Jack’s Japonica

About the Book

This book is dedicated to the late Principal Tatsue Sato (1891-1983) and his wife, Hanako, for having spent fifty years teaching Japanese language, insisting us second-generation Japanese Canadians, the Nisei, to be good Canadian citizens. When the Pearl Harbor attack took place (December 7, 1941), he immediately called to assembly about a thousand students to declare firmly to stand loyal and faithful to Canada. This occurred while I was in England serving with the Canadian army. He was later awarded the Order of Canada in 1978 for his enriching Canadian society by the introduction of the best elements of Japanese culture. And the school where he had taught, still running today, was designated a historic site by Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 25, 2000.

About the Author

The author was born and brought up in Vancouver, B.C. He went to Japanese school in the evenings after going to his English school. He joined the Canadian Army during World War II and served overseas. After his discharge, he attended Sir George Williams College in Montreal and then served in Ottawa as a public servant with the Federal Canadian Government. After studying cartooning and 17-syllable Japanese poetry, senryu, which emphasizes the vagaries of human nature, he published a bilingual cartoon book, the Senryu Cartoon Book, in 1992. Presently, he is developing a bilingual English and French website, www.seniorsblogsite.com.