Japanese History in Nanaimo

At our first fall meeting on Thursday, September 14,  guest speaker Tami Hirasawa from the Central Vancouver Island Japanese Canadian Society (CVIJCS) gave a comprehensive presentation about the history of Japanese settlement and industry in Nanaimo including the forced relocation of Japanese Canadians to the interior of BC in 1942, and the confiscation and auctioning of their property.   You can now view her presentation on YouTube below.

CVIJCS is also known as the 7 Potatoes because in Japanese, Nana is the word for the number 7, and Imo is the word for Potato.  CVIJCS is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating Japanese heritage by providing social and cultural activities on Central Vancouver Island.  https://sevenpotatoes.com/

Tami is Nikkei Sansei (3rd Generation Japanese Canadian).  She is pleased to be the President of the 7 Potatoes which she was appointed in May 2021.