Statistics on the Advisory Committee on Japanese Property
Description
Title Proper | Statistics on the Advisory Committee on Japanese Property |
Date(s) of material from this resource digitized | |
General material designation |
From this file, LOI has digitized a textual record.
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Scope and content |
The file consists of a detailed list of properties owned by Japanese Canadians in
the Vancouver area, including Vancouver, Burnaby, and North Vancouver. Data in the
list include:
1) assessed value of land and improvements, as per 1942 assessment;
2) occupancy status;
3) names of realtors that managed the properties;
4) rental fees per month, and so on.
The list features an estimated 500-plus properties in 19 pages of legal-size paper.
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Name of creator |
Mr. Kishizo Kimura was born on May 27, 1899 in the Village of Hikona, an incorporated part of the present
city of Yanago, Tottori-ken as the third son of Tsunejiro Matsushita and his wife
Taki.
On October 12, 1902, Mr. Kimura was legally adopted by Tamotsu Kimura and his wife
Mumeno to be their heir. The elder Kimura owned a brewery in a hamlet called Kojotsu
in the Village of Nakahama, part of the present city of Sakaiminato.
In 1911, Mr. Kimura accompanied his adopted mother to Kobe to board the Panama Maru
of Osaka Shosen bound for Canada. Mr. Kimura's adopted father, who had already immigrated
to Canada, arranged to have them join him. They arrived in Victoria, British Columbia
on June 29, 1911, and were reunited with the elder Kimura. After a few days of rest
and sightseeing, the family departed for Vancouver, British Columbia.
At that time, Mr. Kimura had completed only five years of schooling at an elementary
school in Nakahama. In order to continue his education after his arrival in Vancouver,
Mr. Kimura took a job as a newspaper carrier for the Tairiku Nippo, and moved into
its boarding house.
Mr. Kimura started to attend the Japanese National Elementary School in September
1911, and completed his six years of mandatory education in April of the following
year. He attended Strathcona School, and completed two and a half years of junior
high school.
In 1915, he commenced to work as a labourer in various sawmills and lumber yards to
help support the family. Whenever he found spare time, he studied Japanese and book-keeping.
In 1918, he obtained a position at the Import Department of Ogawa Shokai, an importer
and distributor of Japanese sundry goods. In 1920, Mr. Kimura moved to Ito Shokai
an exporter of salted herring and salmon.
Based on the experience he gained dealing in salted fish sales, Mr. Kimura persuaded
salted fish producers, who were increasing in number and competitiveness, to establish
a cooperative marketing company. Canada Salted Herring Export Sales Company was established
in 1934. Then in 1935, Mr. Kimura established BC Salted Salmon Export Sales Company,
another cooperative for control of shipment and negotiations for commercial processing
of salted fish. Mr. Kimura became the executive director for both organizations, which
continued their operations until the start of World War II.
In 1942, Mr. Kimura served on the Japanese Fishing Boat Disposition Committee that
was involved in the sale of fishing boats owned by residents of Japanese extraction.
These boats were impounded by the Canadian Government shortly after the Japan's entry
in World War II in 1941. He also served for a brief period in 1943 on the Advisory
Committee for the disposition of Japanese-owned properties that were being held by
the Custodian.
Mr. Kimura married Haruno Makino on August 10, 1929. They settled into a house on
McGill Street in Vancouver, BC They raised five children, two sons, Edmund and Gregory,
and three daughters, Florence, Blanche and Beatrice.
Mr. Kimura and family moved to Alpine Lodge Community at Christina Lake, BC. In October
1942. This former resort location became the residences for approximately 100 Japanese
Canadians who re-located from coastal BC Initially, the family temporarily stayed
in rooms at Alpine Inn, and later moved to a lakeshore cabin. A two-room rural school
for elementary and high school students was established for the children. Most of
the men at the community were employed at Sandner Brothers Sawmill at the south end
of Christina Lake and its logging operations around the lake. Mr. Kimura, following
his tenure with the Custodian, became the book-keeper and later general foreman at
Sandner Brothers Sawmill.
Following the end of World War II, Alpine Lodge Community was disbanded, and the family
along with eight other families moved to Christina Lake Community close to the sawmill
where new houses were built in 1946. All families readily integrated and participated
in various activities at this new location. The children bussed to Grand Forks to
attend school.
Mr. Kimura continued to work at the sawmill until 1961 when he retired and moved to
Vancouver where he was able to re-acquaint and enjoy the company and association with
a number of old friends.
Mrs. Kimura passed away in May 1967 following a brief illness. Mr. Kimura continued
to enjoy the company of family and friends, especially visits from the grandchildren.
However, with advancing age and failing health, he passed away on August 3, 1976 at
the age of 77.
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Immediate source of acquisition |
The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research
Collective between 2014 and 2018.
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Structure
Metadata
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Title
Statistics on the Advisory Committee on Japanese Property
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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.