"Ohanashi: The Story of Our Elders, Susumu Tabata"
(2008, 44 minutes)

Susumu Tabata
Born December 9, 1925

Susumu Tabata was born in Steveston, BC to a father who was an engineer on a fish packing boat. During the Depression his parents worked for eight to ten cents per hour. He remembers that although they were never rich, they never suffered either.

After Pearl Harbor was attacked, Mr. Tabata remembers listening to a radio at a neighbour’s house and seeing others being taken away. His father was sent to a road camp and was separated from the family. The rest of the Tabata family went to Kaslo where they lived in a hotel. The conditions were very hard particularly in the beginning when there were not even enough mattresses for everyone. He recalls some winters being so cold that his shoes would be frozen when he tried to put them on in the morning.

In Kaslo students were given the opportunity to go to high school. After internment he worked in a sawmill for a year. In 1947 he was able to obtain a RCMP permit to attend the University of British Columbia. At university he earned a Masters degree in Oceanography, and then worked in Nanaimo for 15 years. He later attended the University of Tokyo, completing his PhD. He married a Caucasian woman in 1959, a rare inter-racial marriage at this time.

“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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