Call for participants!
Are you a Japanese, Japanese Canadian or Nikkei-identified person who has a story to share about language? Japanese Languages in Canada is a collaborative project by the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) Heritage Department, the Canadian Language Museum, and Dr. Ai Taniguchi of University of Toronto Mississauga. We want to hear from you!
Selected interviews will be turned into comics (manga) by Dr. Taniguchi to accompany an exhibit at the JCCC and the Canadian Language Museum about the Japanese language in Canada.
【Eligible participants】We are hoping to interview Japanese Canadians Canada-wide about their experiences with the Japanese language, whether that’s being more comfortable in Japanese, only knowing words like sushi and bachan, and anything in between!
We’re hoping to explore topics like the following:
- Navigating being Japanese Canadian while (not) speaking Japanese
- Japanese expressions that I love
- Relationships to different dialects of Japanese and standardized Japanese
- Passing on and using Japanese language in Canada
- Reclaiming and re-learning Japanese
- Other languages I speak and how they interact with Japanese
- Common stereotypes/misconceptions about Japanese
- Linguistic experiences specific to Japanese Canadians (e.g., words only Japanese Canadians use)
We are looking for Japanese Canadians of all ages and generations, including sansei, yonsei, shin-ijusha, shin nisei, and mixed race / mixed roots Japanese Canadians. You do not have to be fluent in Japanese to participate.
【Interview date and format】Interviews will take place from January - March 2026. We are still in the process of scheduling. We will have online and in-person options! Sessions will take place in English or Japanese, depending on the participant’s comfort level.
【Application method】If you are interested, please fill out the expression of interest form here: Expression of Interest Form.
We will only contact applicants who have been selected to participate for interviews.
【Contact】Please email Vidhya Elango, Heritage Manager – Exhibitions & Research, at vidhyae@jccc.on.ca if you have any questions.
