Rites of Passage
Picture brides were arranged through a friend or relative. The prospective groom and bride would exchange pictures and letters. If they liked what they saw, they would arrange to be married. It was a fashionable practice and appealed to young ladies who desired to leave Japan for the riches of a new country.
Takejiro Koyata came to southern Alberta with a group of Japanese to work at Knight’s Sugar Beet Company in Raymond. By 1916, he had bought a tract of land near Raymond and built a house. When he decided to marry, a match was arranged and photos were exchanged with Isa Yamamura.
Isa Yamamura arrived in Victoria in November 1917 and married Takejiro. They lived on the homestead for almost 45 years, and they later retired in the town of Raymond. Takejiro and Isa raised 9 children.
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Isa Yamamura, 1916 Courtesy of Toshiko Tanaka |
Takejiro Koyata, 1916 Courtesy of Toshiko Tanaka |
Koyata Wedding, 1917 Courtesy of Toshiko Tanaka |