Carmel is proud to be the “genealogy nut” in the family, who updates the family tree, connects with cousins and collects all the family lore on both sides of her family. In March 2024, she travelled to the ancestral villages of her Japanese families in Kyushu, which was lifechanging for her. In May/June 2025, she will retrace the steps of her Jewish ancestors in Poland and Germany, which will undoubtedly be equally lifechanging. Carmel loves guiding people in their ancestral roots journey, and has been serving as inspiration through posts on Instagram @JewpaneseProject and through her side projects (many of which are “in the works”). Peruse at your leisure!
In the 1950’s, the Tanaka family was the only Japanese Canadian family living in Okanagan Landing, following the Japanese Canadian internment. In April 2025, Carmel Tanaka collected an oral history interview with her father, Mineo “Jim” Tanaka, and her aunt, Tokuko “Betty” Tanaka, for an intergenerational wellness project called Forgotten Japanese Canadian History of the Okanagan Landing Station House.
The interview took place in their old Tanaka family home, the former Canadian Pacific Railway Station House in Okanagan Landing, situated today as a museum at Paddlewheel Park in Vernon, BC, on the unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nations. Carmel thanks her family elders for sharing their lived experiences and is releasing this interview in honour of Asian Heritage Month. The Vernon Museum recently featured the Japanese Gardens in Vernon’s Polson Park, highlighting the handiwork of her grandfather, Shigeo Tanaka.
She gratefully acknowledges support from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society, and thanks representatives from the Vernon Museum & Archives of Vernon and the Okanagan Landing & District Community Association for including this Japanese Canadian story in their museums for visitors and classrooms to learn about. Video support by Pangean Media.
Interview length: 59:56
Language: English
Accessibility: includes subtitles, closed captioning and auto-transcript
Features: Mineo “Jim” Tanaka, Tokuko “Betty” Tanaka, Carmel Tanaka
This is a recording of Carmel’s Koseki Journey presentation at a monthly Jewpanese Zoom call on May 14, 2023. This 25-min informal presentation outlines the steps she took to obtain koseki (family register document) from the respective city halls of her ancestral villages in Japan.
She has since travelled to Japan, walked through her ancestral villages of Setsumaru, Shimobefu, and Uenokawachi in Fukuoka Prefecture… and most importantly, connected and met family! She documented her journey on Instagram @JewpaneseProject!
If you are nikkei or someone of Japanese descent living outside of Japan, may this video serve as inspiration for you to discover your roots. If you seek guidance, please feel free to contact Carmel.