The life of a Japanese Canadian war veteran is in the spotlight at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre.
A special re-enactment performance is coming up on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. in connection with the ongoing Warrior Spirit exhibition at the museum.
The performance, by actor Kevin Takahide Lee, will bring to the stage the life story of Zennosuke Inouye.
Inouye was a prominent Surrey businessman and a First World War veteran. After the war, he purchased 80 acres of land in Strawberry Hills through the Soldiers’ Settlement Board and built a pioneer homestead. He was president of the Surrey Berry Growers’ Association and a volunteer at the Japanese Language School.
During the Second World War, he and his family were sent to internment camps, and the government repossessed his farmland, business and home. He wrote 80 letters to government offices and ministers in his fight to regain his land – and, in the end, he was the only Japanese Canadian war veteran to have his land returned to him.
The theatrical presentation is part of the City of Surrey’s heritage re-enactment program. The 50-minute performance, written and directed by Yvette Dudley-Neuman, will be followed by a talkback session.
Admission is free, but reserve a spot at [email protected] or call 604-777-7000, ext. 109.
Warrior Spirit, which continues in the gallery until Jan. 15, 2017, is an exhibition paying tribute to the Japanese Canadian soldiers who fought for Canada in the First World War – a time when they didn’t even possess the right to vote.
Check out www.nikkeiplace.org for more details, or stop in to Nikkei Centre at 6688 Southoaks Cres. to check it out.
