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From Japan to Canada
current
Japan
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Shirosuke Tanaka was born August 8th, 1886, in Oyabu, Shiga-ken, Japan. In 1916, Shirosuke married Haru Hayashi of Kyoto, Japan, born April 4th, 1895. The Tanaka's immigrated to Canada in 1918, living first in Vancouver, then in Prince Rupert where Shirosuke worked as a fisherman. Their three eldest children were born during this time, daughters Kazuko and Toshiko, and son Shigeru. Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka returned to Japan in 1926, and daughter Yoshie was born.

Wishing to return to Canada, Shirosuke and Haru, with their two youngest children, traveled on the SS Africa Maru in 1927, arriving in Victoria. The older children, Kazuko and Toshiko, remained in Japan in the care of Haru's sister, with the hope of the girls joining them in Canada later.

The Tanakas lived in Vancouver for several years, where daughter Ayako was born. In 1930, the family moved to Winfield, leasing land on Bottom Lake Road for a vegetable farm. Daughter Umeno 'Min' and sons Hideo and Yoshio were born in Winfield.

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The Tanaka family
1938
Winfield, BC
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The Winfield Hall was at the centre of the growing community, and the meeting place for Christmas concerts, Sunday school classes, and Farmer's Institute meetings. Until 1921, the hall also served as the local school. Each winter, the community would build a skating rink beside the hall, working late into the night to lay sawdust and then freeze successive layers of ice.

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Hockey at Winfield Hall
1930s
Winfield, BC
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Credits:
Lake Country Museum, Image #1997.000.074

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Hideo Tanaka recounts memories of his older brother and sisters building the hockey rink at Winfield Hall.

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The Hockey Rink

Credits:
Hideo Tanaka
Lake Country Museum, interview 2011

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Shirosuke and Haru Tanaka's two youngest sons, Hideo and Yoshio, wearing their Toronto Maple Leaf sweaters. Hockey was a favorite pastime in the community, and Hideo and Yoshio were ardent fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Hideo and Yoshio Tanaka
early 1940s
Winfield, BC
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Sledding was another popular pastime in the community. Low hills surrounded the bottom land and lakes of Winfield, and nearby Okanagan Centre held steeper slopes from the rise down to Okanagan Lake.

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Sledding in winter
1930s
Okanagan Centre, BC
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Credits:
Lake Country Museum, Image #1997.000.037

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The Tanaka children attended Winfield Public School, located on the main road above the Winfield Community Hall. In winter, the children would sled down Berry Road next to the school, stopping traffic on the main road and continuing down the gully to the creek at the bottom of the hill.

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Sledding Down Berry Road

Credits:
Hideo Tanaka
Lake Country Museum, interview 2011

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The Tanaka family in the early 1940s.

(L-R) Ayako, Shirosuke, Yoshie, Yoshio (front), Shigeru, Hideo (front), Haru, Umeno

The family moved across the lake to Westbank in 1948, where they continued to farm vegetables and fruit. Shirosuke and Haru retired to Vancouver in 1962. Shirosuke passed away October 12th, 1972. Haru passed away May 12th, 1973. The Tanaka's two oldest children, daughters Kazuko and Toshiko, remained in Japan throughout their lives.