Oregon Nikkei History
On this site we highlight photos from our historical collection housed at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center in Portland's Old Town neighborhood, as well as other information about history and Japanese Americans in Oregon. Please visit www.oregonnikkei.org to learn more about the Oregon Nikkei Endowment and its programs.
Tule Lake Relocation Center near Newell, Calif., 1942 or 43. Women at the Japanese American relocation camps of World War II, photographer unknown.
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.
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 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. 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 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: Tei, Kane, Mitsue, Shoichi, Shohei.
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.
Members of Hood Sadaji Shiogi’s family picking berries. The Shiogi family owned farmland in Montavilla, Oregon, and leased land in Troutdale, Oregon, around the time this photo was taken (circa 1915).
Pfc. Hideo Takahashi of “I” Company, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This photo was taken at Camp Roberts in California, sometime before Pearl Harbor. Hideo eventually went on to participate in the rescue of the Lost Battalion. Read more about Hideo Takahashi at Go for Broke.
Teruo Tsuboi at the Tsuboi Bros. jewelry store, possibly repairing a pocket watch, circa 1920. The Tsuboi Bros. store was located in Portland’s Japantown on what is now NW 6th Avenue and Burnside Street.
Sahomi Tachibana performs on stage at the Topaz, Utah, internment camp in 1944.
Woodblock print made in the Minidoka internment camp by an art student of Fumi Haraguchi Kato at Hunt High School. The print shows a few of the boys in camp playing basketball near the barracks.
1937 Undokai, Portland
The annual undokai (or community picnic) was the big event of the year, usually held in the early summer. Activities included races and dancing for both children and adults. The undokai always included an elaborate lunch with tasty dishes such as nishime, onigiri, fried chicken, teriyaki chicken, dried fish, pickles and sushi. This photo is dated May 13, 1937, and was taken in Portland, Oregon.
JACL Convention farewell banquet
The 6th biennial national JACL (Japanese American Citizens League) convention was held at the Multnomah Hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon, in 1940.
From the Pacific Citizen:
“At the last prewar biennial (Portland: Aug. 28-Sept. 2 at Multnomah Hotel), Saburo Kido was elected national president. Unbeknownst, he and the rest of the elected national officers were to hold rein for six years - the duration of World War II.”
