| description | This item contains an interview with Thomas Shoyama, conducted by Ann Sunahara on September 26, 1976.
2018.16.1.70.2.1
General Topics:
Side 1a: Ann and David Sunahara’s educational background. Members and activities of the Japanese Liaison Committee set up early in the Internment period (February-May 1942), the pulse on the community and reasons for the Nisei to get on that committee when Commissioner Mead appointed Morii, Nishiguchi & Nishio to assist the RCMP. Discussion about the character of Etsuji Morii and Tom’s opinion that he was like a ‘godfather’, and Tom’s opinion about the Cameron Commission investigation into the alleged Black Dragon Society. Discussion about the leaders that emerged during the internment and theorizing on how/why they became leaders.
Side 1b: Discourse about the leaders from different communities continues, speculating that perhaps outsiders from the Powell Street Ghetto, might have a broader view, examples cited. Perhaps a ‘Shikata ga nai’ aspect of the Powell Street people in reaction to fishing boats being confiscated, and discourse about empathy, reaction, support of each other in the community. Comparing the support in the Japanese Canadian community to other cultural groups such as the Jewish community, Black Americans, and Indigenous peoples. Conjecture about what might have happened if the community was not forcibly dispersed and comparison to the community in Los Angeles for example. Short resume of Tom’s rise to Deputy Finance Minister.
People:
Side 1a: Kunio Shimizu, Etsuji Morii, Nishiguchi, Nishio, Bunji Hisaoka, commissioner Mead, Mr. Iwasaki (Continental Times), Hidashi Mitsui, Dr. Miyazaki, Tanaka brothers, Kumagai.
Side 1b: George Tanaka, Shibutani, Shogun, Tales of Genji, Tanaka brothers, Tom Shoyama, Tommy Douglas.
Organizations:
Side 1a: Japanese Liaison Community, Judge Cameron Commission, Nippon club, BC Securities Commission (BCSC), Nihonjinkai, Continental Times, Anglican and United Japanese Churches, RCMP, Canadian Japanese Association, Japanese Canadian citizen groups, News Herald, Black Dragon Society, Nisei Mass Evacuation group, Powell Street, Japanese Language School, Kenjinkai, Buddhist Church, Department of Labour.
Side 1b: Vancouver, Fairview, Steveston, Ucluelet, Skeena, Victoria communities of Japanese, Kitsilano, Jewish people, First Nations people, Black Americans, Deputy minister of Finance.
Places:
Side 1a: Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, China, Kamloops, New Westminster, Powell Street, BC, Internment & road camps.
Side 1b: Vancouver, Fairview, Steveston, Ucluelet, Skeena, Victoria, Farm communities, fishing villages up the coast, Kitslano, Canada, USA, Japan, Interior camps & road camps, Ottawa, Los Angeles.
Time Period Discussed: 1942 - 1977
2018.16.1.70.2.2a
General Topics:
Tom Shoyama lists the men and women he worked with under the CCF banner and in the Tommy Douglas era which has been credited with the most efficient civil service across Canada, and the first socialist democratic government responsible for the birth of social medicine and medicare. He lists the players, their roles and possibly where they are today, and on some occasions where they were educated. Tom discusses his time on the board of the Saskatchewan Power Corporation as well.
People:
Al Blakely, Meyer Brownstone, Tommy Douglas, Ross Thatcher, Al Johnson, George Cadbury, George Tamaki, Don Black, Dick Lane, Kai Edy, Greg Mitchell, Marti Henderson, Dorothy Lee, Art Wakabayashi, Tom Tamaki, Ed Whelan, John Archer, Dr. Graham Clarkson, Mike (Kellnakoff?), Jeff Roe, Bert Roe.
Organizations:
Saskatchewan Mafia – Saskatchewan government, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), Medicare, NDP, Deputy Minister of Health, United Church minister, Saskatchewan Power Corporation.
Places:
Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Regina, Toronto Dalhousie, Oxfam, Saskatoon, University of Regina, Edmonton.
Time Period Discussed: 1944 - 1977
2018.16.1.70.2.3a&b
General Topics:
Side 3a: Tom’s family history from the Satsuma Rebellion to his trip to Japan with daughter Kiyomi, and his growing up in Kamloops. He describes his father’s journey and work eventually settling as a baker, and his mother as a schoolteacher. Tom describes his school years in detail. Ann summarizes that he grew up in Kamloops quite unaware of the barriers that were to face him due to his Japanese heritage, when he decided to come to Vancouver to attend UBC (University of British Columbia).
Side 3b: Tom discusses his first years at Victoria College and UBC, and how he was not in touch with the Japanese Community. Describes in detail his first living situation, as there was very limited student accommodation in those days, he was essentially a ‘schoolboy’ where he did the cleaning, dishes, laundry for his room & board. He describes the area around the Powell Street neighborhood, and when he first met Kunio Shimizu and his best friend George Tamaki. He describes the graduating year of 1938 as a remarkable group of people.
People:
Side 3a: Tom’s father, grandfather, cousins, nephews, Yuko Shibata, Mr. Jones, Yamauchi diary, Watanabe family, Magami, Kamloops Kid, Roy Granastein, Kunio Hidaka, Shizue Takashima’s book.
Side 3b: Ann’s father, Col. Mulally, Col, McKenzie, Commissioner Wood, Andy Johnson, Frances Wright, Fumi (sister), Eiko Hemni, Mary Kitagawa, Mr. & Mrs. Harry Tsuchiya, Dr. Shimotakahara, Tom’s father, Reverend Findlay, Norman Black, Reverend Norman, Hugh Keenleyside, Conrad Black, Granatstein, Roy Ito, Kunio Shimizu, George Tamaki, Albert Takimoto, Kato, Shinobu & Yoshimitsu Higashi.
Organizations:
Side 3a: UBC, Iron Mask mine, Duggan’s Bakery, Kamloops Bakery, Kay’s Bakery, Watanabe dry-cleaning, Consul General of Japan.
Side 3b: RCAF, Canadian Army, S-20 Japanese Language School, Counter Intelligence Department (CID), Royal Inland Hospital, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), Lamont United Church nurses training Alberta, Vancouver, National Association of Japanese Canadians, NAJC, Public Health, Victoria Youth group in Training, YPA in Vancouver.
Places:
Side 3a: Victoria, Ottawa, Satsuma rebellion in Japan, UBC, Kamloops, Blue River, Iron Mask Mine, Kumamoto Japan.
Side 3b: Britain, England, Vancouver, Kamloops, Lamont Alberta, Victoria, Vancouver East End, Powell Street neighborhood, American Can, Roger’s Sugar.
Time Period Discussed: 1930 - 1946
2018.16.1.70.2.4a&b
General Topics:
Side a: Tom discusses Keynesian economics, McGill economic development with Professor Kierstead, Sumida thesis and Tom’s mentor. He describes his first meeting with the Japanese Canadian community, his friendship with Hideo Iwasaki, living in dorms at the United Church. The early days of the New Canadian, Reverend Howard Norman and Nisei arrests, hideout at Tairiku Nippo and arrests. They talk about Muriel Kitagawa’s letters to Wes, Taylor Shirras and Mead.
Side b: They talk about the British Intelligence, the volatile situation during the early internment period, Seiji Homma’s work with JCC, 20 year cut off date for loyalty question. Tom talks about his workplace and family which include New Canadian staff and pen names, sister Fumi, father’s bakery and intersection with first nations. Discretionary laws and RCMP, David Suzuki & father Carr, RCMP – Sergeant Barnes, Corporal Davidson, Special constable, Muriel Kitagawa quotes, Spt Salt and Mead views on Internment, Commander Wood and Intrepid agent in Vancouver are also mentioned. They have a discussion about Prime Minister Trudeau, fears from those who thought propaganda would be used against the Japanese Canadians including Hugh Keenleysides view. Comparisons are made between those forced from coastal villages on Vancouver island and US Terminal island experience. He describes how the New Canadian editorials were more about rights and democracy but not property. Discussions made regarding citizenship differences. Tom did not seek cooperation as loyalty but more practical futile to fight, he was unaware of the truth at the time – political decision, communication was poor and minimal.
People:
Side a: Professor Kierstead, Rigenda Sumida, Shinobu Higashi, Dr. Banno, Ernie Yamaoka, Dr. John Shimotakahara and Sachi, John Cretien, Mitchell Sharp, Eiko Hemni, Kunio Shimizu, Kay Kato Shimizu, Ed Ouichi, Kato, Hideo Iwasaki, Yoshimitsu Higashi & his father, Mr. Tsuji, Mel Tsuji, Frank Moritsugu, Rev. Tsuji, Sunaharas, Hepburn farm, Reverend Howard Norman, Taylor, Shirras & Mead, Muriel Kitagawa, Rothstein, Ken Stewart, Alexander.
Side b: Mulally, Kunio Shimizu, Yasuko Yamasaki, Seiji Homma, Yasuura, Granatstein, Kinzie Tanaka, Frank Moritsugu, Seichi Izuka, Sue Sada, Eiko, Cinderella, K.W., Fumi Shoyama, Attorney General of BC, Dr. Banno, Dave Murakami, David Sunahara, David Suzuki & Carr, Sergeant Barnes, Corporal Davidson, Spt Salt, Commissioner Mead, Eiji Yatabe, Andrews, Prime Minister Trudeau, Masuoka, Hugh Keenleyside, Yoshimitsu Shimizu.
Organizations:
Side a: McGill, CBC commentator, Canadian Japanese Association (CJA), Japanese Canadian Citizen’s League (JCCL), UBC, United Church, Minshu newspaper, Tairiku Nippo newspaper, New Canadian newspaper, Taiyo Printing Company, Buddhist church in Toronto, BCSC, Japanese consulate, Minister of National Defense, Chief of General Staff, Pacific Command, German Jews, Manzanar News.
Side b: British Intelligence, UBC, Japanese Canadian Citizens' (JCC) Council, Hastings Park (BCSC), New Canadian newspaper, RCMP, Canadian Army, Intrepid, Canadian Military.
Places:
Side a: McGill (Montreal), Powell Street, Ottawa, Japan, Ocean Falls, Toronto, Steveston, London Ontario, Beamsville, Hepburn farms, West coast of Vancouver Island, Hastings Park, Immigration shed, Isle of Mann, Manzanar.
Side b: Kaslo, Ocean falls, Hastings Park, Kamloops, New Denver, Regina, Lethbridge, Vancouver, Ucluelet, Tofino, Terminal Island, Yellowhead pass, Queen Charlotte, Cumberland, Port Alice.
Time Period Discussed: 1939 - 1980
2018.16.1.70.2.5a
General Topics
Side a: A mention of the bills paid by the CJA. They talk about the Sansei perception of internment, Canadians view of the October 1970 crisis, and Tom’s definition of democracy. Sumida was Tom’s mentor to the Japanese Canadian community and life on Powell Street. Tom worked at Woodfibre summers while going to UBC. Tom’s income at New Canadian (NC) was enough to live on. He was one of the early staff of NC. They discuss Tom’s role as spokesperson for JCCC, and his first achievements in Saskatchewan with CCF.
People:
Charlie (Jitaro) Tanaka, Hugh Keenleyside, Hisaoka, Rigenda Sumida, Yoshimitsu & Shinobu Higashi, Irene Uchida, Ouichi, Iwasaki (Tairiku Nippo), Kunio Shimizu, Reverend Norman, Cadbury, Wilson, Adachi, Ito, Mead, Eiji Yatabe, Muriel Kitagawa, Eastwood.
Organizations:
Side a: CJA, New Canadian, Tairiku Nippo, Canada Daily, Advisory Committee, Saskatchewan Legislature, Canadian Government, Department of Labour.
Places:
Side a: Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec, Powell Street, Powell Drug Store, Woodfibre, Saskatchewan, Hastings Park.
Time Period Discussed: 1941 - 1980
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