Descendants of dead Japanese workers gather in Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery
Local residents Mas Matsushita and John Woods, both heavily involved in this year’s commemorations of the 1910 Rogers Pass avalanche travelled to Vancouver last week to attend a grave-side ceremony at that’s city’s Mountain View Cemetery.
Matsushita, an avid photographer, shot a number of images from that event, which he graciously agreed to share with The Revelstoke Current. Here is a selection of those images for your viewing pleasure:
VANCOUVER — Descendants and relatives of the Japanese workers who died in 1910 gather at the shrine erected in Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery for a special commemorative service last Thursday. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — The crowd gathers for the unveiling of a special marker. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — This is the marker at the southeast corner of the burial plot for Japanese workers who died in the 1910 avalanche. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — John Woods, author of Snow War, and the man who conceived the commemoration idea speaks to the crowd that gathered in Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery on Thursday. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — Tomo Fujimoro (right) translates for Fumio Abe, grand-nephew of Masatora Abe, who died in the great avalanche. He spoke about his great-uncle and presented a poem dedicated to Masatora. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — This is a general view of the plot where the 32 Japanese workers were buried. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — Here for their second commemorative ceremony this year, Tomoko Yamaji (right) poses with his wife and daughter, Kazumori and Reiko. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — Masanori Imamura (right) and his wife Masako pose with the new headstone for great-uncle Takefusa Imamura. At age 19 he was the youngest victim of the 1910 avalanche. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — This is a general view of the commemorative grave-side ceremony in Vancouver. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — The Japanese families who travelled thousands of kilometres to attend the commemorative ceremony in Revelstoke gather in Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery. Mas Matsushita photoVANCOUVER — Tomoko, Kazumori and Reiko Yamaji (left) chat with Tomoaki Fujimoro and Robin Naiman of Mountain View Cemetery near the grave of Mannosuke Yamaji. Mas Matsushita photo
