VNCS

Tsugio Kurushima – President

Tsugio Kurushima is a Nisei born and raised in Winnipeg. He moved to Victoria with his family in 1979. Tsugio got involved in Japanese Canadian affairs during the Redress Movement in the 1980’s. Since that time he has been active in the Nikkei community not only in the greater Victoria area but also on Vancouver Island. He is a founding member of the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society and has served on its Board since its inception in 1994, holding the capacity of President for many of those years. Tsugio is a member of Uminari Taiko and the Furusato Dancers. In addition to his Japanese cultural interests he is active in hockey, golf, church and playing his guitar. Tsugio is married to Susan and has 2 adult children, Carmen and Bradley. Founding member.

Deborah (Debbie) Ibaraki – Vice President

Bio information pending.

David Lawson – Treasurer

Bio information pending.

Djuna Nagasaki – Secretary

Djuna Nagasaki is a Gosei, born and raised in Victoria. She is a student at UVic, working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and hopes to go on to pursue a masters in Visual Anthropology. She is currently conducting research on Yonsei and Gosei identity (4th and 5th generation Japanese Canadian) as part of the Anthropology Honours Program. Djuna also sits on the Japanese Canadian Young Leaders (JCYL) committee, and is dedicated in establishing more activities and events promoted to Japanese Canadian youth in Victoria. She wishes to sit on the board of the VNCS in order to advocate for the younger voices within the community.

Mike Abe – Past President

Mike Abe, a Sansei, was born and raised in Ontario where he graduated from McMaster University with a degree in Biology. He worked and lived in Japan from 1987-1993 where he met and married Izumi Masuda. Their eldest son, Kento was born in Kofu, Japan and they moved to Canada, settling in Victoria in 1993. Their daughter, Natsuki was born in Victoria in 1998. Mike worked at Tourism Victoria for 13 years and for 7 years at Tourism BC. He is currently the Project Manager for Landscapes of Injustice at the University of Victoria. This is a research project focused on the dispossession and forced sale of property owned by Japanese Canadians during WW II in British Columbia.

Mike enjoys golf, shodo and sumi-e and holds a third degree black belt in Yoshinkan Aikido. He has been editor of the Victoria Nikkei Forum newsletter since 2001 and has served as VNCS president for seven years over the last ten years.

Karen Koyanagi Geiger

Karen Koyanagi Geiger is a Yonsei and was born in Vancouver. She has called Victoria home since 2008. Karen has 25 years of leadership experience with the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia. She was a recipient of the Public Service of Canada’s ‘Women Making A Difference’ Award. Her grandmother and father were born on Vancouver Island, and she would like to contribute to the Japanese community by honouring her ancestors and elders by creating a more empathetic and inclusive world for future generations. Karen enjoys international travel, growing orchids, and learning to cook her family’s traditional Japanese dishes.

Reyna Goshinmon

Reyna Goshinmon is a “hapa, yonsei, Uchinanchu” (mixed-race, 4th generation Okinawan Canadian) who lives and works on the unceded traditional territories of the Lekwungen speaking people, also known as the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations communities.

Reyna founded her own small, independent business in 2016 and has spent the last 20 years in retail, service and sales management. She brings her experience and skill sets to the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society Board of Directors and trusts that they can be applied within the organization, to help support and promote the nikkei community.

Reyna looks forward to representing the Okinawan and Japanese Canadian community, contributing to the organization and connecting with people.

Amy Kawano

Amy Kawano was born in Vernon, B.C. and raised in Okanagan Centre. Upon graduation from high school, she moved with a group of girls to Victoria, BC. Her first job in Victoria was with Medical Services Plan (then called BC Medical) but after three years she moved to Vancouver to be a little closer to family. She then worked for a wholesaler who sold giftwrap paper and ribbons. After approximately 25 yrs. in Vancouver Amy returned to Victoria BC in 1995. Her brother introduced her to the VNCS and she was then asked to become a Board Member. Once she got involved with the organization, Amy has really enjoyed assisting with the different events and overseeing the food preparations for the Cultural Fairs. She learned how to make manju which she had never made before – “my grand-mother always made it for us”. This experience has been very rewarding and Amy would like to thank all those who volunteer to help put on the events.

Craig Mercer

Craig Mercer was born and raised in Victoria, BC where he graduated from Royal Roads University with a diploma in network security as well as technical certifications in systems administration and systems design. Craig is married to Kana, a Japanese national. They have 2 children Grace (Yuki) and Wyatt (Haku). Craig is currently working as a Director with the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) Centre of Excellence at Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union.

Craig has served as a Director with the VNCS Board off and on since 2010 and looks after the VNCS website. He has been overseeing the annual Obon Grave Washing at Ross Bay Cemetery for many years now, in addition, he and his wife Kana have also organized several Tanabata Summer Social picnics at the Esquimalt Gorge Park, and Craig serves as one of the co-leads of the VNCS Japanese Cultural Fair. Craig believes his extensive experience with the VNCS will be valuable as the organization continues through a period of renewal and refreshing.

Yumiko Mizuno

Yumiko, originally from Kawasaki, Japan, discovered her love for Canadian nature during a study exchange in Nanaimo. What was initially a one-year plan evolved into a decade-long adventure. Passionate about language and culture, she has dedicated herself to community, seen in her managerial role to lead a multicultural team and active involvement in her company’s Asian Employee Resource Group. Yumiko’s commitment extends beyond work; she spent six years teaching at Victoria Japanese Heritage Language School and assumed the volunteer coordinator role at Nikkei Cultural Fair.

Outside her professional life, Yumiko is an enthusiastic rugby fan, enjoys cycling and craft beers. Grateful for the supportive community as a landed immigrant in Canada, Yumiko’s overarching goal is to strengthen connections between landed immigrants and the Japanese Canadian community and eliminate the sense of strangers in this shared journey.

Joyce Tobo

Joyce Tobo’s parents were interned in Slocan, BC. Her mother transported her and her brother in utero to Raymond, Alberta, not knowing that she was about to have twins. A sugar beet farm became the landing place for her parents, who used their resilience and courage to make a life for her and her brother. Alberta became her home where she became a nurse and eventually practised nursing for fifty years.

Joyce’s reason for wishing to be on the VNCS Board is to engage in activities that celebrate her Japanese culture. She has received many gifts from VNCS programs and would like to contribute so that others can have the rich programming that has been offered to her.

Kimiko West

Kimiko West is a Yonsei (fourth-generation Nikkei) currently living on the traditional and unceded territories of the lekwungen-speaking people on Songhees and Esquimalt nation territory.

Her grandfather, Kiyoshi Fukui, was eighteen years old during World War II and he and his family were a few of the 22,000 Canadians of Japanese descent who were removed and displaced during World War II and beyond. As his only grandchild, Kimiko honoured his legacy by capturing his memoirs and legacy before his passing in 2019. Her grandmother’s Taneda family has lived and cultivated orchards in the Kelowna area for five generations.

Growing up in the small town in 100 Mile House BC, and as a result of the aftershock of her grandfather’s experience of the Japanese Internment, Kimiko was never given any exposure to Japanese culture or traditions as a child. For both her inner child and for her one-year-old daughter, Nozomi, she would like to reconnect with her Japanese roots, community, culture, and wisdom.

She is grateful to be joining the VNCS board and excited to learn and participate in this community.

Lily Yee

Lily was born and grew up in Victoria. She has been to Japan three times, bringing local high school students to Japan. Lily has always had a keen eye for beautiful things such as washi, kimonos, ikebana, bonsai and Japanese gardens. Her three children are now young adults which gives her the opportunity to help organizations and non profits. She is currently in her 5th year as President of the Victoria Chinatown Lioness Lions Club and sits on the Board for the Chinese Community Services Centre for the past two years.

She loves organizing, fundraising and creativity. Lily has helped out with the Japanese Cultural Festival for many years and co-chaired Japan Fest for the past three years. She is a home gourmet cook and a lover of fine cuisine, especially Japanese!