| title | Mamoru Madokoro Collection |
| general material designation | Graphic materials, objects, textual materials, technical drawing, cartographic materials, home movies |
| extent | 674 photographs, 8 film reels, 7 photo albums, 190 objects, 0.7 cm textual records, 1 technical drawing and 1 map |
| date | 1929-1995 |
| scope and content | The collection consists of a series of photo albums with photographs originally belonging to the family of and originally collected by Mamoru Madokoro. The photographs chronicle the lives of the Madokoro family, the Okahori family, and other families of Japanese Canadian descent such as the Ezaki family and Kuramoto family. Different series track the Madokoro's family history from the pre war 1930s, to the internment years of 1939 to 1947, and the post 1950 family history. Family members pictured include Jitsuji Madokoro, Hiroe Madokoro (nee Tazaki), Mamoru Madokoro, Hiro Madokoro, Molly Fukui (nee Madokoro), and Tom Madokoro.
This collection also consists of one large framed portrait labeled Grandpa and Great Grandpa, and a set of 190 tools used for boat building dating to the early 20th century - primarily used by Jitsuji Madokoro.
This collection also consists of 8 home movie reels documenting the lives of the Madokoro and Okahori families from 1960 to 1974.
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| biography | Mamoru Madokoro was the child of Jitsuji Madokoro and Hiroe Madokoro, along with sister Molly Fukui (nee Madokoro), and brothers Tom Madokoro and Hiro Madokoro. Prior to the Second World War, Jitsuji Madokoro and Sajiemon Kuramoto established their own boat building company, Kuramoto & Madokoro Boat Works Business. The company operated along the coast of BC from 1937 until 1942. Their designs were inventive and their tools functioned differently, allowing them to be competitive and differentiate themselves from non Japanese boat builders in the industry. They lend valuable insight into the boat-building industry between the late 1930's and into the early part of the 1940's in BC.
During the forced removal and dispossession of all Japanese Canadians from the west coast, the Kuramotos and the Madokoros were interned and K&M Boat Works dissolved. Jitsuji Madokoro was initially interned at Hastings Park before being sent to the Yellowhead Blue River road camp as a forced labourer. There he sent many postcards and letters to his family members. The family was reunited at Greenwood internment camp, BC, where they lived until the end of the war. After the war, the family was briefly forced to relocate to Ontario, before Jitsuji Madokoro and family returned to BC. Jitsuji then worked for Nakade Boat Works, later finding work at Sunnyside Cannery.
Mamoru Madokoro came to marry Peggy Shigeko Madokoro (nee Okahori). She was born in Vancouver in 1930 and met Mamoru after the end of World War II. Peggy Madokoro attended Notre Dame high school in Vancouver and was interned in New Denver internment camp along with her family during the war - siblings Tosh Okahori and Hideko Okahori, and parents Yoshie Okahori and Morio Okahori. Mamoru Madokoro went on to work in a post office for most of his life. Peggy Madokoro passed away in 2017. |
| number | 2018.31 |
| organisation | Nikkei National Museum |
| access | Open |