Interview with Masako Okawara (nee Isoshima)

Masako Okawara (nee Isoshima) was born in Japan and grew up in Japan with her grandparents while the rest of her family were in Canada. She emigrated to Canada by herself at 13. During the war, her family was interned in New Denver, BC where they had to live in a tent initially. She talked about her life in Denver including teaching odori. She met her husband and married in New Denver. After the war, they left for Toronto, ON. She talks about doing domestic work outside Toronto because they did not have a place to live and then moving to Toronto a few years later. She talks about her involvement with the very beginning of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) including teaching ikebana and raising money for JCCC through catering.