Interview with Dorothy Toshiye Tanaka

Dorothy Toshiye Tanaka was born on July 4, 1923 in Vancouver, BC. Her parents were from the Prefecture of Shiga in Japan. Toshiye grew up in Vancouver and started her university education at the University of British Columbia when she decided to continue her education in Osaka, Japan where she received training to become a teacher. During WWII, she wasn't able to return to Canada and lost contact with her family. Toshiye was evacuated to Shikoku until the end of WWII and she remembered the destruction of Osaka including her uncle's home. In 1956, she received a letter from her mother letting her know they were living in London, ON. Toshiye, alongside her husband and child, travelled to Canada on the Hikawa Maru. Eventually, she and her family settled in Toronto, ON where she continue teaching and became a principal at the Toronto Japanese Language School.