One of the most intriguing figures of Silverhill’s history is Koazi Fukijawa. Koazi was born in Silverdale in 1914 on his family’s berry farm. He attended school at Silverdale elementary before completing grade 8 at Silverhill School. When World War Two broke out, he went to Vancouver to enlist; he was denied because of his Japanese ancestory. The act of being denied was a turning point for Koazi; he realized that he was different from most Canadians joining. It seems that Koazi considered himself “Silverhillish” more so than Japanese. A few years later, the Enemy Alien act was proclaimed in 1942. At this time, Koazi was living and working in Ocean Falls BC. He was then sent to St. Thomas to work on a farm as part of his interment. In 1945 with the creation of the Canadian Intelligence Corps, Koazi signed up to be an interpreter. Despite his best efforts, he could not learn the Japnese language, so he wound up working in the Kitchen there instead. Officially in 1946, he was discharged and allowed to move back to Mission.
We know that many Japanese who return to their home cam back to nothing. Often property was sold off, and the Japanese owners say none of the profits fo this sale. Koazi was a unique case as he kept his farm during the war. With his brother Tom marrying a Doris Johnson (a Swedish girl, living in Silverhill) and his sister Violet marrying Al Vachon with two non-Japanese spouses’ names attached to the farm Koazi was able to keep his property upon his return. Keeping your property is rare in itself as many Japanese- Canadian citizens were not so lucky. What is endearing for me is the Silverhill did not oust them as Japanese owners of this property. It would seem to that they could have quickly alerted the authorities about the fact this property was Japanese owned. As mentioned, it appears that Silverhill took on a sense of place and identity. The act of not ousting your fellow neighbours helps explain why people saw each other as “Silverhillish,” as opposed to Swedish, Italian, Japanese, etc. Koazi even went as far as to donate 5 acres of land where the Silverdale Community hall stands today. Very recently, a Memorial Garden was completed by his niece Kim Walker, in honour fo the Fukijawa family.
An engraved boulder that sits in the memorial garden.
Koazi and his sister Violet continued to live in Silverhill into their old age, maintaining a life long friendship with Stena Low Edberg, a Swedish lady and someone who was born in Silverhill in 1913. This friendship was not utterly abnormal in Canada but certainly not the norm by any stretch. The Japanse, in particular, needed to keep to themselves more so than other cultures in an attempt to keep their way of life. Koazi had no real desire for this and fully assimilated quickly into the Canadian or perhaps Silverhill way of life.
Seen here Right to Left: Koazi, Steena, Violet August 1985
Both Koazi and his sister Violet were involved in the Mission archive research project on Japanese Canadians called “Rites of Passage” completed in 1989. During this time Koazi again realized how different he was from other Japanese immigrants to Canada. This effort though by him and his sister show that they cared about preserving the history and telling a story of the Japanese community in Mission.