Oregon Nikkei History

1925 Portland Japanese Community float This float, part of the...

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:30:00 -0700

1925 Portland Japanese Community float

This float, part of the Portland Rose Festival’s floral parade, was built during a time of growing anti-Japanese sentiment in Oregon. American and Japanese flags are built into the float railing, with the people in the back also waving flags.

Read more about the history of Japanese Americans in Oregon at the Oregon Encyclopedia.

Rose Festival floral float Float from the Grand Floral Parade of...

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:30:31 -0700

Rose Festival floral float

Float from the Grand Floral Parade of the Portland Rose Festival, start of route near Multnomah Stadium. This float features a torii at the front and honors Sapporo as Portland’s sister city in Japan. Circa late 1950s.

Rose Festival junior parade These Nisei girls (and a few boys in...

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:30:29 -0700

Rose Festival junior parade

These Nisei girls (and a few boys in the back row) are gathered to march in the Junior Rose Festival parade, circa 1938. The donor of this photo is the girl on the far left.

Odori dancers These girls are performing bon odori, traditional...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:30:55 -0700

Odori dancers

These girls are performing bon odori, traditional Japanese Buddhist dancing. The location is unknown.

This scan was taken from a 35mm slide by Frank C. Hirahara, who was an electrical engineer active in the Portland Nikkei community from 1948-54, and took pictures in his spare time as a member of the Portland Photographic Society and the Oregon Camera Club.

Obon in Portland Frank Hirahara took this photo of odori dancing...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:30:39 -0700

Obon in Portland

Frank Hirahara took this photo of odori dancing at an Obon festival, circa 1948-54. Members of the Oregon Buddhist Church and others in the Nikkei community performed bon odori in a number of places over the years, including Washington Park and the North Park Blocks in downtown Portland. This photo may have been taken at Holladay Park in Portland.

Odori Dancers Photo (taken by Frank C. Hirahara) of members of...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:30:00 -0700

Odori Dancers

Photo (taken by Frank C. Hirahara) of members of the Oregon Buddhist Church and Epworth United Methodist Church of Portland, circa 1948-54. They are all holding American and Japanese flags, but the occasion is unknown. Left to right: Ed Tamiyasu, Alice Kida, Jean (Tsujimura) Takashima, Jean (Kida) Tomita, Shizuko (Ochiai) Okazaki, Alice (Matsumoto) Ando.

Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Heart Mountain, Wyoming....

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:30:28 -0800

Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Members of the staff and volunteer helpers reassemble a privately owned Japanese typewriter to be used for the Japanese languge edition of the Heart Mountain Sentinel, Center newspaper. The paper is wrapped around the rubber cylinder, the typist pushes the roller riding platten over the bed of type. After picking the next character, a lever is operated which picks up the type, presses it against the paper and replaces it in its niche. Complicated in appearance and operation, due to the short hand characteristics of Japanese writing, the advance of thought is nearly equal in speed to a standard English typewriter. 1/13/1943

Tom Parker, photographer. From the Central Photographic File of the War Relocation Authority

railways-and-roses: Tule Lake Relocation Center near Newell,...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:30:55 -0800

railways-and-roses:

Tule Lake Relocation Center near Newell, Calif., 1942 or 43. Women at the Japanese American relocation camps of World War II, photographer unknown.

Kikuo Hiromura, the father of the donor of this photo, wearing...

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:30:30 -0800

Kikuo Hiromura, the father of the donor of this photo, wearing what appears to be work attire. This photo is unique in that it is one of the few where Kikuo is smiling. Circa 1920s.

Portrait of Seki Hiromura, the mother of the donor of this...

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 12:30:28 -0800

Portrait of Seki Hiromura, the mother of the donor of this photo, and one of her sons. Seki and her husband Kikuo raised their five boys in Portland, Oregon. Circa 1925.

Council Crest is a park in Portland, and in 1912 (when this...

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:30:56 -0700

Council Crest is a park in Portland, and in 1912 (when this picture was taken), Council Crest Amusement Park was a popular attraction, accessible only by streetcar. The amusement park closed in 1929.

Kikuo Hiromura (the image donor’s father) is on the far left of this portrait. The others are unknown.

Nisei field trip The date and occasion of this outing are...

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:30:32 -0700

Nisei field trip

The date and occasion of this outing are unknown, but it is probably in Portland. The image donor’s family lived in Portland, and one of his brothers is in the group of children. Circa 1931.

todaysdocument: October 12 is Digital Archives Day We thought...

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:26:52 -0700

todaysdocument:

October 12 is Digital Archives Day

We thought we’d take this opportunity to invite all you digital citizen archivists to try your hand at a tagging mission on our Online Catalog!

todaysdocument:

We Can Tag It!

We need your help tagging photos and documents in the online catalog for the National Archives.

With every tag you add, you’re doing your part to help the next person discover that record. Go ahead and give it at try.

Visit the catalog. Do a search for your favorite topics or events. Create a login and start tagging!

The Hood River Nikkei community is shown gathered in front of...

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:23:42 -0700

The Hood River Nikkei community is shown gathered in front of the Japanese Community Hall in 1929, commemorating Japanese Ambassador Debuchi’s visit.

Shoichi Endow (right) in the U.S. Army with two other Nisei...

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:28:43 -0700

Shoichi Endow (right) in the U.S. Army with two other Nisei soldiers during World War II. Sho joined the army prior to Pearl Harbor and eventually ended up in the all-Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This photo may have been taken in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, circa 1944.

The Mikado baseball team of Portland, Oregon, circa 1936....

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:25:43 -0700

The Mikado baseball team of Portland, Oregon, circa 1936. Players include George Somekawa, George Marumoto, John Murakami, George Azumano, Art Somekawa, Hood Shiogi, and Salem Yagawa.

January 1945, Menton, France. Soldiers from the all-Nisei 442nd...

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:26:35 -0700

January 1945, Menton, France. Soldiers from the all-Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team determining coordinates for targeting mortars. Left to right: Okamoto, Lt. Teraoka, Akira “Ike” Iwasaki.

The Endow Family of Hood River, circa 1926. From left to right:...

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 12:27:01 -0700

The Endow Family of Hood River, circa 1926. From left to right: Tei, Kane, Mitsue, Shoichi, Shohei.

Woodblock print made in the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho by...

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:26:00 -0700

Woodblock print made in the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho by Marian Hara of Portland, Oregon, an art student of Fumi Haraguchi Kato at Hunt High School.

Dr. Kei Koyama in his dental office at NW 3rd Avenue and Couch...

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:30:32 -0700

Dr. Kei Koyama in his dental office at NW 3rd Avenue and Couch Street in Portland’s Japantown, circa 1941. Dr. Koyama’s office was in the Merchant Hotel building.