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Private Hikotaro Koyanagi was one of 23 young men from Richmond who lost their lives in either World War I, World War II, or in the Korean War whose names were inscribed on the Richmond Cenotaph.
Photo courtesy Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre 1992.23.1.2.55
In honour of our soldiers: Hikotaro Koyanagi
Published 2:22 PDT, Wed September 10, 2025
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In our previous series, we learned about the 56 men who gave their lives during World War I and World War II, whose names had been inscribed on the Richmond Cenotaph and were given a poppy street sign. Following our poppy street sign series, we moved onto the young soldiers whose names were inscribed on the Richmond Cenotaph, but did not have a road named after them. Those names were compiled of 23 young men who lost their lives in World War I, World War II, or in the Korean War.
Hikotaro Koyanagi was born on March 26, 1885 in Fukuoka, Japan, and worked as a fisherman. He would immigrate to Canada and continue his profession while living in Eburne, Richmond. On May 10, 1913, Hikotaro Koyanagi would marry Toshi Koyanagi. However, tragedy struck his household on Feb. 20, 1914 when Hikotaro and Toshi’s son would pass away during childbirth. Toshi would pass away just two weeks after due to complications from a postpartum infection, the mother and son would be buried together at the Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver.
Distressed and grieving the loss of his wife and son, Hikotaro disappeared for six months before reuniting with his cousin Kazuo Harada in 1916. The two lived together for a few months at 240 Alexander Street, Vancouver, British Columbia.
On Sept. 1, 1916, he and his cousin travelled to Calgary, Alberta to enlist into the 175th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Expedition. Aboard the S.S. Saxonia, the 175th Battalion embarked for England, Hikotaro would be transferred multiple times upon his arrival to Liverpool. Initially he would join the 21st Reserve Battalion, before joining the 50th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. Until May 1917, Hikotaro would also be a frequent the hospital, due to conjunctivitis and trachoma.
On Oct. 26, 1917, Hikotaro Koyanagi was tragically killed in action at the age of 32, during the Battle of Passchaendale, Belgium. The Canadian government sent over a memorial cross, plaque and scroll to his mother, Haya Koyonagi, in Japan. He was also remember with his name written in the First World War Book of Remembrance on Page 270, which is displayed inside the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The Japanese Canadian Association in Vancouver, also had HIkotaro’s name inscribed on the Japanese War Memorial in 1920. The City of Richmond honoured Hikotaro by adding him to the Richmond Cenotaph on May 31, 2024.
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