(2008, 44 minutes)

Shirley Omatsu
Born August 30, 1929

Shirley Omatsu was born in Vancouver, BC. In Japan, her grandfather believed the West was where the future lay and her father was encouraged to go to Canada. Mrs. Omatsu has fond memories of growing up on the 300 block of Powell Street in Vancouver, including watching the Asahi baseball team and her school life.

Mrs. Omatsu remembers coming home on Sunday December 7th, 1941, the day of the Pearl Harbor attack. Her father was clinging to the radio. She did not understand at the time why the adults were acting so serious. Almost immediately the Japanese School was closed and her Buddhist minister was sent to a holding cell.

During relocation her father told the authorities that he not only wanted to keep his family together but did not want to burden taxpayers any more, so the family decided to become self-sustaining. They moved to Notch Hill in the Okanagan and the RCMP found them an abandoned blacksmith shack that her father fixed up. They found the local people treated them very well and were not discriminated against. She stayed temporarily at

New Denver internment camp hospital when she became sick. 
After internment she decided to go into hairdressing and moved back to Vancouver where she met her husband. Eventually she managed a high-end salon.

“Ohanashi: The Story of Our Elders” presents the deeply personal and poignant stories of ten Japanese Canadian elders. Through their firsthand accounts, the series explores their lives before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the hardships of internment during World War II, and their resilience in the face of post-war challenges. 

Each episode of “Ohanashi: The Story of Our Elders” is a testament to the resilience, courage and enduring spirit of Japanese Canadians who lived through one of the darkest chapters in Canadian history. Through their voices, the series ensures their legacy lives on for future generations.

Director: Susanne Tabata
Producer: Susanne Tabata

-Alfie Kamitakahara  (43 minutes)
-Irene Tsuyuki  (45 minutes)
-Kazue Oye  (30 minutes)
-Marie Katsuno (35 minutes)
-May Komiyama  (34 minutes)
-Midge Ayukawa  (33 minutes)
-Shirley Omatsu  (44 minutes)
-Susumu Tabata  (44 minutes)
-Tak Miyazaki  (35 minutes)
-Tom & Shig Kuwabara  (47 minutes)

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