The Samurai In Our Closet
What if the most powerful story you ever learned was the one your family never told you? Mandy Shintani grew up in a small town in Ontario with a secret hidden in her parents’ closet — her father, George Shintani, had a 450-year-old samurai sword, the story of which was never discussed. After his death at 97, Mandy began uncovering untold stories of Japanese Canadians through the lens of her father's life. That journey shapes her new podcast series around George's life, including his internment as a Japanese Canadian during WW2 and his time in the Canadian Intelligence Corps in SE Asia.
Episodes
Mandy visits the family closet in her childhood home in Ontario, where her father's samurai sword was hidden, and begins the journey of uncovering his life story. She speaks with writers, historians, and playwrights to understand why so many stories from her father’s generation of Japanese Canadians were never passed down.
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Mandy joins a historic walking tour through old Japantown in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where her father enjoyed a happy childhood in a once-vibrant community. After Pearl Harbour, everything changed. Under the War Measures Act, 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from their homes and interned —without cause.
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On a bus tour of remote internment sites in British Columbia, Mandy visits Sandon, a ghost town where her father was sent as a teenager. She learns how Japanese Canadians, mostly women, built strong communities in the camps, focusing on the well-being of children and youth despite harsh conditions.
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Mandy explores why her father and other Japanese Canadians — despite being labelled "enemy aliens" — chose to enlist in the Canadian Army. She grew up believing he was just a translator, but uncovers a hidden history of his work in war crimes investigation in SE Asia with Canadian and British Intelligence.
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Mandy reflects on the resilience and optimism of her grandparents and parents, and their decision to focus on full integration into Canadian society to protect their children. She learns how younger generations are now reclaiming lost stories, and discovers why the history of Japanese Canadians matters more than ever today.
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