Stories
Writings
Kishizo Kimura and the Nippon Tennis Club – by Neil Kishi (2025)
Kishizo Kimura Biography – by Florence Kishi (2001)
Haruno Eleanor Kimura Biography – by Florence Kishi (2018)
Florence Kishi Autobiography – by Florence Kishi (2017)
Kishi Family History – by Florence Kishi (2007)
Allan Kishi Family Biography: Nisei Veterans Committee Speakers Series – by May Sasaki (March 2011, Volume 61, Issue 3)
Oral History Interviews
Florence Kishi – Landscapes of Injustice interview by Joshua Labove, November 2015
Florence talks about her earliest childhood memories and growing up in different parts of Vancouver until she was “evacuated” at twelve years of age. Florence talks about her memories of her father and the type of man he was and the various jobs he held to support the family. She describes her high school experiences, working at a sawmill office with her father, and helping her family pack to move to Christina Lake during the “evacuation” of Japanese-Canadians.
Ed and Doris Kimura – Landscapes of Injustice interview by Jordan Stanger-Ross, March 2015
In Part 1, Jordan Stanger-Ross starts talking to Ed and Doris Kimura about their memories and knowledge of a manuscript prepared by Ed’s father, Kishizo Kimura, that is a history of property sales during WWII. They then discuss Ed and Doris’ memories from growing up in BC during WWII. Ed’s family were interned in Christina Lake. Doris’ family returned to Japan during the war, but she eventually returned to Canada. In Part 2, they discuss their childhood homes, and memories of pre-war in Vancouver and Skeena, where they each lived. Ed recalls some special objects, such as a gramophone, that were treasured during the war. Ed also recalls his time in high school in Grand Forks. In the interview, Ed suggests that the experience of uprooting may have had a positive influence on his life, because it allowed him to take a different path. Doris recalls some friends in her early life.
Transcript-Part 1 | Transcript-Part 2 | Audio-Part 1 | Audio-Part2
Blanche Kishi – Landscapes of Injustice interview by Carolyn Nakagawa, January 2018
Blanche shares stories of growing up as a young child in Vancouver on McGill Street, relocating at age eight to the self-supporting site Christina Lake with her family, going to school in Grand Forks after the war, and becoming a teacher working in different parts of BC before marrying and raising a family. She talks about her memories of her father, Kishizo Kimura, and his work disposing of Japanese Canadian fishing boats as well as other roles he played in the community. Blanche feels that her experience as a young child at a self-supporting site was relatively carefree, but her parents worked very hard to overcome the obstacles set before them, something she is proud of Japanese Canadians for doing.
Roger Kishi – Landscapes of Injustice interview by Carolyn Nakagawa, April 2018
Roger’s father was interned in Christina Lake and his mother in Greenwood. Roger explains that his paternal grandfather was a boatbuilder in Steveston and that his father built boats during the internment. Roger speaks about how his parents did not talk about internment, and his immediate and extended family also did not share their experiences. Roger narrates how as a teenager and early adult, he learned about this history during the Redress movement through books and documentaries. He explains that he cannot speak Japanese and feels he has lost his culture.
Jim Kishi – Britannia Heritage Shipyard Project interview by Marilyn Clayton and Marie Bannister, August 1991
Jimmy Hing and Jim Kishi – Britannia Heritage Shipyard Project interview by Marilyn Clayton and Marie Bannister, September 1991
Karen Yoshitomi – Densho Visual History Collection interview by Barbara Yasui, January 2023
Karen shares her family history and stories of her parents Allan Akira Kishi and Rose Ayako Taketa, as well as her own experiences as the Regional Director for the Japanese American Citizens League and Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington.