Interview with Mitsu Ito

Title
Interview with Mitsu Ito
Accession number
2010.008
Interviewer
Mary Ito
Videographer
Tak Yano
Date of Interview
Language
English
Description

Mitsuyoshi "Mitsu" Ito's interview was conducted on March 23, 2005 by Mary Ito. Mitsu Ito was born on August 20, 1924 in Mission City, BC. His family owned a farm there where farming berries and vegetables were thriving. After Grade 10, Mitsu went to work at a sawmill in Haney, BC. During WWII, Mitsu was forcibly removed to a sugar beet farm in Alberta. In 1946, unable to return to Mission City, Mitsu and his family were deported to the Shiga Prefecture in Japan. Unable to sustain themselves, Mitsu left for Hiroshima for a work opportunity as a translator in the British Army. In 1950, Mitsu met his wife, Yoshimi and their first child was born in 1951. After 1956, Mitsu returned to Canada by himself and settled in Toronto, ON. Soon after, his wife and son join him. Mitsu is active in the Japanese Canadian community through the Buddhist church and Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. 

Short clip from this interview: https://vimeo.com/421634890

Clip from Japanese Canadian Experience Post War Conference: https://vimeo.com/338691845

Format
Videotape
Video File
Length of Interview
1 hr 30 mins
Period
Pre War
Post War
World War II
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Event
World War II
Relocation
Forced Removal
Deportation
Internment
Location
Japan
Mission, BC
Haney, BC
Alberta, Canada
Hiroshima, Japan
Toronto, ON
Topic
farming
work
Buddhism
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC)
Number of Physical Tapes
2
Permission
For uses other than research or private study, researchers must submit a Request for Permission to Publish, Exhibit or Broadcast form.
Citation
Mitsu Ito's interview, March 23, 2005, interview by Mary Ito, 2010.008, Sedai: The Japanese Canadian Legacy Project Collection, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.