Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

TOFU DOGU; TOFU PRESS

Date Range From

1930

Date Range To

1950

Materials

WOOD, STEEL

No. Pieces

3

Height

23.0

Length

42.9

Width

38.2

Description

1. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. OPEN TOP, WOOD BOX. BASE IS MADE FROM 5 PLANKS, AND EXTENDS BEYOND SIDES. THERE IS A CHANNEL CARVED IN BASE FROM APPROXIMATE CENTER TO ONE EDGE. BASE PROTRUDES ON SIDE WHICH CHANNEL RUNS TO. MOUNTED ON BASE, ABOVE CHANNEL, ON OUTSIDE OF BOX IS AN INVERTED V-SHAPED PIECE OF WOOD (TOGETHER WITH CHANNEL FORMS A TUNNEL). SIDES OF BOX ARE MADE FROM HORIZONTAL PLANKS. BOX IS HELD TOGETHER BY STEEL NAILS. THERE ARE DARK BROWN MARKS ON END OF ONE SIDE. BOX IS CRACKED AND WORN THROUGHOUT. 2. 3.8 X 29.7 X 29.7. SQUARE SLAB OF WOOD. OBVERSE HAS 2 STRIPS OF WOOD WITH BEVELLED ENDS ATTACHED. REVERSE SIDE HAS A GRID MADE WITH BLUE INK AND 20 HOLES DRILLED THROUGH IT. THERE ARE 8 STEEL NAILS VISIBLE ON THIS SIDE ALSO (HOLDING ON STRIPS OF WOOD ON OBVERSE). 3. 5.0 X 29.7 X 29.5. SQUARE SLAB OF WOOD. OBVERSE HAS 2 STRIPS OF WOOD WITH BEVELLED ENDS ATTACHED. REVERSE SIDE HAS 2 LINES MADE WITH BLUE INK, ALONG EACH OF WHICH IS VISIBLE A STEEL NAIL HEAD. THERE IS SOME SLIGHT CHIPPING ALONG EDGES.

Subjects

FOOD PROCESSING T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

JAPANESE NAME FOR THIS TOFU PRESS IS TOFU DOGU. THE BOARD WITH THE HOLES IS INSERTED INTO THE BOX AND A CLOTH OF CLOSE WEAVE IS PUT ON TOP TO HOLD THE SOY MILK WHICH UNDER PRESSURE FORMS TOFU. SOY MILK IS FORMED BY PUREEING SOAKED SOY BEANS AND STRAINING IT TO REMOVE THE PULP (OKARA). THE SOY BILK COAGULATES BY ADDING BITTERN (NIGARI). IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA, EPSOM SALT IS USED AS A COAGULANT (NIGARI & EPSOM SALTS IS MAGNESIUM SULPHATE). NOW THAT PACKAGED TOFU CAN BE BOUGHT AT ANY SUPERMARKET MANY JAPANESE FAMILIES HAVE STOPPED MAKING TOFU AT HOME. IT IS TIME CONSUMING TO MAKE AND WITH SMALLER FAMILIES IT IS MORE ADVANTAGEOUS TO BUY A PACKAGE AT A TIME FROM THE MARKET. THE DOGU PRESSES WERE CONSTRUCTED BY INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES (VS. BEING MASS PRODUCED). THE TOFU WAS QUITE SIMPLE TO MAKE - THE ONLY REQUIREMENT WAS TO REMOVE WATER FROM THE COAGULATED SOY MILK. WITH A LITTLE WEIGHT ON THE COVER, WATER SEEPED OUT THE CONSTRUCTED OPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX. MOST JAPANESE FAMILIES MADE THEIR OWN DOGUS. THE DOGU BELONGED TO MR. SHIZUO MIYAUCHI, BORN 5 DECEMBER, 1902 IN YUNOURA IGAWASAKO, HIOKI-GUN, KAGOSHIMA-KEN, JAPAN. AT AGE 20, HE TRAVELLED TO ROCKY MTN HOUSE, AB TO JOIN HIS BROTHER AND ONE YEAR LATER TO LETHBRIDGE TO WORK BRIEFLY IN THE CPR ROUNDSHOP. AFTER A TIME, HE RELOCATED TO VANCOUVER TO WORK AT A SHINGLE MILL, LEAVING THE HARSH WORK DONE BY HIS BROTHER IN ROCKY MTN HOUSE. SOMETIME IN THE 20S, HE RETURNED TO JAPAN AND MARRIED TOMI SANEYOSHI. HE RETURNED TO CANADA WITH HER IN 1930, RESETTLING IN VANCOUVER WHERE THEY REMAINED UNTIL HE WAS SENT TO A WORK CAMP IN THE EARLY 40S. EVENTUALLY, HE AND HIS FAMILY WERE SPONSORED BY K. TAKAGUCHI OF RAYMOND, AB TO WORK TAKAGUCHI'S BEET FIELDS. AFTER A TIME, THEY LEFT TAKAGUCHI TO WORK FOR MR. THOMSON OF WELLING, AB.. SHIZUO, THEREAFTER, LEFT AGRICULTURAL WORK FOR 20 YEARS EMPLOYMENT AT THE STONES SERVICE STORE IN RAYMOND. FOR A MORE DETAILED FAMILY HISTORY, SEE "NISHIKI: NIKKEI TAPESTRY, 2001" P281-283. IN MAY 1948 THE ALBERTA CHAPTER OF THE JAPANESE CANADIAN CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED. FROM 1991 TO 1998 HANAE IWAASA-ROBBS WAS PRESIDENT OF THE JCCA IN LETHBRIDGE. ARTIFACTS WERE ENTRUSTED TO HER BY THE LOCAL JAPANESE COMMUNITY AND SHE COLLECTED THEM IN AN OFFICE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LETHBRIDGE. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED AN ARTIFACT SURVEY, WHICH INCLUDED A SERVING DISH AND A JEWELRY BOX DONATED BY THE NIKKEI CULTURAL SOCIETY. AS PART OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS, PUNDYK CONTACTED THE FORMER OPERATOR OF THE JAPANESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION, HANAE IWASSA. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSONAL MEMORY OF THE ARTIFACTS BY THE LOCAL JAPANESE COMMUNITY PRIOR TO THE ITEMS BEING DONATED TO THE JAPANESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION IS UNKNOWN.

Catalogue Number

P20030044003

Acquisition Date

2004-01

Collection

Museum

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