Category JCCA President’s Report

As I write this message for the February edition of The Bulletin, I am basking in the afterglow of a Chinese Lunar New Year Luncheon 2014 held at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. It was held in the name of Alumni…

In last month’s “President’s Message” I wrote that while the Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens’ Association is an important organization in the Nikkei community, we woefully lack administrative resources to adequately achieve our purposes. To my pleasant surprise, this comment…

On Saturday, November 23, 2113, I participated in the Opening Ceremony of the Tonari Gumi Seniors’ Drop-In and Community Outreach Centre. Fellow GVJCCA Board members who also participated in the Opening Ceremony included Derek Iwanaka, Jack Matsushita and Paul Esslinger,…

We have been experiencing glorious sunny autumn days in Vancouver this year. It has been ideal weather to enjoy the beauty of crimson and golden autumn leaves. Befitting the quietude of the season, October was a relatively quiet month for…

The National Association of Japanese Canadians held its Annual General Meeting in Toronto on September 21-22, 2013. The GVJCCA was represented by Jack Matsushita and me. It was a special AGM because it included a 25th Redress Anniversary Banquet at…

We Don’t Need Another Hero is a great song recorded by Tina Turner. The unwanted “hero” in the song is the hero who disappoints. The “hero” who leaves unfulfilled the hopes others had in him or her. We unfortunately know plenty…

I am preparing this Message on June 21st. It is the first day of summer. I am reminded of it being the first day of summer when I go the internet to google the weather in Japan. Up on my…

We learn daily of actions taken by people that disappoint us. Many of such actions are done for selfish reasons or with the aim of causing harm to others who are perceived as holding beliefs that are antithetical to our…

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY My first interest in Japan was Zen Buddhism. I read Essays on Zen Buddhism by Daisetsu Suzuki in 1969. It was the beginning of a love of Japan that continues to this day. People sometimes tell…

On Saturday, March 16, 2013 we held our Annual General Meeting in our office at the National Nikkei Heritage Centre. I am pleased to report that we had a large attendance. Our office was filled to capacity. The meeting was…