James H Kinoshita

From Slocan to Hong Kong James H Kinoshita

From Slocan to Hong Kong - My Life and Work is a memoir of a Japanese Canadian, born in Vancouver and sent to internment camp in the Slocan Valley during the war. It describes how and why his ancestors came to Canada from Japan, his early life in Vancouver and in the internment camp and his experience as a houseboy to further his education. Studying architecture at University of Manitoba and winning a scholarship to MIT, he worked for three years in America before he set off to Hong Kong to ask for his sweetheart's hand.



In Hong Kong, he got a job with Palmer and Turner, an old established firm to design the Hong Kong Hilton. Upon completion of the project, he joined the partnership and describes the various projects he was involved in and why they expanded to other countries in order to survive. He was involved in projects in Indonesia, Singapore, Hawaii and Sydney. When China started to open its doors in 1978, he became involved in China, recalling the firm's past glory of the many buildings they designed along the Bund in Shanghai. Besides his work, he describes his family life and the many travels he took in Asia and other countries. He is now retired and lives in Hong Kong.