Correspondence with and on behalf of clients and other material relating to research and consulting.
Description
| Title Proper | Correspondence with and on behalf of clients and other material relating to research and consulting. |
| Date(s) | 1948–1955 |
| General material designation |
This series contains 197 textual records and other records.
|
| Scope and content |
The series consists of files of correspondence primarily between Hidaka and members
of the Japanese Canadian community, to whom he served as consultant, in part through
his firm: Kunio Hidaka and Associates. There is also correspondence with the Canadian
government and others written by Hidaka on behalf of his clients, as well as handwritten
notes relating to individual cases and some research material gathered in the course
of his work. The correspondence relates to matters including immigration and economic
issues.
Correspondents include: The Continental Family Cooperative, Mikizo Fujimagari, Kichitaro
Hama, Carl J. Herman, Miss Tsuchiye Hiraishi, Sanuemon Hirota, Bunji Hisaoka, A. Ikichi,
James Yoshiki Imada, Immigration Branch, J. Itonaga, Hyosaku Iwasaki, Mrs. Tomo Jinde,
Kiochi Kakino, Kazo Kamachi, Mary Midori Kanaya, Isamu Kariya, Ayako Kariya (nee Oye),
Jisaburo Kasho, Mrs. Kono Kitano's passport and visa, Uzo Kosugi's old age pension
application, Kuichi Koyanagi, Yeasuke Kubodera, Harry Kumano, Sajiemon Kuramoto, Meijiro
Kurokawa, Mrs. Toku Ishii, Mrs. George Kutsukake, T. Maikawa Store liquidation in
1948, Tokio Maikawa's passport application to go to Japan to be the president of the
Nikka Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha; general contractors and construction engineering company.
(Mr. Maikawa was formerly president of T. Maikawa stores at 365-369 Powell Street
and operated a restaurant.) Misao Maikawa (nee Nakamura, wife of Tokio) and their
children Minako, Yoko included in the application. Tsuenechichi Matsuoka, George Yoshiro
Miyagaki, Enai Mori, Kyoshi Morimoto, Kikuzo Morino (Mrs. Aka Katsuno), Kanezo Nagao,
Isuke Nagata, Mitsuo Nakamura, Toyeki Sakaguchi, Koichi Nakano, Hideo Nasu (son of
Bunkichi Nasu), Jujiro Nishihama, Kisako Nishimoto, Jutaro Nishimura, Sawaichi Obayashi,
Takeo Oikawa, Tadishi Okamoto, Toshiro Okamoto, Tamaichi & Kasumi Okamoto, Reizo Shigei
Shimotakata, Street and Railwaymen's Union & The Toronto Transportation Commission
agreement 1947, Rapid Transit for Toronto booklet 1945, Toronto Transportation Commission
statements 1947 & 1948, newspaper clipping of the statement of 1948. Kenzo Tomiyama,
Kichizo Uchido, Fred Yoshikazu Urabe, R. Uyeno - Kazuo Fukushima, Tomoichi Uyesugi,
Morimitsu Uyemura, Shintaro Yamashita, Koichi Yamamoto, Isuke Yonemitsu.
|
| Name of creator |
Kunio Hidaka was born on April 29, 1918 in Haney, British Columbia to Teizo Hidaka and Kume Ihara.
After graduating from high school in 1934, before attending the University of British
Columbia (UBC), he worked briefly in land clearing and farm development in Haney.
At UBC, he obtained a BA in Economics and Political Science in 1940, but was also
active in the Student's club, the Student's Christian movement, and the International
Student's union. A close friend Roger Obata, recalls Kunio in those days as 'quiet,
serious, and studious, but with a tremendously active analytical mind contributing
much to the organizations so consequently in great demand'.
However, due to racist policies in BC, Kunio could not get a job that used his degree.
He ended up working at an acid plant of the pulp and paper mill at Ocean Falls. In
March 1942, he was forcibly removed from Ocean Falls to Vancouver and became a member
of the Japanese Canadian Citizen's Council (JCCC) which was organized by Nisei from
Vancouver and the lower mainland to serve as one of the liaison groups between the
Japanese Canadian community and the government on "evacuation" matters. During much
of this time he stayed at the Tairiku Nippo newspaper building which was the headquarters
of the JCCC through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Yoriki Iwasaki. In August of 1942
he was removed to Slocan city and saw the construction of Bay Farm, Popoff and Lemon
Creek from forest and farm land. He worked for the BC Security commission in setting
up the office and administering welfare maintenance services. In November 1942, he
was sent to Greenwood to do the same work and stayed there until March 1943. Kunio
moved to London Ontario in May 1943 where he worked in a wartime steel rolling mill
and stayed until he entered the Master's program in Queen's University in September.
He may have been the first graduate from the Master's program in Public Administration.
After graduation in 1945, he moved to Toronto and got his first exposure to town planning
with Town Planning Consultants Ltd under Dr. Faludi. He then tried landscaping for
Brobst Forestry, and Mr. Karl Brobst helped get Kunio's parents to Ontario. Eventually
in 1947, he achieved an MA in Economics from the University of Toronto and subsequently
took a Town and Regional planning graduate course at the University of Toronto in
1952, continuing with advanced graduate studies in Public Administration at George
Washington University, Washington, DC. Community planning became his ultimate career
and he excelled as planner, director and consultant to the Town and Township of Markham,
Town of Newmarket, and the Regional Municipality of York. He worked for the Ontario
Department of Planning and Development and Department of Municipal affairs in management
and consultation until his retirement in 1983.
In Japanese Canadian community activities, Kunio was ever present: beginning with
the Japanese Canadian Citizen's League (in pre war and during the war years), the
Japanese Canadian Committee for Democracy (assisting "relocees" to settle in the East),
the National JCCA (working with the Bird Commission on property claims in 1946-48),
the Cooperative Committee on Japanese Canadians (who opposed exile/deportation to
Japan), the Citizenship Defense committee (liaison with all provincial groups to raise
money for legal costs to raise civil rights issues), the Japanese Canadian Cultural
Centre (where he served as president in 1963-64), the Nipponia Home (where he served
many years on the board), the 1977 Centennial Year celebrations (where he contributed
to many events) and lastly with the Toronto (North York) Chapter, NAJC.
Kunio's wife Susan worked alongside him throughout his many activities including his
counsel to youth about career and educational opportunities. Audrey Kobayashi, a niece
who now teaches at McGill University was inspired by Kunio and considered him her
mentor. Forrest E. LaViolette, associate professor at McGill, author of "The Japanese
Canadians" gave Kunio a reference in 1945, at a critical time of his career.
|
| Immediate source of acquisition |
The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research
Collective between 2014 and 2018.
|
Structure
| Repository | Nikkei National Museum |
| Fonds | Kunio Hidaka fonds |
Digital Objects (182)
Metadata
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Title
Correspondence with and on behalf of clients and other material relating to research
and consulting.
Publication Information: See Terms of Use for publication and licensing information.
Source: Nikkei National Museum
Terminology
Readers of these historical materials will encounter derogatory references to Japanese
Canadians and euphemisms used to obscure the intent and impacts of the internment
and dispossession. While these are important realities of the history, the Landscapes
of Injustice Research Collective urges users to carefully consider their own terminological
choices in writing and speaking about this topic today as we confront past injustice.
See our statement on terminology, and related sources here.