Tsuchiya Family

Hajime (Atagi) Tsuchiya [1887 – 1957]

Tsugi Tsuchiya [1886 – 1956]

Hajime Tsuchiya was born on November 1, 1887, in Chiba-ken, Japan. He was a self-employed fish collector. Tsugi Tsuchiya (nee Asahina) was born on March 24 or 26, 1886, in Chiba-ken, Japan.

Hajime and Tsugi married in Japan in 1904 and came to Canada in 1905. They had six children: Mary (Masuko), Louise (Shige), Harry (Kaname), George (Kazuo), Irene (Toshiko), and Eleanor (Shizuko).

The family lived in Vancouver, B.C., until they were forced to evacuate to Revelstoke, B.C., in 1942, where the family took up farming in the Big Eddy district, at a property formerly known as the White farm. Mr. Tsuchiya was known for his beautiful gardens, and often walked away with top prizes for his flowers and vegetables at the fall fairs. He was especially well-known for his strawberries and gladioli.

On September 20, 1953, Tsugi and Hajimi Tsuchiya celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their home in Big Eddy. An article in the Revelstoke Review stated that they were 16 and 17 years old at their time of their marriage. At the celebration, their son proudly displayed priceless family heirlooms passed down through the generations, including a platter whose history went back over 300 years on Mrs. Tsuchiya’s side of the family, and a scroll of 18 sketches of Japanese artists. In honour of the day, Mrs. Tsuchiya wore a beautiful kimono from Japan.

Tsugi Tsuchiya (nee Asahina) passed away on April 28, 1956, in Revelstoke, at the age of 70. Hajime Tsuchiya passed away on August 19, 1957, in Revelstoke, at the age of 69.

George Kazuo Tsuchiya [1919 – 1999]

Miyoko Tsuchiya (nee Amano) [1923 – 2016]

George Kazuo Tsuchiya was born on May 18, 1919, in Vancouver, to Hajime and Tsugi (nee Asahina). He was a marine engineer employed by Hajime Tsuchiya. He was forcibly uprooted to Revelstoke in 1942, and then to R.R. No.1, Centralis, Ontario. He married Miyoko Amano and had three children: Geoffrey Mikio (born in Revelstoke in 1949, died in North Vancouver in 1968 by drowning), Wes, and Michael. 

George Tsuchiya passed on February 2, 1999, in Burnaby, at the age of 69.

Miyoko Amano Tsuchiya died February 23, 2016 in Burnaby at the age of 92.

The Tsuchiya family has connections with the Amano, Higano, Isomura, Tabayashi, and Maruno families through marriage. These families were in Revelstoke during the internment years and family histories refer to the Tsuchiya family.