National Association of Japanese Canadians

10/06/2026

The NAJC is proud to support Shapes in Between: Norman Takeuchi's Journey, a short documentary following Norman Takeuchi and his journey to reclaim an identity lost to war through art and historical memory. Takeuchi is a a second generation Japanese Canadian artist based in Ottawa. As a recipient of a NAJC Endowment Fund, this film helps to preserve and celebrate Japanese Canadian stories.

During the Second World War, the Takeuchi family lost their home as a result of the Canadian
government’s discriminatory policies against Japanese Canadians and was forcibly relocated to the interior of British Columbia. After the war, Norman built a career as a designer, while avoiding his Japanese roots for many years. Later in life, however, he began incorporating Japanese motifs and the wartime experiences of Japanese Canadians into his work.

This film marks the directorial debut of Aki Takabatake, the Toronto-based founder of Momo Films, and will make its Canadian premiere at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) this November.

We would also like to congratulate Aki Takabatake and Momo Films on winning the Best Documentary Award at the 2026 Japan Film Festival in Los Angeles for the film!

Details of the screening date, time, and venue will be announced on the VAFF website at https://2026festival.vaff.org/.

10/05/2026

Join the NAJC for Outlook & Microsoft 365 with Corey Hayashi, part of the NAJC Learning Exchange series!

This hands-on workshop will explore practical tools and features to make your day-to-day work easier and more efficient, including:

Email – Organize, manage, and communicate more effectively
Calendar & Bookings – Schedule meetings and appointments with ease
Microsoft Teams – Connect, collaborate, and communicate with your team
Tips & Tricks – Discover practical features to save time and improve productivity

Whether you're new to Microsoft 365 or looking to get more out of the tools you already use, this session will provide practical tips you can put to work right away.

Date: Tuesday, Oct 20th
Time: 5:00 PM PT / 6:00 PM MT / 7:00 PM CT / 8:00 PM ET / 9:00 PM AT
Cost: Free
Register online at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/fJKL-QQSQLSk6NXv9zXA6A

About the facilitator:
Corey Hayashi is a member of the CBI Leadership Team, where he hosts seminars and webinars focused on the effective use of technology and software. He has also recently joined the NAJC, contributing to technology-focused initiatives and organizational planning.

With seven years of teaching experience in English, physics, and physical education, Corey brings extensive knowledge of technology, digital tools, and learning strategies to his work with the NAJC and its member organizations.

10/02/2026

The National Association of Japanese Canadians is proud to support Electric Neon Clock, a hybrid, immersive project by interdisciplinary artist A.S.M. Kobayashi, through the NAJC Endowment Fund.

Drawing from family archives and historical records connected to the forced displacement, incarceration, and dispossession of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War, Kobayashi transforms archival material into a deeply personal and immersive experience.

On view at the Art Gallery of Mississauga until October 25th, the exhibition and performance combines storytelling, archival material, audience interaction, and a score by Bradley Kurushima.

A.S.M. Kobayashi is a Toronto and NYC based interdisciplinary artist working in video, performance, installation and illustration. She is a Creative Capital Awardee, a Yaddo and MacDowell fellow.

For more information about the exhibition, see https://www.artgalleryofmississauga.com/events/a-s-m-kobayashi-electric-neon-clock/

09/29/2026

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.

Tomorrow is an important day to honour residential school survivors and reflect on the history of the residential school system, as well as the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism in Canada.

Here are some ways you can take time to listen, learn, reflect, and take actionable steps towards reconciliation on this day, and beyond -

Attend a local event.
Research local events happening in your community, such as marches, gatherings, talks, ceremonies, film screenings, and educational programs.

Donate to Indigenous-led organizations.
Support Indigenous-led non-profit organizations working across a range of areas, including language revitalization, education, culture, housing, health, youth programming, and community development.

Wear an orange shirt and learn why we wear orange.
Wear orange in recognition of residential school Survivors, their families and communities, and the children who never returned home. Take time to learn the story behind Orange Shirt Day and Phyllis Webstad’s orange shirt.

Learn about the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools and settler colonialism in Canada.
Explore resources from Indigenous-led organizations and educators, and continue learning beyond September 30.

Learn more about the nation on whose territory you live, work, and recreate.
Learn whose traditional territory you are on and about the Nation’s history, culture, languages, and ongoing presence.

Celebrate Indigenous stories.
Listen to music, podcasts, and radio programs. Read books and journalism. Watch films, documentaries, and television created by Indigenous writers, artists, filmmakers, and journalists.

09/22/2026

On this day 38 years ago, the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement was signed by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and NAJC President Art Miki after several years of negotiating between the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) and the federal government. This historic occasion was preceded by decades of grassroots political organization and human rights advocacy by Japanese Canadians across the country.

The Redress Agreement included a formal apology to all Japanese Canadians, $21,000 issued directly to survivors of the forced uprooting, Canadian citizenship for the individuals wrongly deported to Japan and their descendants, the exoneration of all those convicted for resisting internment, the creation of a community fund, and $24 million to establish the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, which continues its mandate to eliminate all forms of racism and racial discrimination to this day.

Following the internment and forced dispossession of Japanese Canadian communities from the coast during World War II, the redress campaign was conceptualized around the equality of individuals and protecting human rights in Canada. Central to this campaign was the inter-community alliances and solidarity forged to support these rights for all.

On the anniversary of this event, we remember and honour the work of those before us who campaigned for human rights to ensure that such injustices are not repeated. This work did not end with the signing of the Redress Agreement. We must continue to learn from our past, stand in solidarity with those facing injustice and advocate for human rights in Canada and around the world.

Photo: Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Art Miki sitting down at the signing of the redress. A row of people are standing behind them, Roger Obata, Audrey Kobayashi, Gerry Weiner, Maryka Omatsu, Roy Miki and Cassandra Kobayashi are amongst them. Photograph by Gordon King, 1988. Courtesy of the Nikkei National Museum, Gordon King Collection, 2010.32.55.

09/18/2026

Nominations are currently open for the 2026 Dr Gordon Hirabayashi Human Rights Award!

Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi (1918-2012) was a human rights champion who defied the wartime curfew on Japanese Americans in 1942 and later helped shape the NAJC redress principles, leaving a legacy of courage and justice that this award honours.

Do you know someone in Canada, or an organization, working to uphold human rights and eliminate racism, hate, and systemic discrimination? Nominate them!

A complete nomination package includes:
A CV of the nominee
A list of works cited (articles, papers, postings, photos, videos, or other material documenting their contributions)
At least 2 letters of reference from different organizations or individuals
A rationale from the nominator

How to apply: Email your completed package to [email protected] by Friday, October 9th

Nominees must live or operate in Canada and be currently active. They don't need to be of Japanese ancestry or a member of NAJC, only supportive of its mandate. The award is not given posthumously. For more information, see https://najc.ca/dr-gordon-hirabayashi-human-rights-award/

08/28/2026

It’s here! We’re so excited to share the first episode of our new podcast, Kataru – JC Stories, from the Young Leaders Committee of the National Association of Japanese Canadians.

Episode 1, “A million more doors to open,” is now available on Spotify and YouTube. See our website to listen - https://najc.ca/kataru-jc-stories/

About Episode 1

Why start a family history research project? In this episode, Megan Kiyoko Wray, Elias Kubota, and Hanako Teranishi discuss why they got started on their family history projects, share their advice on the unexpected effects of doing this research, and explain why they think this work is important.

Meet the Facilitator

Hanako Teranishi

Hanako Teranishi (they/them) is a Yonsei mixed-race Japanese Canadian. They are a poet and Master’s student at Simon Fraser University. Their work seeks to highlight the relationships between race, labour, and incarceration. For fun, Hanako can be found casting on new knitting projects, reading, or swimming in nearby lakes.

Meet the Panelists

Megan Kiyoko Wray

Megan Kiyoko Wray (she/her) is a q***r, mixed-race yonsei poet, community arts worker, and amateur family historian based on Treaty 1 Territory. She descends from the Kojima and Koga families, who were uprooted from Royston, BC, to Tashme, and from Haney, BC, to Sanford, MB. Megan is the author of Little Temple on the Prairie: A History of the Manitoba Buddhist Temple (FriesenPress, 2025).

Elias Kubota

Elias Kubota is a mixed-race multimedia artist from Terrace, BC, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Visual Arts and Greek and Roman studies at the University of Victoria. His current projects include a research-based painting series focused on generational memory and Japanese Canadian labour history. Through his work at the NAJC, Elias hopes to encourage youth engagement in Japanese Canadian history and to support the development of Japanese Canadians in the arts. Elias is currently based in Victoria, BC, located on the traditional land of the lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ peoples.

Listen to Kataru – JC Stories today on Spotify and YouTube!

08/26/2026

We’re excited to announce the launch of Kataru – JC Stories, a new podcast from the Young Leaders Committee of the National Association of Japanese Canadians!

This season, we’ll explore Japanese Canadian family history research, from why we choose to begin this journey and where to start, to tracing our roots in Japan and navigating difficult conversations about our family histories.

Episode 1, “A million more doors to open” premieres this Friday on Spotify and YouTube. We can't wait to share our stories with you!

Pre-save Kataru – JC Stories on Spotify here https://open.spotify.com/show/2cYpDk4fUbVsyrIt0q2PzI?si=ydm9IxFUSNeOrJxRNElzWQ

Podcast · Japanese Canadian Young Leaders (JCYL) · Welcome to Kataru – JC Stories, a podcast from the Young Leaders Committee of the National Association of Japanese Canadians. This season will discuss the motivation for doing JC family history research, provide advice for where to begin, give a...

08/10/2026

The National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) and the NAJC Human Rights Committee stand in support of Dr. Pamela Sugiman as she challenges her 2024 dismissal as Dean of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Dr. Sugiman is a respected scholar, educator, and community leader, and a longtime member and supporter of the Japanese Canadian community. We are deeply troubled by the circumstances surrounding her dismissal and the serious questions they raise about institutional accountability and procedural fairness.

We call on Toronto Metropolitan University to resolve this matter without delay and to take meaningful steps toward accountability and repair.

For questions about this statement, please email [email protected]. Download our full statement herehttps://najc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/NAJC-Statement-Dr-Pamela-Sugiman-August-10-2026.pdf

08/07/2026

August 6 and 9 mark the 81st anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On these days, we honour the lives lost and remember the victims of wars, past and present, around the world.

We also remember the stories of those who survived and the generations who have carried those memories forward. These stories serve as a reminder of the human cost of war and inspire us to continue working toward a more peaceful future.

May we continue to remember and learn from the past as we work toward a future of peace and disarmament.

8月6日と9日は、広島と長崎への原子爆弾投下から今年で81年になります。この日、私たちは亡くなられた方々を追悼し、過去から現在に至るまで世界各地で戦争の犠牲となった方々を心に刻みます。

また、被爆された方々の証言と、その記憶を次の世代へと受け継いできた人々の歩みに思いを寄せます。これらの体験談は、戦争が人間に及ぼす犠牲を私たちに思い起こさせ
、より平和な未来に向けて歩み続ける力となります。

私たちは、過去から学び、記憶を継承しながら、平和と核軍縮の実現に向けて取り組み続けます。



"Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima" by BillPellowe is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.