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Nihonmachi ("Japantowns")

Because of housing and employment discrimination, Japanese Americans tended to cluster in ethnic neighborhoods known as Nihonmachi, or "Japantowns." Living, working, studying, and worshiping in close proximity made for tight-knit communities. With the forced removal of Japanese Americans in the spring of 1942, the bustling Nihonmachis of the West Coast closed down and never fully recovered, even after the war ended.

Community activities (1956)
Nihonmachi ("Japantowns") (205)

Facilities
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205 items
Nihonmachi (Japantown) (ddr-densho-42-1)
img Nihonmachi (Japantown) (ddr-densho-42-1)
This area later developed into Seattle's Nihonmachi, or Japantown.
Japanese Americans revisit their painful past (ddr-csujad-55-2109)
doc Japanese Americans revisit their painful past (ddr-csujad-55-2109)
Newspaper clipping published in the Los Angeles Times regarding former incarcerees dismantling barracks at Heart Mountain incarceration camp to send back to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles as a permanent reminder of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_2212
Sacramento reunion III (ddr-csujad-55-2698)
doc Sacramento reunion III (ddr-csujad-55-2698)
Pamphlet of Sacramento reunion held at the Red Lion Hotel at Sacramento, California. Includes photographs of the Japanese community in Sacramento, California, before the war. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_2862
New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-82)
img New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-82)
Black and white photographic negative of unidentified men playing Gibson guitars at the New Tokyo Bar. For print please see ONLC 4949 (ddr-one-1-720)
New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-83)
img New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-83)
Black and white photographic negative of an unidentified patron in the New Tokyo Bar sitting in a booth near two unidentified guitar players.
New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-81)
img New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-81)
Black and white photographic negative of two women behind the bar with the bartender at the New Tokyo Bar in Portland, Oregon. From left to right: unidentified, Rose Mae Hara and George Ninomiya.
Frank Hirahara at New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-79)
img Frank Hirahara at New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-79)
Original black and white photographic print of Frank Hirahara and Rose Mae Hara at the New Tokyo Bar in Portland, Oregon. For negative please see ONLC 2856 (ddr-one-1-80).
Frank Hirahara at New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-80)
img Frank Hirahara at New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-80)
Black and white photographic negative of Frank Hirahara and Rose Mae Hara at the New Tokyo Bar in Portland, Oregon. For original print please ONLC 2855 (ddr-one-1-79).
New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-84)
img New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-84)
Black and white photographic negative of unidentified bar patrons at the New Tokyo Bar. Bartender George Ninomiya is behind the bar.
Jiro Kaneko's Pacific Printing Company (ddr-densho-353-87)
img Jiro Kaneko's Pacific Printing Company (ddr-densho-353-87)
The Pacific Printing Company was located at 611 Main Street.
Group of men with a car (ddr-densho-353-82)
img Group of men with a car (ddr-densho-353-82)
Okayama men on Main Street in front of the Mitsuwado. Note on back: " NW Nikkei caption 6-89: Mr. Yanagi (leaning against car) with friends, celebrates his graduation from the U of W's pharmacy school before returning to Japan." Another note says "set at 100, 2 sec"
Star Laundry wagon (ddr-densho-353-72)
img Star Laundry wagon (ddr-densho-353-72)
Star Laundry was located at 1229 Jackson Street. A note on the back indicates the driver as Mr. Shimono.
Group of men with a car (ddr-densho-353-81)
img Group of men with a car (ddr-densho-353-81)
Captioned: "On Main Street in front of the Mitsuwado." The Mitsuwado was a large bookstore. A note on the back reads: "set at 200, 8 sec."
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