Ikuo Shinmasu
@IkuoShinmasuIkuo Shinmasu is from Kaminoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. In 1974, he started working at Teikoku Sanso Ltd (currently AIR LIQUIDE Japan GK) in Kobe and retired in 2015. Later, he studied history at Nihon University Distance Learning Division and researched his grandfather who migrated to Seattle. He shared a part of his thesis about his grandfather through the series, “Yoemon Shinmasu – My Grandfather’s Life in Seattle,” in the North American Post and Discover Nikkei in both English and Japanese. He presently lives in the city of Zushi, Kanagawa, with his wife and eldest son.
Updated August 2021
Stories from This Author
Final Chapter (Part 2)—Seattle Nikkei Immigrants’ Contribution to the US-Japan Relations
April 15, 2025 • Ikuo Shinmasu
Read Final Chapter (Part 1) US view on Japan “Current situation of Japanese Americans Viewed from the American point of view—Nationalism Among Japanese: Edited for use in the US Middle school textbook” (November 13, 1919 issue1) Nationalism is said to be of utmost importance in the life of Japanese. In reality, however, the Japanese are people who are loyal to the country they immigrated to rather than their country of birth. In the past, when Japan was divided into many …
Final Chapter (Part 1)—Seattle Nikkei Immigrants’ Contribution to US-Japan Relations
April 14, 2025 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the previous chapter, I discussed the achievements of Heiji Okuda and Chuzaburo Ito. In this final chapter, I would like to share the efforts of Japanese in the US who worked toward fostering US-Japan friendship. After the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the Japanese community in Seattle faced a very difficult environment due to the boycott of Japanese products and the notice of the abortion of the US-Japan Treaty of Commerce and Navigation from the American …
Chapter 23 (Part 2) The Leaders of Seattle Japanese Community—Chuzaburo Ito
Feb. 5, 2025 • Ikuo Shinmasu
Read Chapter 23 (Part 1) Chuzaburo Ito Here is Chuzaburo Ito’s brief biography per some sources: 1871 Born on November 15 in the Okiura village, Oshima District in Yamaguchi Prefecture. 1893 Arrived in Seattle in December and started a barbershop business and launched bus and laundry services as side businesses. 1896 Opened a Japanese grocery store. 1900 Opened an artwork shop and a Western food restaurant as well as a wholesale store selling Japanese groceries. 1900 In November, started operating …
Chapter 23 (Part 1) The Leaders of Seattle Japanese Community—Heiji Okuda
Feb. 4, 2025 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I wrote about the Community Chest and the Potlatch Festival. In this chapter, I would like to share with you the achievements of Heiji Okuda and Chuzaburo Ito, the two prominent leaders of the Seattle Japanese community. Heiji Okuda Here is Heiji Okuda’s brief biography per some sources: 1867 Born on January 2 in the Abe village, Shiki District in Nara Prefecture. 1890 Married a woman named Tamura when he was in Tokyo. She passed away …
Chapter 22—Participation in Potlatch Festival
July 31, 2024 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I introduced articles highlighting contributions from Japanese associations to the community chest in Seattle. This chapter will delve into articles1 from the North American Times covering the Potlatch Festival, an annual seven-day event held in July in Seattle. Participation in Potlatch Festival The Potlatch Festival is a cultural celebration of Northwest Coast Native American tribes, attracting many American visitors annually as a beloved event in Seattle. The Japanese community contributed by showcasing Japan’s history and promoting …
Chapter 21—Contribution to the Community Chest Fund in Seattle
July 24, 2024 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I wrote about the Nihonjin-kai which supported the Japanese community and this chapter, I will write about the contributions of the Japanese community to the Community Chest fundraising organized by the City of Seattle. What is the Community Chest? As I wrote in the last chapter, as a new way to secure financial resources after the Consulate ended the allocation of certification guarantee fees in 1918, the North American Nihonjin-kai participated in a charity program the …
Chapter 20 (Part 2)—The Japanese Association, a Support for Japanese American Community
May 21, 2024 • Ikuo Shinmasu
Read Part 1 >> Abolition of the distribution of the certification guarantee fee The funding source of the Japanese Association (Nihonjinkai) consisted of membership fees and the distribution of the fee of certification guarantee from the consulate. The North American Japanese Association (Hokubei Nihonjinkai) was established inside the Seattle consulate in 1913 to oversee the distribution of funds to each individual Japanese association. However, the system disbanded in 1918, and the Communication Committee of North American Japanese (Hokubei Renraku Nikkai, …
Chapter 20 (Part 1)—The Japanese Association, a Support for Japanese American Community
May 20, 2024 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I covered the topic of prefectural associations (Kenjinkai). The focus of this chapter is the Japanese Association (Nihonjinkai) that supported the Japanese American community. The significance and deep connection of the Japanese Association to the Nikkei community in Seattle is evidenced by the almost daily mentions of Nihonjinkai in The North American Times. I will share some excerpts from those articles here.1 The History of the Japanese Association Genji Mihara, the chair of the Nihonjinkai (Nissho …
Chapter 19 (Part 2)—The Solidarity of the Japanese Brought by Kenjinkai
March 20, 2024 • Ikuo Shinmasu
Read Chapter 19 (Part 1) >> Notable Activities and Obituaries of People from Yamaguchi Prefecture 1. Seiichi Okamura from the Agenosho village in the Oshima disctrict “Department Chief of Nissho, Japanese Business Association, Seiichi Okamura Passes Away” (June 28, 1939 issue1) The president of Grand Union Laundry Corporation, Seiichi Okamura, had recovered from a cerebral hemorrhage after having taken some rest and had been working full-time. He, however, fell ill again around March. He had been under treatment at home, …
Chapter 19 (Part 1) — The Solidarity of the Japanese Brought by Kenjinkai
March 19, 2024 • Ikuo Shinmasu
The last chapter shared stories about the prosperity of the Nisei males’ judo. In this chapter, I would like to write about the prefectural associations (Kenjinkai) that played a big role in bringing Japanese residents in Seattle together. To enhance the unity of those from the same prefecture in the Seattle Nikkei community, Hiroshima Kenjinkai was first established in 1901, followed by Tokushima Kenjinkai in 1902, Yamaguchi Kenjinkai in 1903, Ehime Kenjinkai in 1904, Kanagawa Kenjinkai in 1905, and many …
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