Discover Nikkei Logo

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/406/

Interviews

Rose Kutsukake

(1918-2004) Interned in Slocan during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community.

Why her parents came to Canada

I*: Rose...

Hai (Yes).

I: You know, do you know why your mother and father came to Canada?

Well, I guess they, they wanted to make money and go home, which, instead of making money, they got further and further into a hole, so they couldn't go back to Japan.

I: And what did they do in Vancouver?

Vancouver? Boarding house on Alexander, they call it Hiroshima, yeah. But if that had succeeded, we wouldn't have been rich, but at least we would have been able to go home to Japan to say that, well, we'll, here we are. But how can you go back to Japan in debt, right? Everybody's like that. So we stayed. [Interruption] [Inaudible], they'll think that.

*"I" indicates an interviewer (Peter Wakayama).


Canada immigration migration

Date: December 2004

Location: Canada

Interviewer: Peter Wakayama

Contributed by: Sedai, the Japanese Canadian Legacy Project, Japanese Canadian Cultural Center

Interviewee Bio

Rose Mieko Sato was born on May 28, 1918, in Vancouver, British Columbia, where her parents ran a boarding house. She attended public school and the Japanese Language School in Vancouver. Prior to the war, she worked in sales in a Japanese department store. When the Japanese were removed from the British Columbia coast during World War II, Rose was interned with her family at Slocan, in the British Columbia interior. The family relocated to Toronto, Ontario in 1948, where Rose worked at various jobs in the garment industry. Rose married Ken Kutsukake in 1953 and was married for fifty years. Her husband was a member of the famous Asahi baseball team in prewar British Columbia. Both Rose and her husband were active members of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and the community. Rose passed away in Toronto in 2004.

Fred Sasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Fred Sasaki

Anti-Japanese sentiment at the time of World War II

(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada

en
ja
es
pt
Fred Sasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Fred Sasaki

The impact of Pearl Harbor on his family

(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada

en
ja
es
pt
Pat Adachi
en
ja
es
pt
Pat Adachi

Family life in a Japanese Canadian internment camp in Slocan

(b. 1920) Incarcerated during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community

en
ja
es
pt
Kimi Wakabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Kimi Wakabayashi

Arranged marriage

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

en
ja
es
pt
Kimi Wakabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Kimi Wakabayashi

Her early life in Canada

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuo Ito
en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuo Ito

Chose to go back to Japan

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuo Ito
en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuo Ito

Redress Movement in Canada

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

en
ja
es
pt
Shizuko Kadoguchi
en
ja
es
pt
Shizuko Kadoguchi

Social activities in Tashme

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

en
ja
es
pt
Shizuko Kadoguchi
en
ja
es
pt
Shizuko Kadoguchi

Choice to move east or go to Japan

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka
en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka

Coming to America

(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.

en
ja
es
pt
Enson Inoue
en
ja
es
pt
Enson Inoue

The reason for coming to Japan

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hashizume
en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hashizume

Yobiyose system in Canada

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hashizume
en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hashizume

Japanese community in Mission

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hashizume
en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hashizume

Reason to come back to Canada in 1954

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

en
ja
es
pt
Masako Iino
en
ja
es
pt
Masako Iino

Impressions from interviews with Issei women (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

en
ja
es
pt

Discover Nikkei Updates

NIKKEI NAMES 2
Vote for Nima-kai Favorite!
Read the stories and give a star to the ones you like the most! Help select our Community Favorite.
PROJECT UPDATES
New Site Design
See exciting new changes to Discover Nikkei. Find out what’s new and what’s coming soon!
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
We’re on Instagram!
Follow us @discovernikkei for new site content, program announcements, and more!