Tracing the family tree: Roots tourism gains traction in Japan

Lea-Anne Domae grew up in Canada’s British Columbia, knowing very little about her roots.

The 53-year-old federal government employee is a third-generation Japanese Canadian, but her parents — both of whom underwent internment during World War II — were committed to raising their children the Western way, she says.

“We had no ties to Japan or any relatives in Japan,” she said. “It’s hard to know if they did it intentionally, but (my parents) were very much determined to assimilate into the culture … so we grew up in a completely westernized home.”