Japanese Canadian Architects, Builders, and Designers in Manitoba

Foreword

Ryan Takatsu, May 17 2023

In September 2019, I contacted the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation regarding the inclusion of the Japanese-Canadians architects, designers, builders and contractors who contributed to Manitoba’s built environment.

On January 16, 1942, due to repercussions of World War II, the War Measure’s Act enforced the internment of almost 22,000 Japanese-Canadians. The consequences were devastating. Property, businesses, community, and livelihood were appropriated and lost. All Japanese-Canadians were evacuated, primarily in British Columbia. They lost their democratic rights and freedoms as Canadian citizens. One hundred and eighteen of those interned arrived in Winnipeg on April 13, 1942 and then relocated to various communities in southern Manitoba to work as forced labourers on the sugar beet farms. Soon after the war ended and the restrictions were finally lifted in April 1949, many of the families moved to Winnipeg to rebuild their lives and community. There was a loss of identity, culture, and language for the younger generation. The internment experience was everlasting and emotionally hurtful.

Due to lost education and employment opportunities as a result of the war, many returned to school to study (or apprentice in) architecture, design and building trades. The post-war economic and population growth of Winnipeg created a building boom. This set of circumstances made it possible for Japanese-Canadians to thrive as contractors, home developers, architects and designers.

In September 1988, the federal government of Canada acknowledged the social-economic injustices endured during and after the World War II. The redress and formal apology became a reality.

April 2022 marked Gaman (Honouring the Survivors), the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese-Canadian internments to Manitoba. The Buddhist phrase, Gaman (我慢) means “enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity.

The Japanese-Canadian experience was a long difficult journey of a world war, systemic racism, internment, and relocation. This project acknowledges the importance of the contributions made by Japanese-Canadian to Manitoba’s built environment.

I wish to thank Susan Algie for making this project possible, and to researchers and writers Alexander Gowriluk and Catherine Acebo for documentation.

Introduction

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Canada relied on immigrants to provide the labour that the growing nation required. The federal government's immigration policies accommodated European immigrants the most. Like other Asian, African, and South Asian immigrants, Japanese immigrants were denied entry—and when they were allowed to enter, they worked in physically demanding industries and encountered racism in their everyday lives.

Winnipeg's Japanese Canadian architects and builders can trace their roots to the first wave of Japanese immigrants who endured such discrimination. Meiji-era Japan legalised immigration in 1868, and Japanese workers were settling in Canada by 1877. By 1901, Canada's Japanese population grew to approximately 5,000. The population continued to grow, rising to 18,000 residents in 1907. The community became more established when Japanese women arrived in 1908. Most Japanese migrants settled on the West Coast and British Columbia's interior, primarily working in mining, lumber, and construction industries. Only a small number of Japanese immigrants were educated and wealthy. Overall, Canada's Japanese community was composed of working class residents.

Racism played a prominent part in Japanese Canadians' daily lives because it restricted their political and economic agency and social engagement. While the 1885 Chinese Head Tax was not applicable to Japanese residents, Canada still imposed strict policies that prohibited more than four hundred Japanese men from settling in Canada every year. If they got the chance to immigrate, they were prevented from participating in the political process because they were not allowed to vote and hold office. To prevent them from becoming too successful, there were ongoing campaigns to reduce their access to fishing licenses. As shown by harmful and mainstream narratives, discrimination extended beyond government policies. Alarmists believed that Japanese residents were not only incompatible with Canadian life, but could threaten Canada's security. In 1907, entrenched and racist fears led to anti-Asian riots in Vancouver's Chinatown and Japanese quarter, resulting in injuries and significant property damage.

Although many efforts were made to exclude Japanese residents from civic life, they were still active in business, politics, and military service. To counter threats to their livelihoods, they started several businesses and farmed, fished, and mined throughout British Columbia. As they became more engaged in the economy, they gained and cultivated land. Many Japanese men enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces during the First World War. For their service, veterans were granted the right to vote in 1931.

The Interwar Period and the Second World War: Impact on the Japanese Canadian Community

During the interwar period, British Columbia went through a series of social and economic challenges that caused more anger towards Japanese residents. In 1919, thousands of disabled and ill veterans returned to the coast, seeking employment. In 1929, the coast attracted another wave of unemployed labourers. Their arrivals strained the economy, prompting the broader public to link their anxieties about the economy to ideas about Japanese residents endangering the nation.

After the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, long-standing fears became more visible in federal policies. When Canada declared war on Japan, formalising discrimination against Japanese residents was considered a protective measure. In January 1942, Canada introduced the War Measures Act, which labelled Japanese residents as enemy agents. At the same time, Order-in-Council PC 365 marked the one hundred miles inland from the West Coast as a “protected area.” By marking the region as protected, so-called enemy agents became especially threatening and unacceptable residents.

Order-in-Council PC 1486 officially authorised their displacement, leading to the forced removal of approximately 21,460 Japanese residents. After implementing Order-in-Council 1665 in January 1943, the Canadian government seized and auctioned off their property. The resulting funds were used to build internment camps in the interior of British Columbia and Alberta. Some Japanese residents were tasked with building the internment camps. Others were forced to work in labour camps in northern Ontario. Families were separated because of such aggressive displacement. Canada's policy of internment was in place until 1949.

Displacement to the Prairies in the Second World War

A large wave of Japanese settlement in the Prairies took place when Japanese residents were sent to work on beet farms in Manitoba and Alberta. Manitoba's first Japanese Canadian residents arrived in April 1942, with approximately 1,180 residents relocating to Manitoba.

After disembarking from the railroad, Japanese residents were selected by farmers and taken to tend the fields. Like those working in the internment camps, they were subjected to hard labour, received little to no financial compensation, and had poor accommodations. However, they were allowed to stay with their families. The families first settled in Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Altona, Steinbach, and the surrounding areas. Restrictions on settlement prevented them from moving to Winnipeg until 1946.

Japanese Canadians in the the Post-War Period

The Canadian government's discriminatory wartime policies had enduring consequences for Japanese Canadians. They were forced to carry identification cards until 1949, years after the Second World War ended in May 1945. To prevent them from concentrating in a single area again, they were barred from resettling on the West Coast. Since their properties and possessions were auctioned, they lost their associated livelihoods, and their economic stability was compromised. While some chose to return to Japan (or were exiled), others were forced to resettle across Canada. The community faced numerous and overlapping circumstances that made finding stability in the post-war period challenging.

Emerging in Manitoba's Trade Industries

As a result of poor wages and working conditions on sugar beet farms, some Japanese families settled in Winnipeg in 1942. Fearful that there might be an influx of Japanese residents in Winnipeg, the Department of Labour prioritised placing them on beet farms and finding lumber and construction work for them in rural locations. When they were allowed to settle and work in the city, they were assigned to poorly paid and laborious work in manufacturing industries.

After the Second World War ended in 1945 and strict restrictions were lifted in 1946, more Japanese residents moved to Winnipeg. Other survivors of internment camps eventually joined Manitoba’s Japanese community. Stripped of their homes and livelihoods, they needed to re-establish themselves without significant financial security and credentials. To do this, they drew upon their pre-existing expertise in construction and woodworking. Before their displacement, many Japanese men worked in British Columbia's mining and wood working industries. During their internment and their time working in internment camps, farms, and other industries throughout the Second World War, they gained more expertise. Displacement destabilised the Japanese community's livelihoods—and to find security, some leveraged the knowledge they gleaned to become builders and designers.

In Winnipeg, Japanese workers collaborated with various communities and notable firms and architects. The trades industries grew because post-war construction generated a high demand for labour. As Japanese workers helped meet growing demand, they solidified their presence in the growing industries and became notable for their work’s quality and reliability. They developed business relationships with Jewish and German-speaking communities, as well as notable Winnipeg firms and architects. For example, they worked with Smith Carter and Associates, Etienne Gaboury, and Roy Sellors. Ultimately, the Japanese community had valuable architects and builders who were instrumental in constructing Winnipeg's built environment in the post-war period.

In Winnipeg's Architectural and Design History

Japanese Canadians’ part in Canada's built environment extended beyond their work in construction. Despite discriminatory barriers, Japanese architects and designers played prominent roles in Winnipeg's evolving architectural and design community. Wartime restrictions and their effects complicated Japanese men and women's architectural ambitions and interest in design, forcing them to take more creative paths. Lacking the formal secondary and post-secondary training that architects required, some began their careers after attending trade schools and working as drafts peoples after the Second World War.

A small number of Japanese Canadians received their architecture degrees at the University of Manitoba's School of Architecture before launching careers with some of Canada's most prestigious firms. As a result, Winnipeg was a popular (albeit sometimes temporary) setting for Japanese residents learning about design. For example, Kiyoshi Izumi attended the University of Manitoba after facing discrimination and limited opportunities in Regina, Saskatchewan. Unlike other Japanese Canadians who were interned and working as labourers, Izumi attended university throughout the Second World War. James Shunichi Sugiyama followed a similar path. In the early 1950s, Izumi and Sugiyama established Izumi, Arnott, and Sugiyama in Saskatchewan. Their firm cultivated a celebrated reputation. Izumi’s sometimes unorthodox approach to architecture drew attention. For example, Izumi tackled the remodelling of Saskatchewan’s mental health facilities by voluntarily taking LSD. In doing so, he hoped to mimic the experience of schizophrenia and better address patients’ needs.

Though some Japanese graduates chose to continue their careers elsewhere, other graduates became established architects and designers in Winnipeg. Most notably, James Yamashita, Stan Osaka, Roy Izen, and Ron Keenberg established IKOY in 1968. IKOY enabled Yamashita and Osaka to make considerable contributions to Winnipeg’s built environment and architectural scene. The firm had unique approaches to architecture. First, IKOY was the developer on construction projects. Second, the firm’s style was characterised by a colourful and high-tech aesthetic. Yamashita described his approach to design as a “five components system.” The five components were mechanical, electrical, skin design strategy, and implementation or fitments. The colourful designs drew attention to the exposed components inside a structure (known as “tool-kit architecture”). Such principles can be seen in the Red River Community College Auto Diesel Shop (2055 Notre Dame Avenue, 1983). IKOY designed other buildings across Canada, and established offices in Winnipeg, Regina, and Thunder Bay. IKOY's enduring impact on the built environment is emblematic of Japanese Canadians' valuable contributions.

Japanese Canadian Architects, Designers, and Builders: Resistance by Building Physical Space

Japanese Canadians’ careers in architecture, design, and construction were part of a broader effort to counteract Canada’s discriminatory policies and treatment of the Japanese community. By barring them from democratic processes and framing them as threats to national security, Canada historically marginalised the Japanese community. Canada’s repeated attempts to disperse and exile them reflected the nation’s desire to suppress their existence. In Winnipeg, Japanese Canadian architects and builders established themselves as critical members of the community—and in doing so, dismantled harmful ideas and established their inherent value. Their work serves as a physical expression of resistance against alienating narratives.

After the Second World War, the Japanese community launched a redress campaign. On September 22, 1988, the Canadian Government issued an acknowledgement of the wrongdoing, in addition to a formal apology and a redress payment to Japanese Canadians for the Second World War’s internment camps and rampant abuse.

Abe, Yoshimaru

Early Life

Yoshimaru Abe was born in Fukuoka, Japan in March 1914. He immigrated to Canada in April 1927. He worked with his father at a lumber mill after leaving school in the eighth grade.

During the Second World War, Abe and his family were moved to an internment camp near Red Pass Junction, Alberta. Owing to his past experience working in a lumber mill, he was charged with helping build the Red Pass Junction Camp. After he was transferred to Tashme, British Columbia, he was enlisted with helping build the internment camp again.

Professional Life

When Tashme Camp was shut down, Abe and his family moved to Winnipeg in April 1947. He drew from his past experience in construction and began building prefabricated homes for Jose Construction. In 1943, Abe established Fuji Builders with Tucker Tanabe, Shigeto Shimoji, and Roy Murata.

In addition to building structures through Fuji Builders, Abe consistently utilized his background in construction to contribute to his community. He helped create the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC), designed, constructed, and maintained JCCC’s Japanese garden, and built the Japanese Pavilion’s garden and teahouse for Folkarama.

In March 2006, Abe passed away.

Fuji Builders and Contractors Ltd.

Founded in 1953, Fuji Builders was a partnership between Yoshimaru Abe, Tucker Tanabe, Shigeto Shimoji, and Roy Murata. Tanabe passed away in 1964. The firm routinely hired Japanese Canadian craftspeople, including (but not limited to) Harry Suga, Tosh Omoto, and Akira Tamoto. The firm further expanded their range of employees and diversified their approaches to design by bringing in tradespeople from Japan and Europe. Fuji Builders coordinated with Goodman and Kojima Inc.'s Mickey Kojima to complete electrical work.

The company’s success is tied to its willingness to take risks on complicated projects. As it cultivated a reputation for innovation, it attracted attention from notable firms and families in Winnipeg. For example, Smith Carter and Associates hired Fuji Builders to construct Dennis Carter’s home (544 South Drive, 1957) and Ernest Smith’s home (904 Kildonan Drive, 1959). In addition, the Richardson family regularly contracted Fuji Builders. In 1976, the family donated 475 Wellington Crescent to the City of Winnipeg to transform it into Munson Park. Fuji Builders removed the original wood flooring and installed it into J. Richardson Jr.’s home (611 Hall Road).

In addition to building residential homes, Fuji Builders worked on commercial and notable projects. They renovated Blonde’s Shoe Salon, located at the corner of the iconic Boyd Building (388 Portage Avenue). Later, they were the building contractors for Japan’s Consul General’s residence (460 Wellington Crescent).

While other Japanese Canadian builders led more private lives, Fuji Builders’ celebrity clientele and history of volunteerism made them visible figures in Winnipeg’s Japanese community. Fuji Builders is no longer in business.

Hashimoto, Junichi

Early Life

Junichi Hashimoto completed his Bachelor of Architecture at the Kyoto Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and received his Master of Architecture at the University of Toronto. In 1966, Hashimoto arrived in Canada as the Japanese Architects Association’s exchange architect.

Professional Life

Upon graduation, Hashimoto worked as a project architect for Green Blankstein and Russell (GBR) Associates. His projects included the Hospital for Veterans’ Affairs, the Animal Pathology Research Laboratory for the University of Manitoba’s Department of Agriculture, and the Laboratory for Fisheries Canada (501 University Crescent, 1970-1972). He eventually returned to the University of Toronto and received his Master of Urban Design in 1969. He resumed his architectural work with a deeper understanding of urban design. In 1973, Arthur Erickson invited Hashimoto to join Arthur Erickson Architects in Vancouver, B.C. He worked as Arthur Erickson Architects’ in-charge senior project architect for the B.C. Government Office Complex/Robson Square project (525 Superior Street, Victoria, BC).

Hashimoto eventually settled in Edmonton, Alberta in 1977. He first arrived to oversee the Law Courts Addition with Bell Spotowski Architects. He established Hashimoto Architects in 1984. In a joint team effort between Canadian and Japanese architects, he headed Osaka’s most significant housing complex project to illustrate the Canadian 2-by-4 construction method. In 1993, the project was named “2-by-4 Wooden Frame 3-Storey Apartment Pilot Project– Maple Court.” The Department of Construction gave the project a Japanese Ministry Award.

In 1990, Hashimoto consulted with the Edmonton Japanese Community Association about building a Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6750 88 Street NW, Edmonton). In 1993, Hashimoto Architects assisted the University of Alberta as the university tried to make the Kurimoto Japanese Garden more capable of withstanding the province's severe and cold climate. The firm built upon the initial design when it integrated the Ozawa Teahouse into the Kurimoto Garden in 1995.

Hashimoto’s work includes the LEED Silver certified park facilities for the City of Edmonton Parks Department, the Amenities Building with solar heating, and the A.H. Savage Building with passive solar geothermal heating and cooling.

In 2012, Hashimoto retired from architecture. He is now an active watercolour painter. As a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, he has participated in various juried group exhibitions and receives commissions.

Hashimoto, Ben

Early Life

Ben Hashimoto was born in Mission City, British Columbia. He was the brother of Hiro Hashimoto, the founder of Hashimoto Construction Ltd.

Before the Canadian government implemented internment policies, Hashimoto worked on his family’s strawberry farm. The Hashimoto family relocated to Arnaud, Manitoba in 1942 to avoid separation in the internment camps. After working as underpaid farm labour throughout the war, the Hashimoto family moved to Winnipeg in 1946.

Professional Life

Hashimoto founded Ben Hashimoto Builders and developed housing in different Winnipeg developments in the late 1960s. He was a member of the Winnipeg Home Builders Association. Hashimoto homes were typically small, nicely designed, and high-quality. Known for building homes with a personal touch, the company earned the St. James Townhouse development project in 1965. While the homes followed basic design templates for one-storey, split level, and two-storey structures, the designs varied from traditional styles to modern and sleek structures. The company further established themselves in the residential home industry when they managed tract housing in Winnipeg’s Westwood development. Hashimoto’s work is illustrated in tasteful bungalows like 7520 Roblin Boulevard.

Hashimoto passed away on November 2, 1993.

IKOY (Izen Keenberg Osaka Yamashita)

IKOY was founded in Winnipeg in 1968, drawing its moniker from the names of its principal designers: Roy Izen (I), Ron Keenberg (K), Stan Osaka (O) and Jim Yamashita (Y).

Early projects included the design of an apartment block at 444 Kennedy Street (1971) in Winnipeg and a contract for the interior design of the University of Manitoba Student Union Building (65 Chancellor’s Circle, 1966–69). Following these commissions, the firm gained more experience when it worked on public housing projects in Winnipeg, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Its projects included the Westboine Village Housing Co-operative (32 Shelmerdine Drive, 1973) and St. Andrew’s Place (425 Ellen Street, 1974). In particular, the Westboine Village Housing Co-operative is unique among its other projects because it showcases a more organic exterior. With its local and natural materials, simple shapes, and absence of overhangs, it achieves a simultaneously rustic and modern aesthetic.

While IKOY established itself within Winnipeg’s architectural scene in the 1970s, IKOY pioneered two practices that distinguished the firm from the architectural mainstream. First, IKOY served as the developer of its own construction projects. A key example is Bromley Square (123-10th Avenue SW, Calgary, 1977), a rapidly erected thirty-one-storey complex featuring 396 apartments, office space, a recreation centre and enclosed parking. Second, IKOY’s colourful, high-tech aesthetic contrasted with other firms. The aesthetic was first imagined in the unbuilt plans for a parkade beside the Winnipeg Convention Centre (1977). The bright approach was concretely realized with the construction of Assiniboine Community College in Brandon (1430 Victoria Avenue East) and the design of the IKOY’s offices (396 Assiniboine Avenue, 1978). The architecture of the buildings (as well as future projects) were informed by IKOY’s “five component system.” The components include mechanical, electrical, skin, design strategy and implementation or fitments, linked together by action strategies. Jim Yamashita traced the inspiration for the technique to Jim Powers' design seminar on project and drafting systems.

The firm revealed the construction systems and called attention to the exposed elements with the use of paint. These colours were typically canary yellow, red, green and maroon, with a bright aqua appearing periodically. Eventually termed “tool-kit architecture,” IKOY applied the design to the Red River Community College Auto Diesel Shop (2055 Notre Dame Avenue, 1983) and the University of Manitoba’s Wallace Building (125 Dysart Road, 1986). The Auto Diesel Shop later won the firm a Governor General’s prize.

Similar inimitable landmarks of the firm’s open assembly idiom include the somewhat controversial red Provincial Courthouse in Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1985. According to Keenberg, the building marked the birth of IKOY’s “enhanced amplification” design strategy. Enhanced amplification made construction elements appear as if they had a greater purpose than they served. Comparable projects by the firm from this period are the Winnipeg RCMP Forensic Lab (621 Academy Road, 1987), Deer Lodge Hospital (2109 Portage Avenue, 1987) and the William G. Davis Computer Research Centre at the University of Waterloo (1987).

IKOY continued to make valuable architectural contributions in the late twentieth century. Later projects include the gleaming silver Agriculture Canada Research Centre (2701 Grand Valley Road, Brandon, 1995), with inspiration from the worlds of farming and science; the Base Maintenance Facility and First Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1996–8), which won a Prairie 2000 Architecture Award of Excellence; the Militia Training Centre, CFB Valcartier, Quebec (1997); the ADF Steel Plant, Terrebonne, Quebec (1997); and, the Advanced Technology & Academic Centre, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay (2003). Perhaps the most notable work of this later era is the National Archives in Quebec (625 Bd du Carr, 1997), which won IKOY a Governor General’s Medal. Described by IKOY as a “Village of Preservation and Conservation,” the National Archives was conceived to somewhat recall, in a far more modern and technologically up-to-date manner, the ancient Athenian Parthenon.

At the height of their practice, IKOY had offices in Winnipeg, Regina and Thunder Bay. By the 2000s, the three branches closed, and the firm began operating primarily in Ottawa. In 2003, IKOY won the Royal Institute of Canadian Architects’ Firm Award.

Izumi, Kiyoshi "Joe"

Early Life

Kiyoshi “Joe” Izumi was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1921. He graduated from Vancouver Technical College in 1931. While the Second World War aggravated anti-Japanese sentiment in Canada and the Canadian government strategically displaced Japanese residents, Izumi moved to Regina, Saskatchewan and enrolled at Regina College in 1943. Saskatchewan offered a small refuge from the intense nationwide xenophobia, but Japanese residents remained subject of racist policies—for example, they had to report their whereabouts monthly and carry an identification card at all times.

As a result of discrimination and a possible lack of opportunity in Saskatchewan, Izumi attended the University of Manitoba. He was among the small number of Japanese Canadians who had the opportunity to pursue a post-secondary education while others remained in internment camps and worked as farm labourers. In 1948, he won the Pilkington Glass Scholarship. In 1950, he was awarded the first Royal Architectural Institute of Canada College of Fellows Scholarship to study in England. Izumi graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1948 and continued his education in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Graduate School of Design at Harvard from 1950 to 1954.

Professional Life

In the early 1950s, Izumi, Gordon Arnott, and James Sugiyama founded Izumi, Arnott, and Sugiyama in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Great Depression and the Second World War created turbulent conditions that pushed many architects out of Saskatchewan, but the lack of competition ultimately benefited Izumi, Arnott, and Sugiyama. The firm had the space to explore and experiment with design.

Izumi’s work was sometimes characterised by unorthodox experimentation. For example, when remodelling Saskatchewan’s mental health facilities, he voluntarily took LSD to recreate the experience of schizophrenia and better understand patients’ needs. The experimentation informed the design of the Yorkton Centre Mental Hospital in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

In 1986, Izumi joined the University of Saskatchewan’s Faculty of Environmental Science. He later taught at the University of Waterloo before retiring in 1986. After a decade of retirement, he passed away in 1996.

Kobayashi, Jack

Early Life

Jack Kobayashi was born in Montreal, Quebec, on June 2, 1963. During the Second World War, Kobayashi’s family was expelled from the West Coast and forced to settle in Montreal. Kobayashi’s passion for design was cultivated throughout his childhood. Since his father worked for Eagle Toys and worked around existing patents, he had the opportunity to play with prototypes. Kobayashi’s interest in architecture emerged when he first drew a floorplan for a police station. Family trips to Toronto further cemented his interest in architecture because it gave him the chance to examine Raymond Moriyama’s Ontario Science Centre.

Kobayashi graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Urban and Regional Planning) in 1986. Afterwards, he studied under Kiyoshi Izumi, a notable architect with Izumi Arnott Sugiyama in Regina, Saskatchewan. He later attended the University of Manitoba and received his Master of Architecture in 1992, guided by the work of the university’s most notable modernist professors.

Professional Life

After graduating, Kobayashi worked with, and learned from, various notable architects. At IBI Group Inc., Kobayashi learned from company director Phillip Beinhaker’s style of architecture, planning, and entrepreneurship. His architectural education was broadened when he worked with Etienne Gaboury and James Nishikawa.

In 1993, Kobayashi and Antonio Zedda founded Kobayashi + Zedda Architects Ltd. (KZA), the largest architecture firm operating in northern Canada. Since KZA works in Canada’s sparsely populated northern territories, the firm does not specialise and instead designs a wide range of buildings and architectural features. Furthermore, the firm works as its own developer, property manager, and retailer. KZA works with 360 Design Build (360 DB) to provide urban planners, architects, general contractors, and carpenters. KZA strives to produce work that is regionally appropriate, sustainable, and relies on Indigenous communities’ input as a guiding principle. The revered firm has managed notable projects like Horwood’s Mall in Whitehorse, Yukon. Since 1993, the firm has worked on more than 800 design projects that span over two dozen building types. Their work can be seen in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Kobayashi and Zedda’s extensive travels have brought nuance and functionality to their design. For instance, they examined how Japanese bathrooms recycle water in the sink to adjacent toilets and how prefabricated designs eschewed the notion of “cheapness.” Such concepts have meaningful applications to the often-inaccessible Canadian north.

The firm’s nuanced and functional work is complimented by a playful and community-oriented approach to design. For example, KZA designed Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre (1131 Front St, Dawson City, 1997). Throughout its design, KZA centred the client’s needs and their experience with the land. The final design is contemporary and functional, informed by the seasons and the expansive history of nomadic living. The project earned the 1999 Lieutenant-Governor of BC Award of Merit from the AIBC.

Kojima, Mickey

Early Life

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1926, Mickey Kojima was raised in Royston, Vancouver Island. Following the Japanese government’s attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, the Canadian and B.C. government swiftly displaced Vancouver Island’s vibrant Japanese Canadian community. Along with other Japanese Canadian families, the Kojima family was held in detention in Hastings Park, Vancouver. They were eventually taken to the Tashme internment camp near Hope, B.C.

After the Second World War, the Kojima family temporarily entertained the idea of returning to Japan. Unwilling to do so, Kojima persuaded his family to remain in Canada and relocate to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They stayed in a converted air force base before moving to Sanford, Manitoba and seeking work on the Canadian Pacific Railway yards.

Professional Life

Kojima first experimented with work as a garage mechanic. He eventually studied electrical technology in Chicago, Illinois. After completing his studies, he returned to Winnipeg and began working at Sargent Electric and Radio (609 Sargent Avenue). In 1960, Art Goodman asked Kojima to start a company with him, and soon after, the two founded Goodman and Kojima.

Goodman and Kojima eventually became one of the most reliable electricians for Winnipeg’s Japanese builders. They first worked with a Japanese builder when they took on the Goodwill Radio, a structure designed by Henry Takatsu, a draftsman from Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates. Goodman and Kojima later partnered with Mizawa Construction, a Japan-based developer that expanded into Canada. They worked with Kojima to build their new factory for prefabricated homes near Gimli, Manitoba. Some Japanese builders he worked with included Hiro Hashimoto, Ben Hashimoto, Henry Kuwada, Tom Shimoji, and Ken Teramura.

Despite his ties with the Japanese Canadian community, he sought to diversify his network. He worked with former coworkers and builders at Sargent Electric and Radio. He worked with Smith Agency, a property management company that granted him work in exchange for an insurance policy.

When building his own home, Kojima worked with Takatsu. Kojima had selected the original blueprints from a magazine, but asked Takatsu to create a basement addition. A local Japanese builder, Henry Kuwada, oversaw the construction of the home. To help evoke traditional Japanese home design, the home features a swooping roofline with cedar shingles. Since it was an electrically heated and renewable energy home, it was a display home.

Kojima passed away on May 2, 2023.

Kuwada, Hisao "Henry"

Early Life

Hisao “Henry” Kuwada was born on October 19, 1908, in Fukuyama, Japan. In 1926, Kuwada immigrated and worked in British Columbia as a farmer. During the Second World War, his family was sent to Tashme Internment Camp in Hope, British Columbia.

With his background in carpentry, Kuwada was assigned various carpentry jobs at the camp, such as building cedar chests and coffins. Since his skills were highly desired, Kuwada’s family was among the last to leave Tashme. When they were finally allowed to leave, they were separated from their extended family. While the Kuwada family was relocated to Winnipeg, their extended family was sent to Toronto. Despite his reservations about remaining in Canada, his family’s precarious economic conditions compelled him to remain in Winnipeg. Kuwada’s family settled in Old Kildonan.

Racist sentiments made finding stable housing challenging for the Kuwada family, but the camaraderie between Winnipeg’s Japanese, Jewish, and German-speaking communities allowed them to eventually establish themselves. Through these communities, Kuwada found employment with Stan Brown Builders. Stan Brown employed Kuwada as a carpenter and respected his craftsmanship. Meanwhile, McDiarmid Lumber’s Alister McDiarmid encouraged Kuwada to go into business for himself.

Professional Life

In the late 1940s, Kuwada first opened Henry’s Construction Co. in Winnipeg’s North End. In 1950, the company was rebranded as Kuwada Construction Co. Ltd. and relocated to 319 Linden Avenue. Through his work, Kuwada developed connections with Winnipeg’s notable architects. He worked with the Dean of the University of Manitoba’s School of Architecture Roy Sellors, and Blankstein Coop Gillmor Hannah’s Izzy Coop. In particular, he designed Izzy Coop’s South Drive home. Meanwhile, the Kuwada family hosted Masahiro Murata, an architecture student from the University of California Berkeley. Murata and Kuwada respectively designed and built 3140 Assiniboine Avenue (1971).

Kuwada Construction Co. cultivated a well-earned reputation for their skill and efficiency. In 1972, Kuwada helped Mickey Kojima build his all-electric home at 14 Cambrian Crescent. As a trusted electrician within Winnipeg’s Japanese Canadian and architectural community, Kojima had a personal relationship with Kuwada. Kojima based the home’s blueprints from a catalogue, but contracted Henry Takatsu to create an additional basement. Takatsu had a sweeping cedar shingle roof that echoed the designs of traditional Japanese homes. Kuwada Construction Co. built the home.

Kuwada Construction Co. faced more challenges in the 1970s. The firm relied primarily on recommendations from reputable clients who attested to Kuwada’s craftsmanship, but such an approach did not sustain the firm as contractors began competing for the lowest possible prices. Shifting market trends led to the firm’s closure in 1974.

Throughout his career, Kuwada continued to deepen his ties with the Japanese Canadian community and encourage positive relations between Canada and Japan. He helped with the initial construction of the Buddhist Temple and sponsored the Japanese Olympic hockey team’s Canadian tour. He served as the President of the Manitoba Buddhist Church and the Honorary President of the Manitoba Judo Association. For his community service, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun 6th Order by the Emperor of Japan in 1986. Kuwada passed away on June 20, 1989.

Matsuo, Shizuo Frederick "Fred"

Frederick "Fred" Shizuo Matsuo was born on March 4, 1926, in New Westminster, British Columbia to Shizue and Tatsuo Matsuo. The family included three other children, two brothers, Ruichi (Bob) and Isamu (Sam) and a sister, Midori. The family resided in both White Rock and Duncan, British Columbia.

Following Canada's declaration of war against Japan in 1941, the Matsuos moved to Mount Lehman, B.C. to stay with relatives. Under the War Measures Act, Canada interned 21,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia and moved them inland deeming them security risks. Japanese men between the ages of 18 and 45 were to be sent to logging or road camps in Northern Ontario or, they could stay with their families and be interned in either Alberta or Manitoba to work on sugar beet/grain farms. The Matsuo family opted to stay together and work on a farm.

The family arrived at Winnipeg's Canadian Pacific Railway station in April, of 1942. Waiting in the station were the Manitoba farmers looking for labourers. Many of the farms in Manitoba, harboured anti-Japanese sentiments but, the Matsuos were chosen by an empathetic German farming family from Petersfield who themselves were, facing discrimination in Canada.

Threshing and growing sugar beets was difficult, back breaking work, but by the end of the first sugar beet and grain harvest, the family had proven that they were dependable, hard workers and were accepted and felt at home in the community. Nevertheless, their mail was still censored, and travel restrictions were still imposed.

Of his experience during this period, Matsuo has written: “I firmly believe that living through experiences from this period of time have [sic] been a great benefit in evaluating my personal goals and values. It helped me to further understand some of the more important aspects of our lives such as the true meaning of love, compassion, forgiveness, caring and giving.”

In 1945, after the war, the family moved to Selkirk, Manitoba. Having missed two years of education, Matsuo and his sister returned to high school. They both excelled and graduated in 1946 despite discriminatory treatment by the school. Soon after, the family moved to Winnipeg. Matsuo inquired about enrolling in a chartered accountancy program. Once again, he faced more discrimination and was informed that the program did not accept students of Japanese descent. Undaunted, Matsuo registered for first year commerce at United College, University of Winnipeg. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to complete his degree, having to drop out of school in 1947 to help provide for his parents and sister when his mother became ill.

Matsuo worked for Anthes Foundry for a few months until he found work with Ariza Construction Inc. He worked for Ariza’s for four years, attending evening classes at St. John’s, Kelvin, and Daniel McIntyre high schools to obtain his architectural drafting qualification. From 1950 to 1952, Matsuo worked for E & M Drafting Services. It was here that he met Jim Searle who would prove pivotal to Matsuo's career.