Small business

Japanese American businesses, such as groceries, fish shops, laundries, barbershops, public bathhouses, restaurants, drugstores, and dry goods stores, sprang up in communities along the West Coast. Women and children were vitally important to these "mom and pop" enterprises, as their free labor allowed the family to survive and even prosper during lean times.

Industry and employment (481)
Small business (391)

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391 items

img Inside of Mitsuwado (ddr-densho-353-68)

Mitsuwado was a large bookstore on Main Street.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-68/

img Nippon Fireworks Company (ddr-densho-353-135)

A note on the back identifies Mr. Endo as the third to the right.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-135/

img George Tokuda on sidewalk outside drugstore (ddr-densho-383-391)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-391/

img Five men standing outside drugstore (ddr-densho-383-392)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-392/

img Man behind clothing store counter (ddr-densho-383-380)

Kameki Inouye pictured in his men's clothing store at 504 King St. Written on mat: "Grandfather Inouye first store King St. between 5th & 6th".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-380/

img Drugstore interior (ddr-densho-383-389)

George Tokuda working behind counter on left.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-389/

img Two men behind drugstore counter (ddr-densho-383-390)

George Tokuda on right.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-390/

img Basketball team photo (ddr-densho-383-374)

The basketball team was sponsored by George Tokuda's pharmacy business, Tokuda Drug. George Tokuda is pictured third from right. The team won the championship for the league in 1949.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-374/

img Cherry Land Florist (ddr-densho-38-30)

The Cherry Land Florist was located on Jackson Street in Seattle's Nihonmachi, or Japantown.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-38-30/

img G. S. Fukumoto Company Storefront (ddr-sbbt-1-9)

A man stands behind the counter at the G. S. Fukumoto Company: Watchmakers and Jewelers.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sbbt-1-9/

img Men stand outside the Japanese Togo Employment Agency (ddr-sbbt-1-15)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sbbt-1-15/

img Group photograph inside a business (ddr-sbbt-1-20)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sbbt-1-20/

img Japanese Togo Employment Agency storefront (ddr-sbbt-1-13)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sbbt-1-13/

img Group stands outside the Japanese Togo Employment Agency (ddr-sbbt-1-18)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sbbt-1-18/

img Two men stand inside a store (ddr-sbbt-1-8)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sbbt-1-8/

doc Southern California Nisei Directory 1934-1935 (ddr-densho-480-1)

A directory of Japanese American citizens and businesses in Southern California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-480-1/

doc Commemorative Issue 2600th Anniversary Yearbook and Directory 1940-1941 (ddr-densho-480-2)

The yearbook includes pictures and information about Japanese American businesses, schools, organizations, individuals, and families. The directory includes city indexes for California, as well as a few city indexes for Arizona and Japan, with advertisements for businesses and organizations throughout the city indexes.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-480-2/

doc Letter from Ai Chih Tsai to Lt. George Kerr (ddr-densho-446-133)

Ai Chih Tsai thanks Kerr and looks forward to meeting him and working under him.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-446-133/

img Dresses on display inside Shizuko Imagire's shop and sewing school (ddr-ajah-6-138)

Caption below photo: Shizuko Imagire's dress shop and sewing school Oakland, CA. Her first location was across the Oakland Estuary, in Alameda. She held exhibits of her student's work inside her stores. July 2, 1939. Inscription on photo front: Imagire Sewing Class Tenth Exhibit 7-2-1939

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-138/

img Rolls of dress labels from S. Imagire, exclusive dressmaker, Oakland, Calif. (ddr-ajah-6-140)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-140/

doc The Imagire Sewing School Regulations (ddr-ajah-6-129)

Caption below photo: Shizuko Imagire's sewing school regulations from her Oakland, CA location. She opened her original dress shop and sewing school in Alameda, CA and later moved to Oakland, CA. Circa late 1920s

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-129/

Document with photo and clippings related to the history of the building at 1218 Oak Street, the future home of the Alameda Buddhist Temple (ddr-ajah-6-125)

img Document with photo and clippings related to the history of the building at 1218 Oak Street, the future home of the Alameda Buddhist Temple (ddr-ajah-6-125)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-125/

img Group of women outside Shizuko Imagire's sewing school (ddr-ajah-6-135)

Caption below photo: California Certified Imagire Women's Sewing School / Shizuko Imagire's first dress shop and sewing school at 1618 Park Street in Alameda, CA. Photo is of her third graduation class, circa 1925. She is standing front row, center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-135/

img Digital document and photo with men standing outside Meiji Laundry with story of their Laundry in Alameda (ddr-ajah-6-239)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-239/

img Group of women outside Shizuko Imagire's sewing school (ddr-ajah-6-136)

Caption below photo: California Certified Imagire Women's Sewing School / Shizuko Imagire's first dress shop and sewing school at 1618 Park Street in Alameda, CA. Photo is of her fourth graduating class, circa 1926. She is standing front row, center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-136/