Tonari Gumi / 隣組

On Monday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 25, a number of Tonari Gumi seniors and volunteers together with TG staff member Sayuri Sugawara were invited to participate in the “Japanese Week” celebrations being held at Normanna Home and Dania Home in Burnaby. On Monday, TG’s Minyo Dance group led by their instructor, Akemi Komori, demonstrated some traditional dance numbers, including a solo dance performance by Komori sensei. Then TG volunteers, Kimiko Higashi and Ikuko Kawai, taught the Normanna Home seniors how to do some origami (paper folding art). On Wednesday, Sayuri and volunteers, Yukiko Basley with two of her students, Nick and Izumi, demonstrated how to wear a Japanese kimono and then performed a Japanese tea ceremony for the seniors at Dania Home. Our long-term volunteer, Martin Kobayakawa, assisted in setting up for the demonstrations. Whether within the Japanese Canadian community or with other communities, the Tonari Gumi spirit is one of sharing and helping each other. Please check out the photos of these two events at our Flickr Streaming site.

In February, 2012, for the first time in its nearly 38 year history, Tonari Gumi now owns its own building and has a home of its own! This would not have been possible without the generosity of Mr. Tom Kusumoto and his family. In addition, the JCCA of Greater Vancouver has agreed to sell the building currently being used by Tonari Gumi to fund major renovations to the new building so that Tonari Gumi can move there by mid-2013.

Tonari Gumi is grateful to many individuals who are playing important roles in helping in the creation of what will be the future home of Tonari Gumi. First, the Tonari Gumi Board of Directors, chaired by Joji Kumagai, continues to do its essential job of ensuring that Tonari Gumi keeps operating during this period of transition. However, two other key committees are playing an important role in getting this project completed. Overall responsibility for managing the renovation of the new building rests with the Tonari Gumi/JCCA Joint Building Committee, chaired by Greg Todd and consisting of Joji Kumagai, Heidi Hamano, Les Fugeta, Joanne Kuroyama, Gary Matson, Shag Ando, Jack Matsushita and Morgan Elander. Assisting the Joint Building Committee is a Building Advisory Sub-Committee chaired by Derek Iwanaka and consisting of Henry Wakabayashi, Kenji Ito, Tom Kusumoto, Dennis Shikaze and Takeo Yamashiro. The Advisory Sub-Committee is playing a key role in helping to select which group will design and make the renovations to the building. This advisory sub-committee will also help Tonari Gumi and the JCCA to identify and find both in-kind and financial donors so the new building can be fully completed and become both Tonari Gumi’s new home and another home for the Japanese Canadian community in the City of Vancouver.

While Tom Kusumoto was key to this project getting started, many others within the community have become involved in helping this new home become a reality. This is what community is all about!

On Thursday, April 12 some 17 Tonari Gumi seniors (including Yuri Wong who is on our Board of Directors) and two staff members were blessed with an exceptional sunny day as they participated in an Outreach Adventure to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival near Mount Vernon in Washington State. Notwithstanding some showers in the early morning, our seniors were not deterred and were ready to depart bright and early at 8:00 a.m. from Tonari Gumi. After a smooth border crossing and while the seniors were enjoying getting to know each other and playing games, the clouds dispersed and when we arrived in the Skagit Valley, the sun was shining.
Just as the tulips and daffodils were starting to blossom all around us, we could see many of our seniors breaking out in smiles and enjoying what for many of them was a rare outing away from their homes and the various health and other challenges they face each day. The flowers were beautiful, the company was good and Sayuri’s well planned program helped everyone to ‘blossom’ as they enjoyed this wonderful day-trip. Please check out the blossoming flowers and seniors in our Flickr photo stream by clicking this link:Flickr site.

Over the past two years, Tonari Gumi has been actively looking for a larger facility in order to be able to accommodate all of the seniors who want to participate in the various TG activities.

Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Tom Kusumoto and his family who made the largest single donation ever made to Tonari Gumi of $1.75 million, Tonari Gumi was able to put an offer on and purchase a three storey building located at 42 West 8th Ave. in Vancouver.

Currently, the new building is being used as a warehouse with some offices. However, during 2012 and 2013, in partnership with the Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens Association (JCCA), this building (in particular, the first floor) will be renovated to become the new and expanded base for Tonari Gumi. Our expected completion date is the fall of 2013, when we hope Tonari Gumi will be able to move into the newly renovated facilities. We are confident that our shifting to this new facility will signal an exciting new beginning for Tonari Gumi, the JCCA and the Greater Vancouver area Japanese-Canadian community, as a whole.

Here is a sneak peek of the new building from which we greatly look forward to offering our services!

On Tuesday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 18, Tonari Gumi will be conducting tours of the currently, unrenovated new facility to give those interested a view of our starting point. After the tours, there will be an opportunity to look at some draft floor plans and for members, volunteers and supporters to share their views on what they would like the new TG facilities to look like in the future. Those interested in participating should call Tonari Gumi to indicate their attendance. Those participating should come to Tonari Gumi at 511 East Broadway at 1:00 p.m. on the days indicated above. Come share in the excitement!