Brief history

The Greater Toronto Chapter, National Association of Japanese Canadians (Toronto NAJC) is a member of the federation known as the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC).

The roots of the Toronto NAJC begin with the founding of the National Japanese Canadian Citizens Association (NJCCA) in Toronto on Labour Day weekend in 1947. Roger Obata and George Tanaka, chair and secretary of the Toronto-based Japanese Canadian Committee for Democracy (JCCD) gathered representatives from British Columbia to Quebec to form the first national organization of Japanese Canadians with representation from five provinces.

The goal of the conference was to establish a national organization to represent Japanese Canadians in their demand for the rights of citizenship, and to address their unlawful dispossession and other injustices, which occurred from 1942-1949. Mike Masaoka, of the Japanese American Citizen’s League (JACL), attended the founding meetings where he offered governance and operational advice.

The NJCCA was renamed the NAJC in 1980, although chapters and member organizations were free to retain their original JCCA name. The NAJC negotiated with the governments of the day for individual compensation for all those affected during the years 1942 to 1949.

At that time, in the 1980s, the Toronto Chapter JCCA executives did not support individual compensation. The majority of Japanese Canadians living in the Greater Toronto Area determined this position on redress did not reflect the views of its constituents. To address this issue, a North York Chapter of the NAJC was duly constituted and recognized as a NAJC member organization.

The Toronto JCCA formally separated from the NAJC in protest leaving the North York Chapter as the sole Toronto NAJC member organization. The North York Chapter then changed its name to Greater Toronto Chapter (Toronto NAJC). Wes Fujiwara was the first president.

The Toronto NAJC played a leading role in achieving the Redress Agreement on Sept. 22, 1988. The Toronto NAJC organized the Ottawa Rally for Redress at Parliament Hill on April 14, 1988, and the demonstration at the U.S. Consulate after Japanese Americans were granted redress. As well, the Toronto NAJC put forth the motion that enabled the study of Economic Losses of Japanese Canadians After 1941 conducted by Price Waterhouse, and gathered organizational and individual supporters for the National Coalition for Japanese Canadian Redress.

Today, more than 75 years later, the Greater Toronto Chapter continues effect positive change in Canada by working for justice, equity and human rights in Canada.

To learn more about the history of the Toronto NAJC read