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Nima-kai

Ava Sakura @sakurava

Writer by day, researcher by night. I'm a Gosei studying in the Greater Toronto Area and Assistant Editor for Discover Nikkei. Using interesting stories to make learning accessible is my passion.

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Nima since 2025 last login 6 days ago
@Masaji

*Sansei *Born in Toronto *Grandparents are from Shiga and Kumamoto kens* Families were interned in Kaslo, Bayfarm and on a Manitoba beet farm * Lived in Sendai, Japan from 1994 to 2004 * Teacher in Brampton, ON * Aikidoka * Writer for the Nikkei Voice for close to 20 years * Writer of "Canadian Nikkei series" which aims at preserving Canadian Nikkei stories. Future of the community? It depends on how successful we are in engaging our youth. The University of Victoria's (BC) Landscapes of Injustice project is a good one.... gambatte kudasai!

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nima since 2008 last login 1 week ago
@Shochikubai_Kai

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2024 last login 1 year ago
@juncurabongolan

Jun Cura-Bongolan is a Filipino yonsei born and raised in Toronto, Canada. His late grandmother was a war-displaced Japanese Filipina that had been separated from her prewar Issei father following the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. His family's tragic history encouraged him to pursue Anthropology with a Certificate in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies at York University, and continues to influence his work in community organizing around social justice issues. Currently, he is the founder and President of the Filipino-Japanese Descendants Association in Canada.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nima since 2018 last login 1 year ago
@kruvalcaba

Yonsei Generation. Japanese,Canadian mother / Mexican father.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nima since 2023 last login 1 year ago
@discovernikkei2021511

Immigrated to Canada in 1986. BA in Sociology from Waseda University. A freelance writer for the Japanese media; a regular columnist for Vancouver-based JCCA Bulletin and Fraser Journal since 2012. Former Japanese editor of the Nikkei Voice (1989-2012). Co-founder of the Katari Japanese Storytellers since 1994. Lecturer on the Nikkei history at various universities in Japan. His translation Horonigai Shori, the Japanese edition of Bittersweet Passage by Maryka Omatsu was awarded The 4th Canadian Prime Minister Award for Publishing in 1993.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2021 last login 1+ years ago
@robfujimoto

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2022 last login 1+ years ago
@Mimi_O

Hajimemashite! My name is Mimi Okabe, and I immigrated to Canada when I was 11 months old. I identify as bicultural and bilingual, though I would like to be a polyglot one day! I hold a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Alberta, where I've taught literature, pop culture and Japanese. As a scholar of Japanese cultural studies, my research and expertise lie in neo-Meiji and neo-Victorian adaptations of Sherlock Holmes! I am also one of the founders of Japanese for Nikkei, an online learning and teaching platform specializing in reconnecting Nikkei with their heritage language. I hope to show my support as a volunteer by writing articles in both English and Japanese and in any way Discover Nikkei sees fit! To learn more about me, please consider visiting mimiokabe.com and japanesefornikkei.com Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2022 last login 1+ years ago
@TorontoJimmy

A PhD student. Interesting in the Japanese Canadian History. Want to study more information about Japanese migrants' stories in Canada.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2021 last login 1+ years ago
@rsy

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2021 last login 1+ years ago
@mhirowatari

Nikkei sansei born in Toronto Canada and grew up in the Nikkei community, from the JCCC, Toronto Japanese United Church, Canada Japan Society, Japanese Visitors Association to more Japan oriented organizations such as the Toronto Shokokai. Throughout my 35+ year career as a Financial Professional, I have been affiliated with Japan from working for large Japanese conglomerates in Toronto to living in Tokyo for 10 years. I am currently a Part time CFO of Not for Profit organization in Toronto. I also volunteer as a Board Member of the Momiji Foundation.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2010 last login 1+ years ago
@miharu

I was born in Havana City. My paternal grandfathers emigrated from Japan to Cuba in the mid 20th century. I live in Canada since 2005, where I came to pursue an academic career (Master and PhD degrees on Latin American cinema, literature and history). I created a website about Japanese immigration to Cuba, cubanonikkei.com. It has allowed me to connect with many nikkei in and outside Cuba, and share their stories.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2013 last login 1+ years ago
@nikkeisian

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2019 last login 1+ years ago
@NikkeiVoice

Founded in 1987 as a vehicle to inform the Nikkei (people of Japanese descent) of the then burgeoning Japanese Canadian redress movement, Nikkei Voice is a national Japanese Canadian newspaper that has evolved into an important medium for Japanese Canadian expression and communication. Covering news, arts, culture, entertainment, food as well as a focus on Japanese Canadian history, Nikkei Voice aims to connect the Japanese Canadian community that has been dispersed across Canada. It is published 10 times a year in Toronto by the Board of Directors of Nikkei Research and Education Project of Ontario, and operates as a non-profit organization. Find Nikkei Voice online at www.nikkeivoice.ca, as well as on Facebook and twitter.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2019 last login 1+ years ago
@TWATADA

Terry Watada is a prolific writer. He has four poetry collections, two novels, a short story collection, two histories on Buddhism in Canada, two manga and two children's biographies in print. Besides contributing to Discover Nikkei, he contributes to the Vancouver Bulletin on a monthly basis. He looks forward to the publication of his fifth poetry collection, "The Four Sufferings", and his third novel, "The Mysterious Dreams of the Dead", in 2020. He was a prolific musician and songwriter. He has seven albums of original songs to his credit.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2019 last login 1+ years ago
@Akinoshita

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2019 last login 1+ years ago
@uyedalisa

Lisa Uyeda is an archivist and a Nikkei yonsei (fourth generation Japanese Canadian) with deep family roots in Vancouver’s historic Powell Street area. She holds a Masters Degree in Archival Studies from the University of British Columbia and an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. Born and raised in Toronto, Lisa volunteered and worked at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre where she documented over 100 oral histories, coordinated three conferences, and contributed to the early development of the Moriyama Nikkei Heritage Centre. In 2014, Lisa was the recipient of the Early Career Development Internship Program and was mentored by the Information Manager at the Museum of Anthropology’s Audrey & Harry Hawthorn Library & Archives. Immediately following the internship, Lisa worked at BC Hydro Library and Archives, and is currently the Collections Manager at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre. In 2018, Lisa became a member of the Landscapes of Injustice Project Steering Committee and co-chair of the Archival Website cluster. Partnered with Stewart Arneil (Head of Research and Development at the Humanities Computing and Media Centre at the University of Victoria), the Archival Website cluster will amalgamate the resources gathered and created by the project so as to foster future scholarly research and provide access to the Nikkei community and general public. Well connected across the Nikkei community, Lisa serves on a number of volunteer committees that focus on Nikkei history, human rights, and young leadership. She is active with the National Association of Japanese Canadians and served as a Director on the National Executive Board and Chair of the Heritage Committee from 2014-2018. Lisa currently resides in Vancouver on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2010 last login 1+ years ago
@Toshio_77

sansei

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2018 last login 1+ years ago
@Koach

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2017 last login 1+ years ago
@junbongolan

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nima since 2016 last login 1+ years ago
@cehosaki

I'm the daughter-in-law of George (Shizuo) Hosaki and Kay (Kazue Maikawa) Hosaki. My husband is Wayne Derek Hosaki. Married October 1, 1977. We have two daughters Sarah Ann Akiko and Kimiko Marie May and are proud grandparents to a little boy Keoki. I work with my husband at Birchmount Collision that was started in 1958 by George.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2013 last login 1+ years ago
@FrankNakashima

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2016 last login 1+ years ago
@Kintarosan

Fumio Frank Maikawa (Kintarosan) is a Japanese Canadian Nikkei. Retired for the past 17 years, he enjoys life with his wife, Susan, in the beautiful town of Collingwood, Ontario. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, but lost his innocence for being an unfortunate, unwanted ‘yellow baby’. This part of the Canadian era was despicable and unconscionable. Displaced out of his home province, he was fortunately rescued by the beautiful and loving people of Ontario. They say that there are always ups and downs in life, but what a wild roller coaster ride he experienced! These life experiences personified his rite of passage into the man he is today. He was bullied into thinking he was a ‘nothing’, but showed them one better – he became a proud Canadian who is respected by friends and family. He is still trying to be a difference maker.

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2013 last login 1+ years ago
@JCCC

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2005 last login 1+ years ago
@sk25

Ontario, Canada Nima since 2012 last login 1+ years ago
Nima of the Month Learn about some of our favorite Nima and what they like about Discover Nikkei.

Masako Hashigami Shinn grew up in Tokyo and later moved to the United States, where she pursued graduate studies and worked in the finance industry. After retiring from finance, she focused on studying history, art, and design, publishing works in both Japanese and English. She has served on the boards of arts and cultural organizations including Hawaii Contemporary, the Japan ICU Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art, and New York’s Japan Society. Masako currently lives in New York and Honolulu.

Masako became a Discover Nikkei volunteer writer and translator in 2024. She’s brought her extensive knowledge of the fine arts to Discover Nikkei, writing about Japanese American artists Miki Hayakawa and Na Omi Shintani. In her free time, Masako enjoys cooking different types of cuisine—her favorite spice is sansho! She also considers herself a lifelong bookworm, and especially enjoys Japanese and British police procedural novels.

What do you like most about Discover Nikkei?

I grew up in Japan but spent most of my adult life in the US. I often reflect on the role of cultural heritage in shaping my own identity and that of my American-born and raised children. I enjoy exploring the different perspectives within the Japanese American community on cultural identity, community history, and self-understanding.

Why did you decide to become a Discover Nikkei volunteer?

I was looking for a volunteer translations opportunity and saw the notice on the Discover Nikkei site!

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