The First Japanese American Directory?

The Directory of Japanese in California 1902 / Furesuno nihonjin annai nenjn choho

Notes: The earliest Japanese American directory known to this cataloguer, pre-dating the well-known directories published in San Francisco and Los Angeles by a few years. This pamphlet is particularly interesting in that it was issued in Fresno, in the heart of California's Central Valley, and its supporting advertisers are dozens of Japanese-owned businesses from the region. In addition to the directory of residents, there is an almanac section that provides information on postage rates, hunting season, ferry schedules, Buddhist church service times, and the like.

Given where it was published, it should not be surprising that the directory listings are dominated by residents of the Central Valley, with the section on Fresno having more entries than either San Francisco and Los Angeles. The directory is organized by city (beginning with Fresno), with the residents' addresses and (in a few cases) phone numbers in English printed vertically with the name in Japanese below. The residents' businesses are also listed and some are highlighted with larger type.

Previously unrecorded and presumably a rare California directory.

[8], 27, [9] pages.

Edition + Condition: A very good copy in printed yellow wrappers. Spine and top edge quite dusty; two holes are punched through the book along the spine and reinforced with metal eyelets, apparently original.

Publication: (N.-pl. but Fresno?): (n.p.), 1902 (Meiji 35).

Item No: #308102

Sold