1910 Rogers Pass & Fine Line 2009 Charity Tour

1910 Rogers Pass Japanese Victims Research

  1. 1. I spent 2 full days to continue researching at Diplomatic Record Office Minister’s Secretariat at Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Azabu Tokyo. I found documents as below:
    1. Nippon Supply Company
      • Nippon Supply Company’s articles of its company
      • Contract on 1906.12.27 between Canadian Pacific Railway and Nippon Supply Company
      • Contract on 1907.7.24 between Tokyo Immigration Company and Nippon Supply Company
      • Lists of labour contract cancellation and runaway from contract with CPR
    2. Tokyo Immigration Company
      • Established on 1897.1 by Chutaro Saito
    3. 1910 Rogers Pass Japanese Victims list
      • 1910 Rogers Pass Japanese Victims’ names, addresses, their relatives who received their condolence money
      • Letters between prefectural governors, Consulate of Japan in Vancouver and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  2. On October 23rd, Mr. Kazumori Yamaji, Mrs. Tomoko Yamaji and their mother, Mrs. Reiko Yamaji, came to see our charity event in Yokohama and invited me to have dinner on November 11th in Tokyo. According to their graveyards research in Kagoshima, another victim, Hikohachi Sakoda, was found as one of the Yamaji’s relatives. Hikohachi Sakoda’s graveyard in Kagoshima was under Yamaji family as well as his condolence money was given to Hikojiro Yamaji who was father of Mannosuke Yamaji (died at 32 years old in Rogers Pass). Yamaji family is interested in coming to join both commemoration in March and August. They are waiting for the official invitation from the 1910 Rogers Pass Snow Slide Commemoration Committee.
  3. On November 1st, Mr. Norifumi Kawahara (professor at Ritsumeikan University) organized to meet with one of the bereaved relatives in Fukui prefecture. Mr. Masanori Imamura’s grandfather’s brother was Takefusa Imamura who left Japan at the age of 16 years old and died in Rogers Pass at the age of 19 years and 3 months old. I was taken to visit Takefusa Imamura’s graveyard as well as shown his picture. Mr. and Mrs. Imamura are interested in coming to join either both commemorations or commemoration in March or August. They are waiting for the official invitation from the 1910 Rogers Pass Snow Slide Commemoration Committee.
  4. With Mr. Norifumi Kawahara’s help, he found another family which related to Ginzo Tanabe (died at 26 years old); however, there was not chance to meet with Sumie Tanabe yet.
  5. On December 2nd, I got an e-mail from the Chamber of Commerce in Tohmi-city Nagano that there was a new discovery on another victim with some funeral pictures and so forth. Then, I made a phone call on December 3rd and talked with Mr. Fumio Abe (72 years old) whose grandfather’s brother was Masatora Abe (died at age of 25 years old). After having an interview on Mr. Fumio Abe, he mentioned that there were 3-4 pictures about Masatora Abe’s funeral and possible CPR work scenery. There would be possible that Mr. Fumio Abe and his son, Junhisa Abe would be interested in coming to join the commemoration in March and/or August 2010.

Avalanche Charity Media Report Coverage and Comments on blogs

  1. I had 6 newspaper companies to cover the 1910 Rogers Pass Avalanche and avalanche awareness. These links are articles and this is a sample article on one of the newspaper.
  2. Avalanche Charity Tour participants’ comments on their blogs

prev | next