There are 9 members of the NAJC National Honorary Advisory Council. This month we profile: Maryka Omatsu, Mary Kitagawa and Tosh Kitagawa. You can view the profiles of all nine members of the NAJC National Honorary Advisory Council at najc.ca/najc-national-honorary-advisory-council/ The Honorable Justice Maryka Omatsu M.A., LL.B Appointed in Feb. 2003, Judge Maryka Omatsu is Canada’s...Continue reading
By Terry Watada 2017 is the 75th anniversary of the Japanese North American internment. Much has been said about the experience in those years. The first utterances came out after 1970, more than 25 years after the fact. Shizue Takashima’s A Child in Prison Camp was published in 1971; Ken Adachi’s Enemy that Never Was...
The NAJC wishes to offer condolences to the family of David Kenji Fujino, professional actor (theatre, TV, film, video), published writer, artist, poet and reviewer. His reviews appeared under the national banner of the NAJC. David was a tireless activist on behalf of the Japanese Canadian community for many years. He was a founding member...Continue reading
By Terry Watada Japan is full of odd and interesting restaurants serving outlandish and delicious food. During my recent trip, I managed to seek out and partake of some fascinating establishments only found in a country that prides itself on service and perfection. From the amazing variety of Ramen Stadium to the fruit extravaganza of...Continue reading
– The Gilded Years by Karin Tanabe Washington Square Press, 387 pages, 2016 – Loving, a film by Jeff Nichols, 2016 by David Fujino On the day I reached Chapter 18 of this 32-chapter novel, The Gilded Years, I had to put it down — not because it was boring and bad; and not because...
By Anne Nagaoka Shaw As the lucky recipient of the NAJC Suzuka Scholarship in 2016, my experience during the exchange in Japan was very beneficial, not only helping me improve my Japanese language skills, but also in offering me a chance to introduce aspects of Canada culture to both Japanese and international students at the...Continue reading
By Terry Watada Last November/December, I found myself in Japan, enjoying the history, culture and, most of all, food. One day, I picked up a copy of the Asahi Mainichi at the local 7/11, primarily because it was in English. Inside was the international edition of the New York Times. On the front page was...Continue reading
NAJC Young Leaders Fund Application Now Available The Young Leaders Committee (YLC) of the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) was established in 2014 as a core group of engaged young leaders from Japanese Canadian communities nationwide. The YLC seeks to engage, connect, mentor, and advocate for young people in Japanese Canadian communities, and to...Continue reading
NAJC Condemns the Rise of Anti-Semitism in North America 1. Time for Action The National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) joins all Canadians who have condemned the recent bomb threats against Jewish community centres in Calgary, London, Toronto, and Vancouver. We are united in solidarity with the Jewish community across Canada, and in the United...Continue reading