Japanese pearl divers in Torres Strait remembered at Obon

Chiomi and Russell Fujii (SBS)

Chiomi and Russell Fujii. Source: SBS

Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of interned Japanese pearl divers were deported from Australia at the end of World War Two. It largely ended a once-lucrative industry in Queensland’s Torres Strait. Now their descendants are preparing for Obon, the Japanese festival of the dead, to mark the economic and social contribution of what was once Australia’s largest Japanese community.


Siblings Chiomi and Russell Fujii are preserving legacy of Tomitaro “Tommy” Fujii, one of the most famous pearl divers of the Torres Strait.

His grave in the regional capital Thursday Island is surrounded by hundreds of other Japanese divers, seasonal workers, who died on the job.

Chiomi and Russell ensure they’re not forgotten on Obon, the Japanese day of the dead.

Between the 1880s and 1942, 6,000 Japanese divers worked in the Torres Strait.

Russell’s father was one of them.

 

Download the free SBS Radio app to listen live and on-demand or explore podcasts.

Visit our Facebook for more Japanese stories and images.


Share
Follow SBS Japanese

Download our apps
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Japanese-speaking Australians.
Ease into the English language and Australian culture. We make learning English convenient, fun and practical.
Get the latest with our exclusive in-language podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS Japanese News

SBS Japanese News

Watch it onDemand
Japanese pearl divers in Torres Strait remembered at Obon | SBS Japanese