Nikkei Memorial Cherry Trees and Rock in OppenheimerPark
In 1977, to commemorate the Japanese Canadians’ centennial in Canada, the Japanese Canadian Seniors planted 21 Sakura on the “Powell Ground” in OppenheimerPark. This Powell Street area (old Japantown), also known as ‘Little Tokyo, was the centre of the once-thriving Japanese Canadian Community. Today, some returnees – e.g. VancouverBuddhistChurch, Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall and some area residents – continue to be active in the community
Tonari-Gumi (Japanese Community Volunteers Association) was born in the area in 1974 and has worked since with Nikkei pioneer seniors. Tonari-Gumi was heavily involved in coordinating their centennial celebration programs and events in 1977. One event was the Powell Street Festival. Another project, fully supported by the Park Board and involving Issei pioneers, was the planting of memorial cherry trees on the Powell Ground and in StanleyPark. The Tonari-Gumi seniors planted 24 memorial cherry trees altogether. These varieties of trees were chosen because of their strong role in Japanese culture. They were imported from Japan and purchased with proceeds from the Centennial lottery sales and individual donations collected within the Japanese community.
On April 16, 1977, the Japanese Canadian Centennial Tree-planting ceremony was held in conjunction with the inaugural ceremony of the much-upgraded OppenheimerPark. Over 70 Nikkei seniors participated and planted 8 cherry trees in the easterly part of the park, in addition to the 13 others planted earlier by the Park Board employees on their behalf. The Park Board extended their help in relocating a huge rock that Nikkei pioneers placed as the Memorial Rock in the landscape. They installed a plaque on the face of the rock with the Tonari-Gumi logo and Japanese poetry engraved on it. The project concluded with three additional cherry trees planted at the site of the Japanese Canadian Cenotaph in StanleyPark by two surviving veterans of World War 1, Mr. Kiyoji Iizuka and Mr. Ryoichi Kobayashi.
Currently about a dozen of these memorial cherry trees survive on the Powell Ground and two near the Cenotaph in StanleyPark. Every spring, their blossoms bring back memories of Japan and the spirit of Japanese Canadian pioneer immigrants.
The Nikkei community is working to have this OppenheimerPark area designated an official heritage site.
– Written by Mr. T. Yamashiro and submitted by Yuko Shibata, Chair of Tonari Gumi
http://www.vcbf.ca/memories
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