I have written an article about my grandfather Kishizo Kimura and the Nippon Tennis Club (NTC). Much has already been written about the Asahi Baseball Club but the NTC was also popular within the Nikkei community. As far as I can tell, no one has documented the history of the NTC until now. The NTC was established in Vancouver in 1916 and continued annually until it was disbanded in 1941 due to the expulsion of Japanese Canadians from the Coast. They first played on courts on Powell Street and later built courts and a clubhouse and moved to a larger space on Franklin Street. Through my mother’s biography, the photos at the Nikkei National Museum, and the many articles in the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province, and the New Canadian, I was able to piece together some of the history of the club, its accomplishments, and a partial list of players.

Please let me know if you have more information or find errors in the article.

Kishizo Kimura and the Nippon Tennis Club (9 Mb PDF)