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
Chapter 10 (Part 3) History of The North American Times: Voices of a Female Employee and the 5000th Anniversary Issue
Nov. 23, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
Previously, I introduced the contributors to the North American Times and its employees. This part shares articles by its female employee, the 5000th anniversary issue, and the increase of subscription fee. OPINION FROM A FEMALE EMPLOYEE This is an article by a female editor, Shikako Takatani, who worked as a corresponding writer in Montana. “Newspapers, Reporters, Readers, and Contributors” (From Mar. 29, 1918 issue) “I have something to ask you all, while encouraging efforts of the newspaper publisher. Even if …
Chapter 10 (Part 2) History of The North American Times: Expanding Circle of Contributors and the Employees
Nov. 16, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last part, I wrote about how The North American Times was launched, and in this part, I will introduce articles about the expanding circle of contributors and those who worked at The North American Times. EXTENDED CIRCLE OF CONTRIBUTORS Even after the Arima family took over the North American Times, the founding members and former editors stayed involved in the publishing of the paper. Also, it seems that even after editorial staff left, many of them remained writing …
Chapter 10 (Part 1) History of the North American Times—Early Days
Nov. 9, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I wrote about the development of the Japanese hotel industry. In this chapter, I will share articles about Japanese newspapers, especially about the North American Times. In the first part of Chapter 10, I review articles that describe the early days of the North American Times. BIRTH OF JAPANESE NEWSPAPERS In the early 20th century, as the Japanese community grew in Seattle, various Japanese newspapers appeared. Kiyoshi Kumamoto, a dentist, and Kuranosuke Hiraide, the founder of Hiraide …
Chapter 9 (Part 2) — Flourishing Japanese Hotel Businesses
Sept. 8, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
Read Chapter 9 (Part 1) >> COMPLAINTS AGAINST JAPANESE HOTEL BUSINESSES In the midst of such developments, the North American Times published quite a few articles on people complaining about the high prices of hotel rooms and the excessive buying and selling of hotels. At the same time, it published ones praising the development of hotel businesses. “Domination of Japanese Hotels Could Be Root of Future Trouble” (Oct. 16, 1918 issue) “There are about 250 hotels that are owned by …
Chapter 9 (Part 1) — Flourishing Japanese Hotel Businesses
Sept. 7, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I introduced some historical articles about the growth of Japanese barbershop businesses in Seattle beginning in 1917. In this chapter, I discuss the development of Japanese hotel businesses in Seattle in two parts. HISTORY OF JAPANESE HOTEL BUSINESSES As I reported in Chapter 2, the Japanese hotel business in Seattle was started by Manjiro Morita in 1896. Beginning in 1900, the number of hotels run by Japanese continued to grow with the increase in the Seattle …
Chapter 8 (Part 2) —Growth and Decline of Japanese Barbershop Business
Aug. 16, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In Part 1 of Chapter 8 about the growth of Japanese Barbershop businesses, I wrote about the Japanese Barbershop Committee and the increase of the haircut price. In this part, I would like to share some articles about the Seattle general strike and the Nisei who strove to start their own barbershop businesses around 1939. Seattle General Strike “Relation with the Japanese” (From the Feb. 4, 1919 issue) In February 1919, in sympathy with the strike of approximately 25,000 shipyard …
Chapter 8 (Part 1)—Growth and Decline of Japanese Barbershop Business
Aug. 15, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I wrote about the NYK Seattle shipping route which made a great contribution to the development of Seattle. In this chapter, I’d like to talk about the growth of Japanese barbershop businesses in Seattle from 1918 in two parts by introducing articles about Japanese Barbershop Committee in Seattle and the Nisei who strove to start their own barbershop businesses around 1939. JAPANESE BARBERSHOP BUSINESS IN SEATTLE The Japanese barbershop business in Seattle experienced a large growth …
Chapter 7: Development of Seattle Route
July 15, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I introduced some articles on the opening of Seattle Route and Seattle Route and the transcontinental railroad around 1918. This time, I will talk about the development of Seattle Route beginning in 1919. THE SHORTEST INTERNATIONAL OCEAN ROUTE “Japan-US Ocean Route and European Ocean Route” (From the Mar. 8, 1919 issue) “In Japan, traveling to Europe and/or the U.S. has become a craze after the (World War I) cease-fire, whether it’s for business or pleasure... There are …
Chapter 6—The Great Seattle Shipping Route
July 1, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I introduced some articles on people’s expectations for Japanese Consulate. This time, I will talk about some articles on the opening of Seattle Route and Seattle Route and the transcontinental railroad around 1918. OPENING OF THE SEATTLE ROUTE Nippon Yusen Kaisha’s (NYK Shipping’s) Seattle Route opened in 1896, connecting Seattle and Yokohama. The opening of the route triggered a rapid increase in the number of Nikkei immigrants to Seattle. In the January 1, 1910 issue of …
Chapter 5: Expectations of the Japanese Consulate
May 6, 2022 • Ikuo Shinmasu
In the last chapter, I introduced some notable people in Seattle's Japanese community who were featured in the column, “Ichinichi hitori hito iroiro” (One Person a Day – Let Us Introduce Them) of The North American Times in 1919. This chapter introduces some Japanese Consuls who were appointed by the Japanese Consulate in Seattle, which was established in 1901. * * * * * The role of the Japanese consulate was significant in its support of Japanese residents in Seattle. In …
