Yobun Shima

Yobun Shima nasceu e se criou na Kyoto de pós-guerra e depois trabalhou em companhia de navegação de Tóquio. Seus avós e 3 tios imigraram para o Canadá a partir de 1907, mas da década de 1930 em diante fizeram o caminho de volta, permanecendo no Canadá apenas seu tio Shoichi.

Ao saber que Shoichi tinha jogado no Vancouver Asahi, começou a pesquisar sobre a história desse time, empenhando-se ainda mais depois que se aposentou, em 2007. Atualmente, desenvolve trabalho voluntário para localizar os jogadores que não receberam a medalha Hall da Fama e respectivas famílias, a pedido do Hall da Fama de Esportes da Província de Colúmbia Britânica e contando com a colaboração dos jogadores do Asahi, suas famílias e pessoas interessadas.

Atualizado em outubro de 2020

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Crônicas Nikkeis #9—Mais do Que um Jogo: Esporte Nikkei

A história de família de Kenichi Doi, arremessador do Asahi Vancouver

Por Yobun Shima
9 Nov 2020

Em 1926, quando o Vancouver Asahi conquistou a vitória na Liga Terminal, Kenichi Doi era o arremessador do time. Mas inicialmente ele jogou no “Sun”, um time de beisebol nikkei da Mina de Carvão nº 5 de Cumberland, na ilha de Vancouver.

Eu pude conhecer a história de Kenichi em detalhes graças ao meu amigo Norm Ibuki, que me apresentou ao seu amigo George Doi, o filho mais velho de Kenichi.

Quando Kenichi estava no auge da carreira como jogador de beisebol, George era ainda criança e diz não se lembrar de ter visto ...

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The Vancouver Asahi: The Search for Hall of Fame Medalists' Families

Yozaemon Kondo, Vancouver Asahi’s first player　

Por Yobun Shima
16 Abr 2021

The legendary Vancouver Asahi, strongest Nikkei baseball team before WWⅡ, was little known in Japan. However, their induction news in 2003 and 2005 became a hot topic in Japan. Yuya Ishii directed a film in Japanese, The Vancouver Asahi in 2014, on the centennial of its formation. The film premiered at the 2014 Vancouver International Film Festival and received the People's Choice award.

In Feb. 2011, three years ahead of the release of the film, there was an exhibition on immigration to North America in Hikone City, Shiga where many Asahi players were from. In the exhibition, a group ...

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The Vancouver Asahi: The Search for Hall of Fame Medalists' Families

George Iga, a Seattle-based Vancouver Asahi Player

Por Yobun Shima
17 Fev 2021

The legendary Vancouver Asahi Baseball Team was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 and the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Honorary medals were prepared for each Asahi player, but many remained unclaimed. In 2014, I happened to find that my late uncle Shoichi Shima, who was one of the earliest Asahi players, never received an induction medal. Subsequently, I received the medal on my uncle’s behalf. Since then, I have been voluntarily tracking down those Asahi families with unclaimed medals.

One of the medalists was George Iga. With huge support from Dr ...

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Crônicas Nikkeis #9—Mais do Que um Jogo: Esporte Nikkei

In search of the two earliest Asahi players, Kodama and Tabata - Part 2

Por Yobun Shima
8 Out 2020

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Kaichi Tabata’s family in Japan

After the induction medal issue was settled, I received mail on November 27, 2019 from Keiichi Tabata in Japan.

Dear Mr. Shima,

Let me introduce myself. I am Keiichi Tabata, grandson of Kaichi Tabata who is the first baseball player of Vancouver Asahi.

….My grandfather Kaichi Tabata was born in Suzuka City, Mie, Japan in 1895, married with Nobu and had seven children (4 boys and 3 girls). My late father Terukazu Tabata, the first son, was born in Vancouver in 1926 and stayed there four years until Kaichi and his ...

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Crônicas Nikkeis #9—Mais do Que um Jogo: Esporte Nikkei

In search of the two earliest Asahi players, Kodama and Tabata - Part 1

Por Yobun Shima
7 Out 2020

The Legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 and in 2005, the Asahi team was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Although the Asahi team and the players were inducted, there were 26 Asahi players whose induction medals from the BC Sports Hall of Fame remained unclaimed by their families. It was because more than 60 years had passed since the team was disbanded in 1941 after the war broke out. Many Japanese Canadians including the Asahi players were forcibly interned into the interior camps without being allowed to ...

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