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Sports

Sports leagues were important institutions for Japanese Americans growing up on the West Coast. Both boys and girls played basketball, baseball and other sports. The traditional Japanese martial arts of judo and kendo were practiced as well. Baseball became the primary sport for young Japanese Americans who were often prohibited from playing in the white leagues. The highly competitive games in the all-Japanese American leagues built pride and a sense of community.

Community activities (600)
Sports (294)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Joe Kobuki, Sports and recreation in camp

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294 items

img Joe Kobuki on winning mount, Beginner's Bait (ddr-densho-234-28)

Caption on front: "BEGINNER'S BAIT; J. Kubuki up. BONNIE FRANCES 2nd. BOBBY EFFORT 3rd. Eureka, Calif. Sept. 26, 1941; 1 mi. Time 1:42:2; Ruth Brown Owner and Trainer."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-234-28/

img Joe Kobuki on winning mount, My Mint (ddr-densho-234-7)

Caption on front: "MY MINT; J. Kubuki up. STEVEN H. 2nd. PRINCE NADJI 3rd. Crescent City, Calif. Sept. 20, 1941; 5 Fur. (Track Record) Time 1:02:1; C.E. Brown Jr. Owner and Trainer."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-234-7/

img Joe Kobuki on winning mount, Sky Fighter (ddr-densho-234-23)

Caption on front: "SKY FIGHTER; J. Kubuki up. SHERRY FLIP 2nd. DIAMOND BAY 3rd. Eureka, Calif. Sept. 25, 1941; 1 mi. Time 1:42:2; C.E. Brown Jr. Owner & Trainer."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-234-23/

img Joe Kobuki on winning mount, My Mint (ddr-densho-234-6)

Caption on front: "MY MINT; J. Kubuki up. ROSETA V. 2nd. KRIEGSMANN 3rd. Eureka, Calif. Sept. 25, 1941; 6 Fur. Time 1:14:4; C.E. Brown Jr. Owner & Trainer."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-234-6/

img Picnic at Columbia River Beach (ddr-densho-259-128)

Caption by Masuo Yasui: "There gathered together some over 200 men, women and children at Columbia River Beach for Picnic on July 20th, 1924." Caption by Homer Yasui: "This was undoubtedly taken at one of the Hood River Undokai ['Sports Day']."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-128/

img Nikkei man holding fish (ddr-densho-259-428)

Unidentified Nikkei man holding fish in front of an automobile.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-428/

img Nisei children rabbit hunting (ddr-densho-259-204)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "Kay, Ches [Tsuyoshi], Min[oru], Michi and Roku [Yasui] have gone rabbit hunting. It shows Kay cradling a rifle in his left arm and holding a dead rabbit in his right hand. Ches has his .22 caliber rifle held high aloft in his right hand, and a dead rabbit in his left."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-204/

img Nisei baseball players (ddr-densho-259-539)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "Ches [Tsuyoshi Yasui] in baseball shin guards, with other presumed baseball players. This may well have been part of the Nisei Athletic Club baseball team."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-539/

img Nisei children on a stagnant slough (ddr-densho-259-427)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "Michi, Shu and Roku, standing on a cracked, dried up lake bed. Michi is holding a fishing pole, and it looks like Roku is holding a gun as tall as he. Shu is in the middle What looks like a dried lake bed actually was the remains of a big stagnant slough, ...

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-427/

img Japanese Americans on horseback on a mountain (ddr-densho-259-184)

Japanese Americans on horseback on the Cloud Cap trailhead on Mount Hood, Oregon.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-184/

img Two Nisei boys at tennis courts (ddr-densho-259-207)

Kay Yasui and Kineyo Kanemasu at the tennis courts at the Hood River Japanese Hall in Hood River, Oregon.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-207/

img Undokai picnic and field day (ddr-densho-259-362)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "This was the familiar undokai--a combination picnic and field day--which almost every Nikkei community all over the United States held in the summertime for their people. This photo shows maybe half of the Japanese from Hood River Valley, and it was taken at the Yasui Mosier ranch."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-362/

img Nisei man with tennis racquet (ddr-densho-259-420)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "Kay [Yasui] holding a tennis racquet behind his arms. This surely must have been taken at the dirt tennis court which had been built at the old Japanese Community Hall."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-420/

img Nikkei man holding fish (ddr-densho-259-424)

Nikkei man holding fish, probably Teruo Tsuboi.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-424/

img Japanese women playing battledore (ddr-densho-259-116)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "In this picture, [Shidzuyo Yasui] seems to be refereeing a battledore match between two young women. This game, which resembles badminton in a very sedate and genteel way, probably isn't played in Japan anymore, but it was in her day. The opponents bat a hard, round, marble-like thing, to which is attached ...

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-116/

img Nisei boy holding dead pheasant and shotgun (ddr-densho-259-465)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "Ches [Tsuyoshi Yasui] holding a dead pheasant in his left hand and cradling a shotgun in his right arm, Third Street home [Hood River, Oregon]."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-465/

img Nisei baseball teams at N.W. Class A Baseball Tournament (ddr-densho-259-366)

Caption by Homer Yasui: "Group portraint [sic] of Nisei baseball teams taken at the NW Class A Baseball Tournament in 1932 Among the teams represented in this picture were: Fife, WA; the Portland Fujii; White River, WA; the Hood River Nisei Athletic Club (N.A.C.); the Yakima Yamato; Bellevue; and the Seattle Waseda."

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-366/

img Nisei boy at tennis courts (ddr-densho-259-206)

Kay Yasui at the tennis courts at the Hood River Japanese Hall in Hood River, Oregon.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-206/

img Three Japanese men in bathing suits (ddr-densho-259-169)

Three unidentified Japanese men wearing bathing suits, posed in front of a prop beach scene.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-169/