Inazo Nitobe, a student and professor who has engaged with multiple universities across the globe, had a goal to “bridge together the pacific” (Nitobe Memorial Garden). This goal illustrates the disconnect Nitobe felt amongst Western Canada and Japan despite the history amongst the two before World War II. Nitobe specifically wanted to build stronger interpretations and relationships between the West and Japan (Goto, 305). The Nitobe Memorial Garden was specifically created from this purpose; its incorporation of elements from both Western and Japanese areas illustrate the global integration Nitobe seeks. As the garden is maintained at the University of British Columbia, those hired to take care of the garden are expected to be knowledgeable of the elements of Japanese culture in order to preserve its original purposes of retaining its traditional elements, serving as a connection or insight, to the Japanese culture (Neill, 12). Furthermore, like the idea of archives being preserved presented by Carter in “Of Things Said and Unsaid: Power, Archival Silences, and Power in Silence” the Nitobe Garden influences how we know ourselves as individuals, groups, and societies (221). The Nitobe Garden fills in the knowledge gaps of the Japanese culture in Canadian Society allow audiences to comprehend the significance of placing these garden here; instigating Nitobe message of building interconnections amongst Japan and the West.
The act of preservation affects society’s memory as traces of the past are kept within the documents, institutions, locations etc. (Carter 220). However, the intentions of the garden are not to commemorate the lives of the Japanese Canadians as this further marginalizes the minority. While the garden may unintentionally do so, its initial purpose is to memorialize the life of Inazo Nitobe, signifying his purposes of building connections across the Pacific. The garden represents opportunities for forming relationships; the formation, maintenance and overall progress of the garden show the collaboration of members from Japan and Western Canada. Taking Lee’s ideas of ethics of commemorations in his article “Asian Canadian Critical Practice as Commemoration,” from the consumer perspective, this memorial symbolizes the needed effort by society to examine and understand our responsibilities of advocating an interconnected world and not celebrating the “justice” Japanese Canadian received post World War II.
