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The identity of Nikkei Canadians seen in the Buddhist Church (Japanese)

(Japanese) The Buddhist community in Toronto began back in 1946. I think that 1946 was a really intriguing period in time. Before, during, and after the war, nobody wanted to be seen as a Japanese American, so it was a time period where they were increasingly moving away from things related to Japan, like Japanese culture. Amidst all of that, I wondered why a Buddhist church came into being in 1946, in Toronto; why would they build something that can be seen as a symbolic representation of Japanese culture? Well, the answer was an easy thing to understand. Their community was so defined—it was easy for me to understand it.

Let me explain. So the people from the church let me interview them in depth, and so when I asked about it, just like I had thought, they said their parents were Buddhist. Some said they went to a Buddhist church in Vancouver. If you ask why in the world these next generation, these second generation people would start a Buddhist church over here, they’d answer that it was because they wanted to become Canadian—a good Canadian, a Canadian who can make worthwhile contributions to Canada…and in order to become one, you must be a good Japanese person, and a good Nikkei person. So I asked, “Why do you hold such pride in being Nikkei?” to which they answered, “In Buddhism, and in Buddhists churches, we value the stellar culture of Japan—the idea of sharing and working together with everyone,” and that the path to becoming a good Canadian is created by cherishing the culture of their ancestors and carry it along with pride. So I think it was about them having confidence, you know—it’s called “self-esteem,” right? …There was a need to hold some self-respect. That’s probably why many people were shaken during the war, you know, because they had this feeling that that they’d face discrimination just because they were Nikkei, or had a relation to Japan. Their self-esteem was shaken. Very much a source for an identity crisis… But these Canadian Nikkei, on the other hand, held on to their Japanese consciousness stronger than ever and built the Buddhist church, believing that it would serve as a path to becoming respected Canadians.


Buddhism buildings Canada churches Nikkei religions United States World War I

Date: October 7, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Ann Kaneko

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Masako Iino majored in American Studies at Tsuda College where upon graduating, went abroad to study at Syracuse University as a Fulbright scholar. She furthered her studies there in American history. From the richness of diversity in the American people and culture, Ms. Iino saw that a significant amount of American history was due to immigration from which she furthered her studies. This is where she began to study more extensively immigration from Japan to the United States. At that time when research interests were shifting from political history to social history, Iino’s research was fully supported by her advisor.

When Ms. Iino returned to Japan, she taught American history and immigration courses at her alma mater and continued her research on Japanese Americans. During the 1980s and 1990s, she went back to the United States and interviewed Issei and Nisei in California. Later, she expanded her research arena to Canadian Nikkei and compared the histories and the processes of how society accepted Nikkei in Canada and the United States.

Ms. Iino is currently researching how Nikkei people connect to Japan by examining LARA (Licensed Agency for Relief of Asia). Her major recent publications are “Mou hitotsu no nichibei kankei-shi: Funso to kyocho no naka no Nikkei Amerikajin (History of another Japan – U.S. relations: Japanese American in conflicts and coordination)” (Yuhikaku, 2000), “Hikisakareta chuseishin (Loyalty Torn Apart)” (Minerva Shobo, 1994) (co-editor), and “Nikkei Canadajin no rekishi (History of Japanese Canadians)” (University of Tokyo Press, 1997), which was received the Canadian Prime Minister's Awards for Publishing. Currently she is an active scholar and continues to serve as the President of Tsuda College. (October 6, 2006)

Mitsuo Ito
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Mitsuo Ito

Chose to go back to Japan

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

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Shizuko Kadoguchi
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Shizuko Kadoguchi

Social activities in Tashme

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

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Alfredo Kato
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Alfredo Kato

Japanese vs. Peruvian identity (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

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Bill Hashizume
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Bill Hashizume

Reason to come back to Canada in 1954

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

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Mónica Kogiso
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Mónica Kogiso

Nikkei means fusion (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

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Roberto Hirose
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Roberto Hirose

To be more Japanese than you really are (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

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Roberto Hirose
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Roberto Hirose

Nikkei vs. Nisei (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Kazuomi Takagi

Conflicting relations between Argentina and Japan (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Kazuomi Takagi

Argentina is my home (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Celia Oi
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Celia Oi

Japan's impact on the image of Nikkei in Brazil (Portuguese)

Former Director, Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil

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Celia Oi
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Celia Oi

Change in sense of Nikkei Brazilian identity over time (Portuguese)

Former Director, Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil

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Emi Kasamatsu
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Emi Kasamatsu

Japanese language education for Paraguayan Nisei (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

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Toshio Inahara
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Toshio Inahara

Identified as Japanese ancestry

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

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Akira Watanabe
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Akira Watanabe

Yes, Nikkei culture exists (Spanish)

(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru

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Doris Moromisato
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Doris Moromisato

I’m a Japanese, Peruvian… who am I? (Spanish)

(b. 1962) Peruvian Poet, Okinawan descendant

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