Shoji Takahashi was born on December 22, 1924, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Lisa Uyeda conducted the interview on June 29, 2010. Shoji discusses his life at Strathcona school in Vancouver as well as his experiences at Japanese school before WWII. Shoji talks about his father coming to Canada and his various business ventures including multiple shoyu factories and importing Japanese goods. He describes the shops, restaurants, Asahi baseball team and the racism Japanese people experienced in 1930s Vancouver. He describes life at Bridge River during the WWII, building a garden so that they could grow food and helping his friend hide a camera they weren’t supposed to have. After leaving Bridge River, Shoji talks about enrolling at the University of Manitoba to study chemistry. He describes his difficulties finding a job and place to live in Toronto. He eventually found work as a chemist at Ontario Hydro, retiring in 1983. In his retirement, Shoji helped organize bazaars, dance classes and other activities at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. At the end of the interview, Shoji looks through several pre-WWII photographs in an attempt to identify people.
Clip from Japanese Canadian Experience Conference: https://vimeo.com/340501945