Yobun Shima

Nació y se crió en la posguerra de Kioto y luego trabajó en una firma de transporte marítimo de Tokio. Sus abuelos junto a sus tres hijos emigraron al Canadá en 1907. Sin embargo, en la década de 1930, salvo uno de los hijos, todos regresaron a Japón.

En 2007 cuando se jubila se entera que su abuelo Shoichi había sido beisbolista en el equipo Vancouver ASAHI y comienza a averiguar sobre ello. Actualmente, en calidad de voluntario, se encuentra por solicitud del Panteón Deportivo del Estado de British Columbia buscando y constatando en colaboración de los familiares y amistades de los descendientes de esos jugadores de Asahi Vancouver si hay algún jugador que aún no haya recibido la medalla de este Panteón.

Última actualización en octubre de 2018

sports en ja

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

Motoji Kodama, one of the founders of the Vancouver Asahi

Por Yobun Shima
12 May 2021

As already explained in my preceding essays, many Vancouver Asahi players or their families didn’t receive their honorary medals despite being inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame because their contact information were unknown. Motoji Kodama was one of the founders of the Vancouver Asahi that was formed in 1914 as well as the Nikkei Canadian Baseball Team ”Nippon,” that was formed four year ahead of the legendary Vancouver Asahi Team. He is also one of the Asahi members whose induction medal was unclaimed. Motoji Kodama was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1877…

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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 photo …

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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 Feb 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 …

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Crónicas Nikkei #9—Más Que un Juego: Deportes Nikkei

La historia de Kenichi Doi y su familia, pitcher de Vancouver Asahi

Por Yobun Shima
9 Nov 2020

Cuando el Vancouver ASAHI ganó el torneo de la Terminal League en 1926, Kenichi DOI era el pitcher (lanzador) del equipo. Kenichi había sido jugador del equipo nikkei SUN (Sol) en la Mina Nº5 de Cumberland en la Isla de Vancouver. Pude conocer más en detalle la vida de Kenichi gracias a Norm Ibuki que me presentó al hijo mayor de Kenichi llamado George DOI con quien tenía una gran amistad. George me comentó que la época de mayor esplendor de la vida como beisbolista de su padre Kenichi no recuerda casi nada porque era muy chico. Solo q…

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Crónicas Nikkei #9—Más Que un Juego: Deportes Nikkei

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

Por Yobun Shima
8 Oct 2020

Read Part 1 >> 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 …