Bob Nimi Interview

This item contains a textual record.

The interview was conducted on January 20, 2011 in North Vancouver, BC and February 22, 2011 in Burnaby, BC. In the interview Mr Nimi discusses life on Powell Street and living at 331 Powell Street in Vancouver, BC, where his father owned Nimi Shoten from c. 1918 to 1942. He discusses his father, Toragoro Nimi, in detail; specifically about his time as an early Asahi baseball player and later a coach of an early Asahi team. In addition, he talks about his father's involvement with the 'Tanomoshi'; a lending circle comprised of a group of trusted friends that would lend money to each for business ventures.

Mr Nimi then directs the interview back to himself where he reflects on his experiences as a student at Strathcona Elementary and the Japanese Language School and his recreational love of cars that lead him to spend a large amount of time at a car repair shop that his future in-laws, the Enomoto's, ran.

Toragoro Nimi came to Vancouver in 1905 at the age of 15. He started working in sawmills and planer mills in Vancouver. Then his brother followed. In 1918, Toragoro and his father bought a drug store at 331 Powell Street in Vancouver. It was named "Nimi Shokai". Asians were not allowed to dispense western medications at that time; only Japanese-style herbal medications. So, Nimi Shokai sold non-prescription and Japanese herbal medications, Kodak cameras, film, 78 records of popular songs, pancake makeup, Shaffer pens, gift items, and binoculars.

The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective between 2014 and 2018.

This record was digitized in full.