Fishing and canneries

Japanese Americans found work at salmon canneries along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington, and their labor was welcomed in Alaskan towns such as Ketchikan and Petersburg as early as the 1890s. They traveled by ship to the cannery towns, where they slowly developed small communities whose population swelled with the yearly arrival of workers. Issei (Japanese immigrant) entrepreneurs started the oyster industry from scratch in Puget Sound. Japanese American oyster farms became thriving businesses before World War II.

Fishing and canneries (171)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Takahashi v. Fish and Game Commission

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171 items

img Shucking oysters (ddr-densho-15-93)

These Japanese Americans are shucking oysters on a table. Unshelled oysters were stored behind the wall shown here. The workers grabbed the oysters through an opening in the wall, opened them, placed the oysters in buckets, then deposited the shells on a conveyor belt below the worktable. Shuckers were paid by the bucket.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-93/

img Men on ship's deck (ddr-densho-15-33)

These Japanese Americans are on their way to work in the Alaskan canneries. The man lying down on the far left is Mike Hirahara. The three men closest to the camera from top to bottom are Min Kanazawa, (first name unknown) Sano, and George Nojiri.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-33/

img Two men washing canned salmon (ddr-densho-15-90)

Fred Kosaka (left) and (first name unknown) Takehara wash cans of salmon that have just been cooked. Washing was necessary to remove debris produced during the cooking process.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-90/

img Oyster bateaux (ddr-densho-15-106)

The seven oyster bateaux shown here are about to be towed to the processing area.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-106/

img Cannery workers (ddr-densho-15-20)

These workers are sitting on plywood in front of the cannery.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-20/

img Two men with oyster shells (ddr-densho-15-120)

Hiroshi (left) and Masaru Odoi punched holes into oysters shells. The shells were strung on wire and hung on racks in the water to catch oyster spawn. Afterwards, farmers spread the shells over a bed. This was an experimental way of hatching oysters in the 1930s.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-120/

img Empty dredge baskets (ddr-densho-15-118)

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-118/

img Men on ship's deck (ddr-densho-15-39)

These Japanese Americans are relaxing on deck on their way to Alaska to work in the canneries. The man glancing at the camera is George Izui, whose family ran the Panama Drugstore in Seattle's Nihonmachi.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-39/

img Oyster processing machine (?) (ddr-densho-15-32)

This machine from the Yamashita oyster farm might have been used to process oyster shells.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-32/

img Unloading herring (ddr-densho-15-34)

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-34/

img Oyster-farm station house (ddr-densho-15-104)

The station house is where oyster farmers lived during the harvesting season. The house was erected on pilings. In the foreground is a bateau, or small barge, that was used to haul oysters.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-15-104/

doc Oyster Industry is Safe -- Kincaid (March 27, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-722)

The Seattle Daily Times, March 27, 1942, p. 32

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-722/

doc Japs Win at Steveston. (July 17, 1900) (ddr-densho-56-17)

The Seattle Daily Times, July 17, 1900, p. 8

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-17/

doc The Northwest Times Vol. 3 No. 41 (May 21, 1949) (ddr-densho-229-208)

"B.C. Union Resolves Not to Oppose to Japanese Getting Fish Licenses" (p. 1), "Local Community Will Pay Tribute to GI Dead May 30" (p. 1),

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-229-208/

doc Power of attorney (ddr-densho-308-7)

International Oyster Co., Ltd grants Kanamatsu Kanazawa power of attorney in connection to its dealings with Padilla Oyster Beds and Padilla Point Oyster Company. Kanazawa helped to start the oyster business in the Pacific Northwest when he learned that the cooler waters accelerated the growth of oysters. Oysters grown in the Pacific Northwest could reach commercial ...

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-308-7/

doc The Northwest Times Vol. 1 No. 20 (March 18, 1947) (ddr-densho-229-7)

"Fort Denies GI's in Town Saturday Night" (p. 1), "Pay Differences Peril Continuance of Salmon Industry" (p. 1), "Most Japanese Unaffected by Deportation Rule" (p. 2)

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-229-7/

doc The Northwest Times Vol. 2 No. 31 (April 7, 1948) (ddr-densho-229-100)

"Brief Raps Calif. Bill "Sheer' Bias" (p. 1), "Resignation of President Rojo from Local 7 Stirs Up Confusion Among Cannery Workers' Ranks" (p. 1), "U.S. Intelligence Officer Lauds Work of Nisei GI's in Japan War" (p. 1).

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-229-100/

vh George M. Yoshino Interview Segment 8 (ddr-densho-1014-8-8)

Working on an oyster farm

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1014-8-8/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 85, No. 5 (July 29, 1977) (ddr-pc-49-29)

Selected article titles: "Evacuation Was a 'Bum Deal': Buchanan" (p.1-2), 'Carter Appoints Four Nikkei to High-Level Posts" (p.1, 4), "Japan to Raise 1,000,000,000 Yen for Li'l Tokyo Cultural Community Center" (p.3), "The Bakke Case" (p.5).

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-49-29/