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 (481)
Small business (391)

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391 items

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 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 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 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 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 Group of women posing for photo (ddr-ajah-6-137)

Caption above photo: Imagire Dress Making School 9th graduation, Oakland, CA., circa 1938 Her first location was in Alameda, Across the Oakland Estuary. Inscription on front in Japanese, individuals identified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-137/

img Man standing on porch of house with business sign (ddr-ajah-6-123)

Caption below photo: this circa 1905-1910 photo of 1218 Oak includes signage that appears to state cleaning or cleaners, which fits the advertising from the 1907 era. In this circa 1905-1910 photo, 1218 Oak may have housed more than one business. In 1905 it was the Isshin Rou restaurant and also a Japanese Employment Office. On …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-123/

img Japanese American store owner prior to mass removal (ddr-densho-151-91)

Original caption: San Francisco, California. Mr. Tatsuno pictured in his San Francisco drygoods store prior to evacuation of residents of Japanese ancestry. He was in the drygoods business for forty years in San Francisco. Evacuees will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-91/

img Meat market (ddr-densho-34-61)

Mrs. Tom Omura (second from left) and Mr. Tom Omura, holding one-year-old Masaaki (John) Nakata, in front of the meat market and restaurant along Winslow Way East on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The identity of the person on the left is unknown.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-61/

img Bainbridge Gardens (ddr-densho-34-8)

Bainbridge Gardens consisted of a nursery, grocery store and gas station.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-8/

img Japanese American butcher (ddr-densho-34-54)

The Nakata family owned and operated the Eagle Harbor Meat Market in Winslow on Bainbridge Island. Mo Nakata worked at the market before and after World War II.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-54/

img Opening day of the Eagle Harbor Meat Market (ddr-densho-34-62)

The Eagle Harbor Meat Market was located on Winslow Way on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-62/

img Bainbridge Gardens gas station (ddr-densho-34-23)

A view of Bainbridge Gardens from Miller Bay Road with Mo Nakata's Pontiac out front.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-23/

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/