Japanese Canadian Experience Conference: the War Years

In November 2010, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, ran the Japanese Canadian Experience Conference: the War Years, which attracted individuals from our community and beyond who generously shared their stories from the War Years of internment and forced relocation. As a result of this Conference, the Sedai Project (www.sedai.ca) at the JCCC was able to collect over 100 stories from the War Years. These stories have now been preserved for future generations and are posted on the Sedai website. 
Following that Conference, it was suggested that a subsequent conference be held to collect stories of the years following the War. To that end, we are presenting “The Japanese Canadian Post War Experience Conference – the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s: Building a New Future” on April 6 and 7, 2013. We believe that this too is a very important era. In addition to the Japanese Canadians who were living in Canada during the war, we are hoping that Japanese who arrived in Canada following the war during the years of the immigration quota and before the lift of the ban (1945-1967) will also participate in this conference and share their stories. The stories will relate not only to the geographic journey taken by all Japanese Canadians, but also what it was like to rebuild from having all property and assets seized, and forced to resettle in Eastern Canada or Japan for those who survived the War in Canada, and what it was like to settle in Canada during a time of discrimination and prejudice, and build lives and families for those who immigrated to Canada.

Our two day Conference features Dr Greg Robinson as our key-note speaker, on location at the beautiful facilities of the Toronto JCCC. The 2010 Conference sold out with over 400 attendees – we hope that you’ll join us in sharing and preserving the stories of our community!

For further information, including registration forms and volunteer information, please visit: www.jccc.on.ca

Or, please contact Elizabeth Y. Fujita, Sedai Project Coordinator, at elizabeth.fujita@jccc.on.ca, or via phone at 416-441-2345 ext 303