New Publication Release
Sakura in the Land of the Maple Leaf:
Japanese Cultural Traditions in Canada
Carlo Caldarola, Mitsuru Shimpo and K. Victor Ujimoto
Ban Seng Hoe, ed.
Mercury Series, Cultural Studies 82
216 pages, 46 photographs
Based on fieldwork carried out in the mid-1970s, this new book profiles the Japanese Canadians of three separate regions, 100 years after their arrival in Canada. The authors examine how long-held traditions and beliefs had been affected by profound social upheaval, and explore cultural traditions ranging from the observance of Buddhism and Christianity, to ikebana and the martial arts. Firsthand accounts, archival photographs and descriptions of various practices round out this fascinating look at a culture in transition long before its cultural practices became part of mainstream western culture.