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 (588)
Small business (406)

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406 items

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

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

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 Photograph proofs (ddr-densho-359-486)

A sheet of photograph proofs including photographs from a butcher, outdoor winter scenes, and indoor scenes. 1st photos left, middle and bottom rows: John Nakata at work in Town & Country Thriftway supermarket in Winslow,, Washington

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-359-486/

img Woman poses on sidewalk (ddr-densho-359-660)

A woman stands outside of Janet's Beauty Shoppe.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-359-660/

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/

doc Photos and text titled: From Shoe Repair to Flowers (ddr-ajah-6-384)

History of Hajime Date's businesses in Alameda, includes photo and clipping from directory

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-384/

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 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/

doc Envelope with Hayashi's Flowers return address (ddr-ajah-6-330)

Caption below photo: An envelope for a business card from Hikotaro "Harry" Kono's business, Hayashi Flowers at 2305 Santa Clara Ave in Alameda, CA, circa 1920's-early 1940's

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-330/

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/

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 Five women standing with Harry Hikotaro outside florist shop (ddr-ajah-6-333)

Caption below photo: Standing in front of Hayashi Florist, run by Hikotaro "Harry" Kono is L to R: Masako and Toshiko Minami, Emi, Tomiko, Chieko and Harry Kono. The Minamis are first cousins to the Konos. Circa mid 1930's. Alameda, CA

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-333/

img Photo of man and boy on sidewalk outside shop, titled: Kenji Shiota Workin' Man (ddr-ajah-6-228)

Caption includes biographical data about Keiji Shiota

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-228/

img Diagram of Bank Alley in Alameda, identifying Japanese owned businesses and property owners (ddr-ajah-6-126)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-126/

img Sign in window of Shizuko Imagire's Shop and Sewing School, in English and Japanese (ddr-ajah-6-134)

Caption below photo: Outdoor sign from Shizuko Imagire's first dress shop and sewing school in Alameda, CA. circa 1925. Translation: California Certified Imagire Women's Sewing School

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-134/

img Page printed with Yokohama Cleaners, with three photos of John Yoshino (ddr-ajah-6-277)

Caption includes biographical information about John Yoshino

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-277/

img Woman with flower arrangements inside florist shop (ddr-ajah-6-397)

Caption below photo: Posing inside Date Florist on Grand Avenue in Oakland, CA is Kiyoko Date Abe, circa 1953-1959. Her parents, Hajime and Uchi Date, had returned to California after World War II ended and wanted to start their florist business again. Their son, Akira, found a shop for sale, this time in Oakland. The shop …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-397/

img Wooden sign from he Imagire Sewing School (ddr-ajah-6-142)

Caption below photo: Item from the Imagire Sewing School, originally located in Alameda, CA and later moved to Oakland, CA. This wooden sign came from her last store, in Reno, Nevada and is about 16 x 8", circa 1942 - 1950s.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-142/

img Rolls of dress labels from S. Imagire, exclusive dressmaker, Oakland, Calif. (ddr-ajah-6-141)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-141/

img People outside house with Japanese and United States flags (ddr-ajah-6-124)

Caption below photo: In this circa 1905-1910s photo, 1218 Oak may have housed more than one business. In 1905 it was the is Shin Rou restaurant and also a Japanese Employment office. On January 24, 1907, a J. (No Suggestions) advertised cleaning and washing. On February 1, 1908, a Mr. Fujii advertised his washing and ironing …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-124/

doc Document with photos, clippings and documents related to Shizuko Imagire's life and professional development (ddr-ajah-6-143)

Titled Imagire Gowns

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-143/

img Kome and Masako Nagashima in front of the Sarashima noodle shop (ddr-densho-353-85)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-85/

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/