san francisco yba protos
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This team /organization is the SF YBA Protos, but in addition, we will have section for misc JA teams/groups to reside on until a standalone image site can be added. We plan to ask key founding members of each group and/or the organization to add them to the master list and link them to the other JA team /org image sites we will create. As of June 2025, in addition to the SF Protos, we have images/vid from: Berkeley Sangha, Berkeley Cleaners, Sycamore Lords, AOAC, Berkeley Rising Suns, SF Hawks, SF Drakes, Berkeley Royals, Berkeley Nets, Sac Barons, Oakland Rams, Berkeley Nissei, Sacramento Counts, Berkeley Nissei, Econolodge of Santa Clara, LA Tigers, East Bay Court Jesters, SF Associates, LA Nisei Trading Lords, Oakland Sumitomo Bank, Berkeley Methodist United, SF Chinese Saints, T and T FOR Knights, SF Gales, Seattle Tokuda Drug Store, Richmond Cubs, LA Imperials, Gardena, Knights Berkeley Ohtani, Florin AC, Lodi Nisei, Chicago Huskies, UC Berkeley Students, SF Drakes, LA Lancers, Salt Lake Zephrys, Topaz WW2 camp, Rohwer WW2 camp, Diablo AC, Alameda Mudhens, Alameda Acorns, Eden Cardinals, Yamasa Lakers, Berkeley Layman Angels, , as well as host of other JA teams.
We have helped set up JA image sites for: Berkeley Bears, Oakland MYF, Sacramento Counts, Sacramento Barons, JA Tournament programs, and have alliances with: East Bay Rising Suns/ East Bay Rising Suns Tournament Programs.
Any JA org or groups who will like guidance on setting up a standalone site and/or help, please send message. Goal is for all JA orgs that would like to document and tell the stories in digital format and link them all in spider's web so access to all is easy and a few clicks away.
Those who have contributed photos/images/player, coaches names so far: Wes Fukumori, Jim Yamada, Bruce Shimada, Newell Noda, Doug/Bill Kagawa, Lee Cubby Nakamura, Gary Chang, Cliff Maruyama, Steve/Mark Tanaka, Scott and Sharon Kawaguchi, Jimmy Wong, Bob Nomura, Tom and Ellie Mishima, Rich Shintaku, David Tom. Dale Minami, Gary Tominaga, Missy Kuyama, Harvey Tahara, Clay and Lynn Yoshida., Chris Komai, Bob and Yas Utsumi Family Estate, Shinya Honda, David Hirota., Wayne Inouye, Dan Neishi, Ron Shiromoto, Michael Yoshii.
In addition, various JA team pictures are posted with corresponding URL links in description.
To add any team/individual pictures/tournament programs, etc.. to the ones we have set up or new ones, please email: mktanaka@yahoo.com
also, since many JA team pictures do not have players or coaches names, please add in comment section of the photo and/or email me.
we have set up so any/all who were part of these programs and would like to send comments/remembrances on teams, coaches, teammates, the organizations, or other players on opposing teams, please send link/s and your remembrances so they can be added.
During the 1930's, there were many J-A communities all up and down the West Coast, Hawaii, as well as California Central Valley.
Some young adult basketball and baseball teams/clubs were formed in the various J-A communities. With the onset of WWII and J-A Internment camps as well as the formation of the 442 Infantry Regiment/100th Battalion, many J-A ties /friendships were formed from various cities with the common bond of being J-A during the turbulent times of WWII.
As WWII ended, the J-A families began to migrate from the camps back to their home towns (Pre WWII) and continue to join J-A basketball and baseball teams/leagues. (late 1940's, 1950') Fast forward to the early 1960's, the J-A families began to form youth leagues for their children... pee wee baseball teams, youth basketball teams (elementary to HS).
The collective sites that are linked are trying to capture these the spirit of these times so many J-A participated in.
The San Francisco Protos formed in the early 1930's and was the top NAU team of the San Francisco YBA Buddhist Organization. As NAU A league they were called the Gaels and changed name to the Proto as they moved to AA division:
www.flickr.com/photos/160568183@N04/42962757432/in/datepo...
The San Francisco YBA Protos were an AA team that played in the NAU league during the 1930’s, 40, 50, and 60’s. Based in San Francisco, they were part of the San Francisco Buddist Church organization.
The Protos won AA Nor Cal championships in 1954, 1955, and 1957. Each year, the lost the State Championship to the So Cal team… 1954, Bob’s TV, 60 to 59, 1955, Lords Local 399, 47 to 46, and 1957, WLA Lucky Doks, 66 to 64.
Members of the Protos during the 1950’s: Ken Fukuoka, Bill Hirose/SF, Shiro Horita, Yuk Isoye, John Matsumoto/Hawaii, Mutt Matsumoto/Hawaii, Eiichi Morimoto/SF, Toshiro Suto, G Hikai, K Satow, John Yasamoto/Fresno, Gus Tanaka/SF, Tak Takei/SF, Willie Osada/Fairfield, Sim Seki, George Shiro, Mitz Kojimoto and Tad Horita was coach a few of the years during this span.
www.flickr.com/photos/160568183@N04/42962756062/in/datepo...
Gus Tanaka who was a member of the SF Protos then went on to coach the Sycamore Lords in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Some of his players then graduated and went on to form the Berkeley Cleaners who were one of the top AA teams in Nor Cal during the 1960’s winning 3 Nor Cal AA championships as well as 2 state championships in the 1960’s.
Ron Takahashi who was on the Sycamore Lords teams, his parents and Uncle/Aunt were owners of the Berkeley Cleaning Center (Mr Yosh and Mich Takahashi Families) who helped sponsor their team, thus, called the Berkeley Cleaners.
In addition to Ron, other Sycamore players who helped form the Bekrley Cleaners were: Byron Kunisawa, Gary Kaya, Gene Nakamura (long time Berkeley High G coach), Newton Akiyama, Richard Takai, Jerry Tsukahira as well as Dennis Jew, Bob Nakamura, Dave Nishimoto, Sub Nishimoto, Wes Endo, Tak Nakano, Ken Kobayashi, and Ken Haraguchi.
After Gus Tananka stopped coaching the Sycamore Lords B team as his children began to start playing in the D league... The Lords were coached by Mr Clifford Lim, and Mr Charles Sumimoto. during the late 60's and 70's. Since Sycamore Church originally was located in Oakland/Telegraph (near where Sears was/is).. the teams would practice at near by McClymonds HS (HS of Champions) and why the Lords team colors were "Orange and Black" which is the same colors as MACK. The Sycamore Church also had girls team during this period.. and were called the Saints...
www.flickr.com/photos/160568183@N04/41202625380/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/160568183@N04/41202622490/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/160568183@N04/41202620910/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/160568183@N04/41202620910/in/datepo...
In the 1970's, Mr Charles Sumimoto became head coach of the Sycamore Lords "B" team and his players included: Roy and John Matsutani, Ted Ohashi, Lexter Honda, Cole and Clay Yoshida, his son, Marty Sumimoto, Glenn, Ray, Melvin Ishikata, Art and Irving Yamashita, Wayne and Rick Takahashi, Steve and Mark Tanaka, Dennis, Mark, James, and Steve Endo, Chris Jones, Jim Wiseman, Rick Kajioka, Tom and Jon Mishima, Eric Inoye. The Sycamore Lords with Mr Sumimoto as the head coach won 4 EBYAL championships in the 1970's in a 8 year period and 3 Northern California J-A HS TOC championships.
Some of the vid clips are of Gus Tanaka speaking of his days as a member of the Protos as well as his coaching days for the Sycamore Lords.
Will continue to add team pictures/images of the Protos teams as we gather them up. In addition, we are continuing trying to add other team JA pictures that the community may have to share... please continue to send them in to us...
Since we are trying to create JA team picture sites for all the JA youth and young adult teams that played in the 1930/40/50/60/70/80/90's... this will also hold misc team pictures until the JA org has a stand alone site that is linked to other JA team picture sites.
Included at this time are: Berkeley Sangha B team, approx 1973 timeframe, Berkeley Cleaners NAU team approx 1979/80 timeframe. AOAC Saints, AA Nor Cal Champions =1978
Link to the NAU JA league that was formed in the early 1930s's. Thanks out to Darren Yamashita who helped create the NAU history content on the NAU JA league site:
ncnau.org/history/AA-NorCal-Champs.html
Link to the Berkeley Bears JA youth baseball teams that was formed in the early 1960's:
www.flickr.com/photos/163438565@N07/
Sacramento Counts:
www.flickr.com/photos/100043925@N03/
Sacramento Barons:
www.flickr.com/photos/arnoldpalmersigneditems/
Many teenagers /youth of the 1940's were part of the WWII camps... As they grew up into young adults and started families, became the leaders of the JA sports teams of the late 1950's/60's... (coaches, managers, etc).. Here is link that focus is the WWII camps and associated topics (442, etc):
some JA/Asian sports teams pictures from past years:
SF Chinese Saints basketball team (1950's)
www.flickr.com/photos/espressobuzz/4273402784/in/album-72...
vid on history of SF Chinese Saints:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocpAL4IJuxs&lc=UgybydM27RDATG...
WWII Internment Camp sports teams:
www.flickr.com/photos/p47koji/5640857188/in/pool-ww2inter...
Poston, Az. Camp basketball pictures:
postonupdates.blogspot.com/2016/04/camp-2-basketball.html
Portland, Or Sports teams:
www.flickr.com/photos/onlc/6903029862/in/dateposted/
www.flickr.com/photos/onlc/7463741090/in/dateposted/
www.flickr.com/photos/onlc/6903029786/in/dateposted/
Article on Nisei baseball and basketball:
www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2016/4/21/rural-urban-n...
www.discovernikkei.org/en/nikkeialbum/albums/176/
San Jose Zebras, 1950s:
www.janm.org/collections/item/92.10.2CC/
www.janm.org/collections/item/92.10.2CF/
Tigers Youth Club So Cal:
www.tigersyouthclub.com/about/
So Cal San Kwo Low Lords, 1950/60's:
www.janm.org/collections/item/96.267.724/
Minidoka Baseball Team 1945 JA Internment Camp baseball team:
www.flickr.com/photos/p47koji/5640857188/in/pool-ww2inter...
Mikado Oregon Baseball team, 1936
www.flickr.com/photos/onlc/6903029862/in/dateposted/
Seattle J-A basketball team, Tokuda Drug Store, from the 1940's/50's. One child is Wendy Tokuda who was News Anchor for many years in the San Francisco Bay area for many years at KPIX/Chanel 5:
www.flickr.com/photos/espressobuzz/5080219842/in/album-72...
www.flickr.com/photos/espressobuzz/4273402918/in/album-72...
Japanese American National Museum link:
JACL web site:
Rafu Shimpo web site, So Cal's Japanese American Newspaper:
Wikipedia on Hokubei Mainich Newspaper, SF JA Bay area newspaper from 1948 to 2009:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokubei_Mainichi_Newspaper
Nikkei Basketball Heritage Association:
NBHA youtube vid interviews:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL0dDs2Jnx8y7wG08jV7R_KlDG...
jabasketball.org/programs/nbha-panel-discussion-august-18...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWCeahILXoo
Terasaki Budokan Org, J-A non profit group building a sports complex in Little Tokyo:
www.terasakibudokan.org/our-facility/
J-Sei Org East Bay JA org:
Kimochi Org/ San Francisco, Ca
Discover Nikkei:
Nichi Bei On line:
Article on J-A basketball leagues:
www.colorlines.com/articles/asian-american-basketball-lea...
Article on Wally Yonemine:
www.49ers.com/news/wally-yonamine-pro-football-s-nisei-pi...
Article on Gene Nakamura, who played on both the Sycamore Lords and then Berkeley Cleaners, one of the most successful HS basketball coaches in California history:
archive.dailycal.org/article.php?id=23778
Article on Doug Kagawa, who played for the Berkeley Bears, was PG on one of the top HS programs in Nor Cal, Berkeley High in the late 60's/early 70's, and PG for the Berkeley Royals, who won the NAU AA Nor Cal championship in 1971 and 1972:
www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2010/3/11/nikkei-heritage/
The Berkeley Nissei Greens were the top NAU JA AA teams of the 1940's..... State AA NAU champions: 1941, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951... no NAU leagues from 1942 to 1946... Coached by Mr Min Sano... who later founder the Berkeley Bears Youth Organization... players included:
Hiro Higashi, John Oshida, Min, Halen, Tats, Tosh and Yuk Sano (The Sano Brothers), Jug Takeshita, Shig Yoshimine, D Fukushima, E Kawahawa, Sus Ota, J Takeshita, Kiy Uchida, S Yamamoto, G Yonekura, F Ota, H Yamuchi, Yuk Hibino, Kiyosuke Nomura, Kay Takahashi, Ted Iida, Warren Eijima, Art Kuriya, Otto Oshida, Fred Yamashiro, Johnny Oshida
NAU Nor Cal AA team:
1930's: Oakland ME, Berkeley Nissei, Alameda Students, Alameda YMBA, Oakland Macks, San Jose YMBA, San Jose Nitto, Mountain View Kyowa, Palo Alto Hinode, SF YMCA, UC Student Club, Showa AC, Oakland Son's and Daughter's, SF YMBA, Alameda Mudhens, SF Mikados, Alameda Mustangs, Oakland Maroon Waves, SF Protos,
1940's: Alameda Acorns, Berkeley Nissei, Sac Mikados, Oakland Paramounts, SJ Ryusei, SF Harlem AC, Florian AC, SJ Zebras, SF Drakes, SF Vets, Sac Rockets, Richmond AC, Sac JACL,
1950's:
Berkeley Nissei, SF Drakes, San Francisco YBA Protos, Sac Stags, SJ Zebras, SF Dandies, Oakland Paramounts, Placer AC, Alameda Acorns, SF Drakes, SF Fogs, SF Barons, Oakland YBA, Bob's TV, San Lorenzo Seraphs, Richmond Scamps, SF Troop 58, Marysville Yubans, Sebastopol Enmanji, Santa Clara Bears,
1960's: San Jose Zebras, Berkeley Sanghas, Oakland YBA, SF Associates 58, SJ Valiants, SJ Koguras, Nakamura Reality Aptos, Western Pioneer Freelancers, Sac Counts, Berkeley Cleaning Center, Kuwata Realty, Sumitomo Knights, AOAC
1970's: Sacramento Counts, Berkeley Royals, Sac Saints, Berkeley Rising Suns, SF Drakes, SF Marauders, Berkeley Cleaners, Sumitomo Knights, AOAC, SJ Zebras, SF Nisei, SJ Chapparals, SJ Warriors, SJ Friendship, Sumitomo Taisho, Sebastopol Enmanji, SJ Bruins, Sac Squires, Sac Sam's Blazers, Sac Believers,
1980's: Sac Sam's Blazers, Sac Barons, Berkeley Nippon Rookies, Berkeley Hustlers, Berkeley Cleaners, Berkeley Royals, Sac Believers, SF Drakes, San Mateo Spirits, South Bay Bombers, Berkeley Rising Suns, Sac Sabers, Peninsula Tropicals, Contra Costa Cougars, SJ Wave, Berkeley Nets, San Miguel, Sac Players, Oscar's Cavs.
1990's: Sac Believers, SF Drakes, Edgewater Cavs, Sac Barons, Contra Costa Cougars, Sac Sabres, SJ Wave, Santa Clara Econolodge, Berkeley Court Jesters, Mountain View Wildcats, SJ Weapons, SF Associates, SJ Kidz, Red Coach, Express, San Jose Ninja, San Jose Team Technical, Burlingam Local Motion
2000's: SF Associates, East Bay Court Jesters, San Jose Kidz, SF Jade Arhatz, Sac Barons, SJ Silver Bullets, Great House Saints, Shoenez, Foster City Flyers, SF Drakes, Team Technical, Gametime, Sac Sabres, SJ JACL
Article on early NAU formation in both So Cal and Nor Cal after WWII ended:
www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2016/3/16/ja-basketball...
Part 2:
www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2016/3/17/ja-basketball...
Article of JA baseball in Internment Camps, WWII:
www.mercurynews.com/2014/10/26/japanese-americans-recall-...
Article on SF Drakes Woman's team starting up:
www.espn.com/espnw/culture/feature/article/19240500/how-j...
SF Associates history:
"The Boys of Japantown" part 1
SJ Ninjas history:
Sacramento Warlords history:
sacramentowarlords.org/about/program
Sacramento Rebels history:
Eastbay Rising Suns history:
eastbayrisingsuns.wordpress.com/about/
www.flickr.com/photos/153200624@N08/
San Jose Zebras history:
Berkeley Ohtani Basketball Link:
www.berkeleyohtani.org/history-1/#history
East Bay Rising Suns:
www.flickr.com/photos/eastbayrisingsuns/
Oakland MYF site:
www.flickr.com/photos/160636683@N04/
Sacramento Barons History link:
www.sacramentobarons.org/about.html
Foster City Flyers history:
www.fostercityflyers.org/about
San Francisco Buddhist Church, Taisho/Ardenettes history:
JA Tournament Programs:
www.flickr.com/photos/187313507@N04/
LA Tigers history:
NAU league history:
Troop 58/San Francisco Associates history:
pack-troop58.org/about-troop-58.php
So Cal F.O.R.:
Article on Mr Ted Ohashi, one of the best J-A players ever, varsity player at Cal in the 1930's:
www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Theodore-Ted-Ohashi-Cal-ba...
Link for many Nor Cal NAU programs, stories:
ncnikkeiathleticbasketball.blogspot.com/2009/05/nisei-ath...
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2009/
Article on 1st J-A to play in NBA, Wat Misaka, 1940's:
www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/02/15/146888834/pro-...
Vid clips of Wat Misaka:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFYVwYc8dno
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSBXo4SHM38
Article on J-A sports in WWII camps, Densho.org:
encyclopedia.densho.org/Sports_and_recreation_in_camp/
Article on J-A basketball, post WWII, Chicago:
news.wttw.com/2019/05/01/ask-geoffrey-history-chicago-hus...
Early J-A baseball in So Cal Area:
www.sakoguchi.info/japanese-american-baseball
Article on J-A basketball:
www.upworthy.com/the-moving-reason-these-japanese-america...
Article on J-A basketball in Bay Area:
www.nichibei.org/2019/05/a-brief-history-of-japanese-amer...
Article in J-A sports on So Cal:
www.rafu.com/2019/06/raising-the-roof-and-the-rest-of-bud...
JA Basketball -The Community behind the Game
www.itsyozine.com/posts/japanese-american-basketball
Nichi Bei news article on J-A basketball early days:
www.nichibei.org/2019/05/a-brief-history-of-japanese-amer...
discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2016/3/16/ja-basketball-con...
Lars Nootbaar, half JA MLB player from So Cal:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Nootbaar
Wataru Misaka, 1st J-A player to play in the NBA..
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgbRcscKpy4
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wataru_Misaka
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfPVxCx6LsY
J-A basketball, So Cal:
jabasketball.org/about-us/board-of-directors-and-personnel/
Links/blog of many JA tournament programs from the 1970's from Scott Tomioka:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2009/07/east-bay-youth-athl...
1971 State A Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2010/03/1971-nau-state-bask...
1973 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2009/12/1973-northern-calif...
1974 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2020/01/1974-northern-calif...
1975 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2010/03/1975-northern-calif...
1976 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2020/01/1976-northern-calif...
1978 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2020/01/1978-northern-calif...
1978 State Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2010/03/1978-north-vs-south...
1979 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2020/01/1979-northern-calif...
1981 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2020/01/1981-northern-calif...
1985 NAU Championship Program:
nikkeibasketball.blogspot.com/2010/04/1985-northern-nau-c...
JA sports teams/groups on Flickr:
www.flickr.com/groups/3985776@N20/pool/
Go For Broke web site:
www.goforbroke.org/visit/monument/index.php
WWII Topaz Stories site:
Rafu Shimpo article on Keston Hiura, MLB/Brewers
www.rafu.com/2020/08/keston-hiura-baseball-brewers/
Nichibei article on Steve Kwan, MLB Cleveland Guardians:
www.nichibei.org/2023/01/kwan-proudly-represents-his-japa...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRFK9vvQgCw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfJjP8pEkeE
A brief history of Japanese American basketball in the Bay Area
May 9, 2019 by STEVEN D. CHIN, Special to the Nichi Bei Weekly Leave a Comment
First Quarter
Unlike baseball, which was introduced to Japan by the United States in 1873 and played by the immigrant Issei, Japanese American basketball was a predominantly Nisei sport and truly a Japanese American phenomenon.
Basketball in the Japanese American community started gaining popularity in the 1920s with recreational teams forming wherever there were significant numbers of young Japanese American men in California: the San Francisco Bay Area, the Sacramento region, the Central Valley, and the Los Angeles area. Teams were sponsored and organized by YMCAs (Young Men’s Christian Associations), YMBAs (Young Men’s Buddhist Associations) and/or private Japanese American social clubs.
In 1933, with the urging of the immigrant/ethnic press, the Japanese Amateur Athletic Union in both Northern and Southern California started to sponsor basketball, forming formal leagues for the top rated teams in each region. By posting schedules, scores, and stories that showcased and promoted local teams and heroes the immigrant press helped bridge the urban and rural Japanese American communities.
Japanese American basketball flourished between 1934 and 1941, but all league play throughout the state came to an abrupt end as the result of Executive Order 9066 issued by President Franklin Roosevelt, which called for the forced relocation and wartime incarceration of some 110,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. There was no league play during the war period, but basketball was still popular and played within the wartime camps.
Following the war, Japanese Americans returned to the West Coast and the Nisei formed clubs to meet their recreational and social needs. Basketball, however, was relegated to pick-up games, barnstorming exhibitions, and tournaments during this early resettlement period due to the Japanese Amateur Athletic Union disbanding at the start of the war and the limited and/or lack of communication between organizations and teams. The NAU (Nisei Athletic Union) quickly succeeded the JAAU when Akira Komai, Paul Uyemura, Yuichi Hirata, and Paul Izumida with aid from the Rafu Shimpo formed the SCNAU (Southern California Nisei Athletic Union), and Min Sano, Tad Hirota, and Iwao Kawakami of the now-defunct Nichi Bei Times formed the NCNAU (Northern California Nisei Athletic Union).
Focusing on the Bay Area, Iwao Kawakami of the Nichi Bei Times was greatly instrumental in forming and organizing the Northern California Nisei Athletic Union the year following the wartime incarceration. During the resettlement year he received requests from the community to “do something about a Nisei league.” Using his position as sports editor, Kawakami made a call out specifically to the Japanese American communities in the San Francisco area and the East Bay Area looking for teams wanting to participate in an organized basketball league, as teams in the Central Valley were already organized and sponsored by the Central California Young Buddhist League. On Nov. 27, 1946, Kawakami published an article and posited the question, “How About A Nisei Basketball League?” and with the help of Joe Masaoka of the Japanese American Citizens League and Tad Hirota, the ex-president of the old JAU, the NCNAU was formed.
On Dec. 17, 1946 the Nichi Bei Times officially announced the formation of the Northern California Nisei Athletic Union with the following teams participating in the inaugural season: San Jose Zebras, Berkeley Nissei (fielded two teams, Nissei Green and Nissei White), Berkeley Royals A.C., San Francisco Drakes, San Francisco Jolly Cats, Sacramento Rockets, Sacramento Maroons, Oakland Paramounts, and the Lodi YBA. These 10 teams participated and played at the ‘AA’ level, which is the highest in athletic ability and skill.
‘A’ level leagues were created soon after for teams that did not have the caliber athletes to compete at the ‘AA’ level but wanted to play in an organized structure. The Coast ‘A’ level league and the Bay Region Class ‘A’ league were also established in 1946. The Coast ‘A’ league fielded nine teams: Gilroy, Madrone, Palo Alto, San Mateo, Mountain View, San Jose Nittos, San Jose Zebras, Watsonville, and Monterey, while the Bay Region ‘A’ league fielded 10 teams: Berkeley Nissei Grey, Berkeley Emanons, San Francisco Jolly Cats, San Francisco Blue Jays, San Francisco Ramblers, San Francisco Dukes, San Francisco Pinballs, San Francisco Junior Gales, San Francisco Royals and Richmond Nisei. In all 29 Nisei teams participated in organized league play around the Bay Area in the 1946-47 season.
Second Quarter
The popularity of basketball within the Japanese American community grew rapidly during resettlement and the decades that followed.
Due to demand, the NAU added a ‘B’ level division for the 1949 to ’50 season for high school-aged Japanese Americans. The inaugural NAU Bay Region B league consisted of the Emanon Hi Y of Berkeley, Oakland YBA, Richmond Blues, Richmond Scamps, San Francisco Barons, San Francisco Cardinals, San Francisco Celtics, San Francisco Junior Gales and San Lorenzo.
The 1950s was a decade of decline, growth, and growing pains for Japanese American basketball as the number of teams participating in leagues throughout Northern California were in flux due to the demographic shifts of each region; with Japanese Americans from rural areas (the Central Valley, Sierra Foothills, etc.) moving into more urban areas (the Bay Area and Sacramento). The number of ‘A’ and ‘B’ level teams also increased as Japanese American Christian (Berkeley Methodist, Berkeley Free Methodist) and Buddhist churches (Berkeley Ohtani, Berkeley Sangha) started to participate in NAU play on a consistent basis, while the number or ‘AA’ level teams decreased as players were drafted and/or enlisted in the armed services during Korean War.
The 1960s was a decade of change, transition, and even more growth as the Japanese American population began to grow with the baby boomer generation starting families and moving to suburban areas. This shift coincided with San Francisco Japantown’s redevelopment, and more affordable and accessible housing in areas outside of historical Japanese ethnic enclaves. The popularity of basketball among all ages and gender was evident in the East Bay with the introduction of a boys ‘C’ level leagues in 1962, the creation of the East Bay Girls Athletic League in 1964, and the formation of ‘D’ level leagues in 1966. The number of teams in the East Bay Area greatly increased during this time, most noticeably with new teams from the Diablo Valley (Concord) and a large contingent of teams from the Berkeley area.
From the mid-1960s going into the 1970s, Berkeley was a hotbed for Japanese American basketball, producing almost as many teams as the San Francisco area, and could be debated as the pinnacle of Japanese American basketball of that era. The size, scope and high caliber of Japanese American basketball during the 1960s can be exemplified by the four separate occasions that Berkeley was the site of international ethnic basketball as it hosted the Japanese Olympic basketball team in 1963 and 1967, the Korean Olympic basketball team in 1968, and the Chinese Olympic basketball team in 1969 in exhibition play. Perennial powerhouse teams like the San Francisco Associates and Berkeley Cleaners, as well as Nisei All-star teams tested their international contemporaries in front capacity filled gyms.
Basketball was extremely popular in the Japanese American community in the 1970s, and its popularity is reflected in the number of teams mentioned and noted in the Nichi Bei Times. However, consistent coverage was difficult because of so many teams and news was often regulated to just standings, scores, and an occasional box score. The most detailed articles were written toward the end of each season that focused on the championship games. Based on my research, Japanese American basketball hit its peak in terms of number of teams and press coverage ratio in the mid-1970s.
For the 1973-74 season, based on standings and scores posted, there were 162 Japanese American basketball teams in the Bay Area alone; participating in NAU Bay Region (Nisei Athletic Union), EBYAL (East Bay Youth Athletic League), EBGAL (East Bay Girls Athletic League) and the PYAL (Peninsula Youth Athletic League). Another 42 teams participated in the Sacramento Church League (SCC) bringing the total to 204 teams that participated in Japanese American basketball in Northern California alone.
The attendance at games were at an all-time high as basketball was a premier social event for the Japanese American community, often drawing standing room only crowds in the hundreds at Garfield Gym in Berkeley (now Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School).
Mike Yatabe, a Sansei who played basketball in the 1970s and continues to be involved in Japanese American basketball, recalls:
“The Japanese league was so popular and so huge when I was playing in the 1970s that we (Mike and his friends) made the decision… do we want to make the high school team and sit the bench or do we want to play and be one of the better players on the team. And so most of us played church ball … We used to fill gyms with fans and there would be wall-to-wall people at our tournaments.”
Japanese American basketball leagues stayed on course through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, but the trend of less coverage of league play continued as coverage was often limited to just scores and final season standings. Occasional highlights would be covered, such as league championships and sportsmanship award winners but it all depended on whether or not league representatives supplied the information. The Nichi Bei Times continued to showcase Nikkei athletes that were successful in mainstream sports (Rex Walters for example), and helped elevate them to sports hero status among the Japanese American community, but they did not have the resources to cover the large Japanese American basketball landscape in great detail.
Steven D. Chin, former East Bay Youth Athletic League (EBYAL) player (Ohtani) and former East Bay Girls Athletic League (EBGAL) coach/board member, studied at San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Asian American Studies and M.A. in Ethnic Studies. He is currently a stay-at-home dad raising two amazing kids in the East Bay Area. The preceding article is a combination of excerpts from his master’s thesis, “The East Bay Japanese American Basketball Community: A Look at Community Culture” (2013), and current interviews.
KQED podcast on JA Alameda early day baseball:
www.kqed.org/news/12045917/rediscovering-a-japanese-ameri...
Rafu Shimpo links on youth sports/articles:
rafu.com/2023/11/beyond-playing-the-sport/
- JoinedMarch 2018
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