UNews - Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden

Nikkei Memory Capture Project and Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden collaboration earns international honour

trevor.kenney — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 18:11:54 +0000

An important historical installation and the collaborative team that brought it to the public have been recognized with an international history award.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Carly Adams, along with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Plymouth (UK) associate professor Dr. Darren Aoki (BA ’90) and Michelle Day Miles of Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden have been recognized by the National Council on Public History (NCPH) with the Outstanding Public History Project Award – Small Institution.

A partial view of the timeline in the Bunka Centre.

The award recognizes a collaborative effort detailing the journeys of Japanese Canadians in southern Alberta, allowing visitors to Nikka Yuko’s Bunka Centre the opportunity to view a Time Map feature wall, listen to an audio journey, and then step inside a unique Memory Capture Project Memory Booth to listen to stories from Japanese Canadians.

In October 2024, a new interactive installation was added in the Dr. Robert Hironaka room at the Bunka Centre, the Mel Murakami Exhibit. Exploring the anti-Japanese racism and discrimination that were so formative in the pasts of individuals and communities, the Mel Murakami exhibit presents a story of hardship, overcoming and inspiration.

Aoki says the award is gratifying and respects the process that went into the making of the project.

“Initially, there was this sense of stunned disbelief: to have acknowledged in this way all those hours and days over years of effort that have gone into discovering and amplifying the histories of our Japanese Canadian community, and in the process, being part of an amazing team with Michelle to make it happen — this is so exciting and very special indeed,” he says. “More importantly, it is the generosity of all those individuals who shared their stories with us, many of whom are now sadly no longer with us, this award is really a recognition of their histories which so profoundly shape our community: we’re just the translators of this experience, and it is humbling and wonderful being able to celebrate their contributions in this way.”

Following is the award citation.

Outstanding Public History Project Award – Small Institution

Co-Creating Southern Alberta Japanese Canadian Histories: The Bunka Centre and Nikkei Memory Capture Project Heritage Collaboration Carly Adams, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge; Darren Aoki, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Plymouth (United Kingdom); and Michelle Day Miles, Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden

Through oral histories and deep engagement with community, this unique and meaningful collaboration between the Bunka Centre at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden and the Nikkei Memory Capture Project returned the rich stories of southern Alberta’s Japanese Canadians to the community and made them publicly accessible in an evocative and transformative storytelling approach. This project with its marriage of place, memory and story is an exemplary model of what is possible when organizations engage with communities and individuals to tell stories that enrich our understanding of the historical, social and cultural contributions of its people. The collaboration reflects the community that nurtures the garden and southern Alberta.

“This collaboration serves as a tangible testament to the enduring legacy of Japanese Canadians in southern Alberta, providing a space where visitors can engage with and contribute to the rich tapestry of local history,” says Eric Granson, marketing and events manager at Nikka Yuko. “By housing the Nikkei Memory Capture Booth within the Bunka Centre, the garden not only preserves the stories of the Japanese community but also fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation among visitors. This initiative enriches the cultural landscape of Lethbridge and reinforces the garden’s role as a central hub for cultural exchange and education.

Award winners will be celebrated at the 2025 NCPH Annual Meeting awards breakfast and keynote, Mar. 29 in Montreal.

“The installation has been seen by thousands of visitors and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Adams, director of the Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT). “The main objective of the project was to ‘return the stories’ to the community by making these histories publicly accessible. Feedback on the exhibits and the stories shared have led to many new research directions and we hope to continue collaborating with the garden to develop future exhibits about different aspects of Japanese Canadian histories in southern Alberta.”

About the NCPH

The National Council on Public History, headquartered on the campus of Indiana ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Indianapolis, is a membership association dedicated to making the past useful in the present and to encouraging collaboration between historians and their publics. Its work begins in the belief that historical understanding is of essential value in society. NCPH members include museum professionals, historical consultants, historians employed in government, archivists, historical administrators, corporate and business historians, cultural resource managers, curators, film and media producers, oral historians, policy advisers, professors and students with public history interests, teachers, and many others. Increasingly, the council has been working to advance public history on an international scale.

Collaborative historical project shortlisted for Governor General’s Award

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 20:10:32 +0000

Initiative between Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Plymouth Nikkei Memory Capture Project earns national attention

An innovative project that shares the histories of Japanese Canadians in the post-war era has been shortlisted for a Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Community Programming.

Japanese Canadian Histories in Southern Alberta: Time Map, Audio Journey, Memory Booth is a collaborative project between Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden and the Nikkei Memory Capture Project (NMCP), itself a joint initiative between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the United Kingdom’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Plymouth.

“This project centres the histories of Japanese Canadians in southern Alberta and was only possible because of the community members who have shared their stories and memories with us,” says Dr. Carly Adams, co-director of the Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT) and one of the project leaders. “We are very excited that our collaboration with Nikka Yuko has been recognized as part of this outstanding shortlist of projects.”

Launched in 2017, the NCMP is a transnational oral history collaboration exploring the stories of Japanese Canadians after the Second World War. The study sought to analyze the cultural and social history of Canadian Nikkei (people of Japanese descent) in the second half of the 20th century.

Dr. Darren Aoki (BA '90), a southern Alberta-born Nikkei and associate professor in World History and Oral History at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Plymouth, says, “This was a very challenging but also potentially innovative period for Canadians of Japanese descent. It saw them rebuild their lives, families and communities, whilst creating opportunities for future generations as well as wider southern Alberta society.”

A view of the Time Map at the Nikka Yuko Bunka Centre.

With this background in mind, Aoki initiated a pilot project that laid the foundation for the Nikkei Memory Capture Project, which he co-leads. Since then, the project has met with over 100 people and accrued hundreds of hours of interviews.

“Their stories and memories have painted a vivid picture of their sense of identity and place,” says Aoki. “It is this critical focus that continues to define the project to this day.”

Adams came on board in 2017, and the project took off. In early April 2022, the results of the project were unveiled at the new Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden Bunka Centre. The exhibit includes a time map exhibit that features the stories of the waves of migration of Japanese Canadians into Alberta; digital audio journeys that weave in oral histories; and an immersive memory booth, where visitors can opt to leave their own memories and experiences and contribute to the collection of stories.

"Collaborating with the Nikkei Memory Capture Project (NMCP) and hosting the Memory Capture Booth, Time Map, and Audio Journey in our brand new Bunka Centre has greatly expanded the ability of our visitors to connect and engage with the history of Japanese Canadians in southern Alberta,” says Rhys Winder, education and program manager for Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. “We are proud to support these initiatives and the ongoing research projects and workshops that are shining a light on the history that has shaped not only our garden, but the southern Alberta Nikkei community as a whole. We look forward to many more years of fruitful collaboration with the NMCP. Congratulations to all members of the NMCP past and present, and especially co-project leads Drs. Carly Adams and Darren Aoki.”

The Governor’s General award recognizes community organizations from across Canada for their exceptional work in the field of Canadian community programming. Sponsored by the National History Society, the award will honour two recipients, one French and one English, for innovation in community programming. The winners will be revealed later this fall with each winning organization receiving a cash prize of $2,500 and a trip to Ottawa to receive the award.

UNews - Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden

Nikkei Memory Capture Project and Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden collaboration earns international honour

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