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The Samurai In Our Closet
By Mandy ShintaniHistory
The Samurai In Our Closet episodes
- Episode 1a - The Secret in Our Closet
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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22 min - Episode 1b - Japantown before the Second World War
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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34 min - Episode 2 - Internment in a Ghost Town
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.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a LIKE and comment, which helps to spread the word on this podcast.
59 min - Episode 3 - From Enemy Alien to the Canadian Intelligence Corps
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.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a LIKE and comment, which helps to spread the word on this podcast.
52 min - Episode 4 - The Next Generation
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.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a LIKE and comment, which helps to spread the word on this podcast.
57 min
About The Samurai In Our Closet
From the publisher's feed
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.