WALKING THROUGH TIME

Welcome to a tour of Townsville’s past that highlights our connections with Japan! This website is intended to act as a guide and supplement to a walking tour that uncovers the significant, yet often overlooked, stories of the Japanese community who helped shape this city.

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This guide you will take you on a tour that encourages you to take a second look as you wander through Townsville's city streets, looking back to a time when they were lined with Japanese-owned laundries, stores, community hubs, and filled with the stories of many individuals who forged connections between Japan and northern Australia.

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This tour, and the research and images that inform it are a result of the research undertaken by Professor Yuichi Murakami from Fukushima University and Dr Tianna Killoran from James Cook University. It would not have been possible without the interest, support, and time of many of our colleagues, community, and friends.

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We hope the stories of the people and places in Australia and Japan's past inspire you to see Townsville in a new light.