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.

Industry and employment (582)
Fishing and canneries (258)

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

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258 items

img Building on a pier (ddr-densho-383-151)

Floatplane in foreground and people on shore.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-151/

img Cannery in Orca, Alaska (ddr-densho-383-124)

Written on photograph: "Northwestern Fisheries Co. Orca, Alaska. H.W. Stewart".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-124/

img Building in Orca, Alaska (ddr-densho-383-232)

Written on album page below photograph: "Orca".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-232/

img Prince William Sound (ddr-densho-383-139)

Written on album page below photograph: "Prince William Sound From our Room, 1931".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-139/

img Northwestern Fisheries Company cannery (ddr-densho-383-249)

Written on album page below phtotograph: "Hunter's Bay - Alaska '30".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-249/

img Scow filled with fish (ddr-densho-383-243)

The scow was used to collect fish from boats and transport them to the canneries.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-243/

img Two men on ladder to pier (ddr-densho-383-169)

From top down: Toshimi Nishimura and Mr. Fujita, the cannry boss. Written on album page below photograph: "Tosh and Mr. Fujita".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-169/

img Remnants of pier on waterfront in Alaska (ddr-densho-383-152)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-152/

img Buildings on shoreline of Alaskan town (ddr-densho-383-245)

Likely the cannery and buildings at Orca, Alaska.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-245/

img Waterfront with gulls (ddr-densho-383-135)

Written on album page below photograph: "Lunch Time For Seagulls".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-135/

img Mr. Fujita on deck of ship (ddr-densho-383-83)

Written on album page below photograph: "Mr. Fujita, Cannery Foreman at Hunter's Bay, 1930".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-83/

img Mr. Fujita and others on boardwalk (ddr-densho-383-335)

Written on album page below photograph: "Fujita-san, Our boss '31".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-335/

img "Seakist" boat in Alaska (ddr-densho-383-241)

The "Seakist" was a cannery tender boat. A scow filled with fish is pictured alongside the "Seakist."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-383-241/

img Japanese Fishing Tackle Dealers Association float (ddr-sbbt-1-23)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-sbbt-1-23/

img Spear fishing (ddr-densho-492-30)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-492-30/

img Hiroshi Shin (ddr-densho-471-121)

Hiroshi Shin poses for a portrait. Caption on the picture reads: "To Toshiyuki / Hiroshi Shin at Tule Lake".

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-471-121/

img Man at fish hatchery (ddr-densho-359-524)

Mr Furuya poses at the Bonneville fish hatchery.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-359-524/

img Woman at fish hatchery (ddr-densho-359-520)

The caption under the photograph in the album reads "Mrs. Otsuka at fish hatchery in Bonneville". Jeanette Otsuka

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-359-520/

img Professional fishing boat (ddr-densho-359-431)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-359-431/

doc Letter from Koby to Kim Fujii (ddr-densho-433-3)

Koby, who refers to himself as "that jerk" and "Joe College," writes to Kim Fujii about work, college, and women.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-433-3/

doc Japanese American Courier Vol. 12, No. 615 (October 28, 1939) (ddr-densho-96-650)

Selected article titles: "Fishery Products Back Japan Trade" (p. 1), "Pink Tea" (p. 2), "Hang-Overs" (p. 3), "Youthful Talent Will Disport at Chapter Benefit" (p. 4)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-96-650/

vh Nobu Suzuki Interview I Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1000-84-4)

Father brings oyster seed from Japan

References are made to several of Nobu Suzuki's personal papers, which are currently available for public perusal at the University of Washington's Manuscripts and University Archives.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-84-4/

vh Nobu Suzuki Interview I Segment 5 (ddr-densho-1000-84-5)

Father starts the New Washington Oyster Co. in Willapa Bay, Washington

References are made to several of Nobu Suzuki's personal papers, which are currently available for public perusal at the University of Washington's Manuscripts and University Archives.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-84-5/

vh Hideo Hoshide Interview I Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1000-184-17)

Working in an Alaskan salmon cannery

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-184-17/

vh June Takahashi Segment 2 (ddr-densho-1000-88-2)

Father's early work in a Petersburg, Alaska cannery

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-88-2/