Save the Legacy of Cherry Trees
The Japanese Canadian seniors planted 21 on the Powell Grounds
In commemoration of their Centennial
Background
The City of Vancouver has a plan to revitalize the Powell Street area (old Japantown) and is currently conducting a historical and cultural analysis, which includes a community consultation process. Also known as ‘Little Tokyo’, the area was the centre of the once-thriving Japanese Canadian community. Today, some returnees – e.g. Vancouver Buddhist Church, Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall and some area residents – continue to be active in the community. A number of Japanese Canadian community agencies and individuals are being interviewed for their thoughts and input on historical, cultural and spiritual values. The outcome of this study is expected to influence their Oppenheimer Park Development Plan. It may come with a drastic redesign of the park.
Memorial Cherry Trees and Rock
Tonari-Gumi (Japanese Community Volunteers Association) was born in the area in 1974 and worked since with Nikkei pioneer seniors. The organisation was heavily involved in coordinating their centennial celebration programs and events in 1977. One of such festivities was the Powell Street Festival. Also, another commemorative project involving issei pioneers was to plant memorial cherry trees on the Powell Grounds (Oppenheimer Park) and in Stanley Park. The project was fully supported by the Parks Board. On April 16, 1977, the Japanese Canadian Centennial Tree-planting ceremony was held in conjunction with the inaugural opening ceremony of the much upgraded Oppenheimer Park. Over 70 Nikkei seniors participated in the Tree-planting ceremony and planted 8 cherry trees in the easterly part of the park, in addition to the 13 others planted earlier by the Parks Board employees on behalf of Nikkei seniors. The Parks Board extended their help in relocating a huge rock from its original place on the perimeter of Nanaimo Street, so that Nikkei pioneers could place it as the Memorial Rock in the landscape. They installed a plaque on the face of the rock with Tonari-Gumi logo and Japanese poetry engraved on it. The project concluded with three additional cherry trees planted by two surviving veterans of the World War 1, Mr. Kiyoji Iizuka and Mr. Ryoichi Kobayashi, at the site of the Japanese Canadian Cenotaph in Stanley Park. The Tonari-Gumi seniors planted 24 memorial cherry trees altogether. The proceeds from the Centennial lottery sales and individual donations collected within the Japanese community enabled Tonari-Gumi to purchase cherry trees imported from Japan.
Save the Legacy of Cherry Trees
Currently, there are about a dozen of the surviving memorial cherry trees on the Powell Grounds and two near the cenotaph in Stanley Park. Every spring, they blossom so as to bring us back memories and the spirit of Japanese Canadian pioneer immigrants.
I have no doubt that the City and Heritage Vancouver will take into consideration the rich history of the area and give the highest priority in saving those memorial cherry trees and the memorial Rock in Oppenheimer Park. However, the Nikkei community should be aware of this legacy and ensure that the future design of the park will not endanger the site of our heritage. Furthermore, the Nikkei community should work together to get this site designated as an official heritage site.
March 25, 2008
(Prepared by Takeo Yamashiro)
