committee of the JCCC in collaboration with its Heritage initiatives and reports directly to the JCCC board of directors.
The JCCC was founded in Toronto more than 40 years ago. It is a registered Canadian charity and one of the oldest and most successful organizations of its kind in Canada. Open to everyone regardless of race, religion, sex or age, the JCCC provides a place - and more importantly, the impetus - for the exchange of ideas; a showcase for those with Japanese artistic and athletic talents; social and intellectual events: the history and future of the unique Japanese-Canadian community (for further information see: www.jccc.on.ca.).
SEDAI Unveils New Logo
February 19th, 2007
Connie Sugiyama, Chair of SEDAI, The Japanese Canadian Legacy Project, unveiled the project’s new logo at the February 19, 2007 meeting of the JCCC Board . Present for the presentation were members of the SEDAI Committee and a number of the distinguished Honourary Advisors to the Project: Senator Vivienne Poy, who was accompanied by her husband, Dr. Neville Poy, Bruce Kuwabara, Partner of KPMB Architects, Karen Kuwahara, President, Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada and author, Kerri Sakamoto.
SEDAI means “Generations” in Japanese and has been chosen as the name for the Japanese Canadian Legacy Project.
The new logo was created by Derek Gorman of MadMacDesign Inc. and presents the kanji characters ”SE” and “DAI” as they would be represented on a Tenkoku carved stone seal employing tensho-style calligraphy. Tenkoku is a highly valued art form in Japan used to sign artwork or as a personal signature for official documents or certificates. Tensho style calligraphy is used frequently because of its artistic quality and its unique pictorial imager. The SEDAI Tenkoku was created by internationally acclaimed shodo artist and designer Noriko Maeda. To learn more about Maeda-sensei see: www.norikomaeda.com.
SEDAI is a project of the JCCC and is creating a web-based archive to record and preserve the history and contributions of the Japanese Canadian community. As its first priority, the dedicated volunteers of SEDAI are digitally recording the oral histories of members of the Japanese Canadian community.
To date, SEDAI has received support from the following generous sponsors and donors:
- Densho, the Japanese-American Legacy Project (Seattle)
- Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles) and its Discover Nikkei Project.
- National Association of Japanese-Canadians (Winnipeg)
- Nelson Hyland Foundation (Toronto)
- Sony Canada (donations in kind of digital recording equipment and computers)
- Dr. Henry and Mrs. Joanne Sugiyama
Some of SEDAI’s work can be viewed on Densho’s website (www.densho.org) and on the Discover Nikkei website of the Japanese American National Museum (www.discovernikkei.org).
In his remarks at the JCCC Gala on February 24, 2007, internationally acclaimed architect, Bruce Kuwabara, recognized SEDAI as one of the most important new initiatives being undertaken at the JCCC because it has demonstrated its capacity to link the JCCC to other organizations such as Densho, JANM and Discover Nikkei and its ability to engage a new generation of Canadians in our history and community. To find out more about how you can be a part of this exciting project, either by volunteering or by donating, please contact SEDAI at: info@sedai.ca.