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Congratulations to Linda Kawamoto Reid!

Linda Kawamoto Reid (left) with David Mitsui (centre), of the JCWMC, and Lorene Oikawa (right), of the NAJC pictured after the 2025 Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Japanese Canadian War Memorial in Stanley Park. Lorene Oikawa presented this award to Linda Kawamoto Reid on behalf of the NAJC following the ceremony.

The National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) is pleased to announce that Linda Kawamoto Reid has been awarded the NAJC National Merit Award in recognition of her leadership, vision, and dedication to honouring Japanese Canadian veterans.  

For more than 13 years, Linda has been a driving force behind the Japanese Canadian War Memorial Committee (JCWMC), both as committee member and chairperson. Her extensive knowledge of Japanese Canadian history has been invaluable. Notably, Linda has worked to document the contributions of the many Japanese Canadian volunteer recruits of WWI not originally acknowledged by the Canadian government.  

During her tenure, Linda led two major fundraising initiatives to restore the Japanese Canadian War Memorial, ensuring the continued preservation of this important symbol for the Japanese Canadian community. Erected in 1920 and located in Stanley Park, Vancouver, the Japanese Canadian War Memorial honours the more than 225 Japanese Canadians who travelled to Calgary to enlist with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during WWI, seeking to both serve their country and earn the right to full citizenship.  

As a Reference Archivist with the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre (NNMCC) from 2007 to 2023, Linda has played a pivotal role in the preservation of Japanese Canadian history and stories. Her many contributions include but are not limited to:

  • Seminal research for online museum exhibits including:
    • Taiken: Generations of Resilience
    • Writing Wrongs: Japanese Canadian Protest Letters of the 1940s
    • Warrior Spirit – on Japanese Canadian First WW veterans
  • Research for significant museum programs including
    • What is now called the Tomoshibi Journey, a bus tour through sites of Japanese Canadian internment and the original sugar beet tour in Southern Alberta
    • Several heritage walking tours of original sites of Nikkei communities in the lower mainland
    • Historical expertise for the Landscapes of Injustice project helping restore and preserve records of pre-war Japanese Canadian property and dispossession.
  • Co-author of:
    • Karizumai: A Guide to Japanese Canadian Internment Sites
    • Departures: Chronicling the Expulsion of the Japanese Canadians from the West Coast, 1942–1949
    • Internment Camp Highway Signage Project,
  • Long time contributor to:
    • The GVJCCA Bulletin magazine
    • The NNMCC Nikkei Images publication
    • Other national media sharing stories of Japanese Canadian history and heritage

She is currently the BC Heritage Sites Coordinator with the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society (JCLS)

Linda’s dedication to remembrance and historical preservation has deepened our collective understanding of Japanese Canadian history. Her work continues to inspire future generations to honour, remember, and learn from our past.  

The NAJC and the Japanese Canadian community extend our heartfelt gratitude to Linda Kawamoto Reid for her unwavering service to honouring Japanese Canadian veterans and her passion and commitment to uplifting Japanese Canadian history.  As a recipient of the NAJC National Merit Award, Linda Kawamoto Reid’s legacy and commitment to preserving the sacrifice and memory of our shared heritage and her impact on the Japanese Canadian community will felt for generations to come.

The NAJC National Merit Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and outstanding contributions in service to their local community. NAJC member organizations and supporting organizations may nominate individuals for recognition by the National Association of Japanese Canadians.

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