Shigetaka "Steve" Sasaki (20 March 1903 – 26 February 1993) was a Japanese and Canadian
judoka
is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
who founded the first
judo
is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
club in Canada and is considered the 'Father of Canadian Judo'. After establishing the Tai Iku Dojo in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
in 1924, Sasaki and his students opened several branch schools in British Columbia. In 1941, however, all dojos were shut down by the government and their Japanese members forced into
internment camps
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...
due to fears that Japanese-Canadians would act against Canada on behalf of Japan during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. After the War was over, the government encouraged internees to relocate, and many of Sasaski's students went on to establish their own dojos across Canada. Sasaki was inducted into the
Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame The Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame is an honour roll of the top Canadian Olympic athletes, teams, coaches, and builders (officials, administrators, and volunteers). It was established in 1949. Selections are made by a committee appointed by the Canad ...
in 1986 as a 'builder'.
See also
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Judo in British Columbia
The Japanese martial art and combat sport judo has been practised in the Canadian province of British Columbia since the early 1900s, and it was the only place in the country where judo was practised prior to the Second World War. The first long ...
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Judo in Canada
The Japanese martial art and combat sport judo has been practised in Canada for over a century. The first long-term judo dojo in Canada, Tai Iku Dojo, was established by a Japanese immigrant named Shigetaka Sasaki, Shigetaka "Steve" Sasaki in Van ...
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List of Canadian judoka
This is a list of prominent Canadian judoka, including members of the Judo Canada Hall of Fame, lifetime members of Judo Canada, ''kōdansha'' (high ''dan''-holders), all participants in the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Judo Championships, a ...
References
External links
Large collection of photographs of Sasaki and associates(Canadian Nikkei National Museum)
Two photographs of Sasaki, including one with Jigoro Kano(
UBC
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top three ...
Library Digital Collection)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sasaki, Shigetaka
Canadian male judoka
Canadian sportspeople of Japanese descent
Japanese-Canadian internees
1903 births
1993 deaths