I grew up spending a lot of my Friday nights at Holiday Bowl in Los Angeles where my parents used to bowl in the "Go For Broke" League. My sister, cousins, and I would stay up late first playing with our dolls, then playing video games as we grew older, and then hanging out at the coffee shop. I have many fond memories of the time I spent there. I even bowled in a junior league once there.
It saddened me when Holiday Bowl closed its doors, and despite a prolonged battle to stop its demolition, it was finally destroyed. Many of the bowling alleys in Southern California where Nisei once participated in leagues are now gone. I wish that I had the time to commit to participating in a league. I miss the comraderie I felt even when just going to watch them bowl...the high fives all around when getting a strike or picking up a spare.
My parents met through bowling, as did many Nisei and Sansei from that generation. Every time another bowling alley closes, another part of that history disappears. When I read this article it reminded me of all of this...
Fourth Street Bowl Owner Considers Sale
From the Nichi Bei Times Weekly June 22-28, 2006
Nichi Bei Times Report
SAN JOSE — Fourth Street Bowl owner Ken Nakatsu has indicated that he has talked to developers about selling the property close to San Jose’s Japantown.
In a June 20 report in the San Jose Mercury News, Nakatsu said that he hasn’t signed any contract, but is tempted to sell the 48-year-old landmark at 1441 N. Fourth St.
“I am talking to housing developers,” Nakatsu, 63, said. “It’s not in escrow, but I think I would sell it to anyone who could come up with the right price.”
Nakatsu, who said he is battling health problems, indicated that he is torn between whether or not to sell. The 32-lane recreational facility has 55 employees and houses 20 leagues.
Nakatsu doesn’t want the bowling leagues to panic and leave.
One of only three bowling alleys remaining in San Jose, Fourth Street Bowl houses five Japanese American bowling leagues: Yu Ai Kai Nisei Seniors, Tuesday Nikkei Mixed Trios, Nisei Mixed 725 Scratch, 4th Street Nikkei Mixed Trios and San Jose Nisei Juniors.
Marc Tsuchiya, president of the San Jose Nisei Bowling Association – which oversees eight Japanese American bowling leagues in San Jose, including the five at Fourth Street Bowl — told the Nichi Bei Times it would be a challenge to find a new bowling alley to accommodate the leagues.
Read the entire article...
I worked for an architectural firm that consulted with the new developers of Holiday Bowl to retain as much of its architectural features, both on the exterior as well as the interior, as possible. The firm understood that much of what the community feels was historic is gone. However, issues such as materials, color, scale, signage, and landscaping were addressed in detail. Maybe the subtle similarities will quietly emerge when people go to drink their coffee there in the future. . . .