Tanejiro Kushi family films, 1925-1939

Overview of the Collection

Creators
Tanejiro Kushi family
Title
Tanejiro Kushi family films
Dates
1925-1939 (inclusive)
1933-1939 (bulk)
Quantity
29 film reels (3,975 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Collection Number
PH1149
Summary
Home movies made by a Japanese family, the Tanejiro Kushi family, at their home in Seattle, as well as travel to California, Colorado, New York, and Japan.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Access to the original films is restricted due to preservation concerns. Viewing copies exist for some of the films. Arrangements can be made to view the films by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.

Request at UW

Languages
English, Japanese

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Tanejiro Kushi was born in Japan on November 23, 1885 to Yasumatsu and Toyono Kushi. He immigrated to Washington State in 1904, where his older brother Toyosuke had already settled in the Tacoma area. Tanejiro married Katsuno Inouye on March 2, 1926, and Toyosuke married Katsuno's sister, Harue, on January 23, 1930. Though initially a cannery foreman at the Lummi Bay Packing Company on Lummi Island, Tanejiro eventually started a soy sauce business with his brother on Seattle's 5th Avenue in 1930. This venture was followed by a miso business - again, with Toyosuke as a partner - on East Marginal Way in Seattle in 1936.

Tanejiro Kushi died on July 10, 1938, and Katsuno ultimately remarried Genji Mihara on May 24, 1940. Toyosuke, Harue, and Katsuno were also in the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship at this time. In 1940, Toyosuke ran the family business under the name Coast Food Products. This business was subsequently operated by Shigeio Kushi and Tomijiro Kushi in 1942, and by 1943, the business had disappeared - presumably due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent internment of Japanese in America. Genji was sent to Fort Missoula Internment Camp in Montana in 1942, and Katsuno was sent to Minidoka in Idaho soon thereafter.

Tanejiro and Katsuno Kushi had an adopted daughter, Mamie, who was born in 1916. Mamie married Masahiro Mukai of the Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant on Vashon Island on August 21, 1933. The couple had one son, Milton, in 1934, and were divorced the following year.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of home movies created by the Kushi family to document family and community events, such as marriages, graduations, and local festivals. These films also record the travels of the Kushi family, both within the United States and in Japan. Among the footage are views of the Mukai residence and the Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant on Vashon Island which is now being restored as a historical Japanese garden site. There are also views of the Seattle waterfront and other areas of Seattle.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Individual film titles have been derived from canister, box, and reel markings present at the time of donation.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Custodial History

Given to David Martin by Patrick Suyama.

Acquisition Information

Gift of David Martin, 2010.

Processing Note

Collection processed by Alden Lee, 2012. Finding aid revised by Woods Fairbanks and Kelly Burton, 2016.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

American FilmsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel item
1 1
Our Home Wedding
1 film reel (175 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Man lounging outside on a swinging couch. A man, woman, and two children sitting on the grass amongst several dolls. A woman with a camera and a tripod taking pictures of Tanejiro and two men on the lawn. Men playing with rackets, setting up net. A girl with several cats in front of a chicken coop, and sitting on a porch; Katsuno walking out with a child in her arms and sitting with the girl; two cats join them. Tanejiro and Katsuno sitting on the grass with two children. The Kushi family walking in the garden. Tanejiro and Katsuno playing tennis on the lawn. A young bride and groom walking down the porch steps, with a woman carrying the bride's train. Following the married couple is: bride's maids, a man in a tuxedo, two young girls with flower baskets, and various family and guests. Scenes of an outdoor wedding reception: people sitting at long tables underneath canopies. The newlyweds running from the porch to a car. People talking and eating at the reception.
Mamie married Masahiro Mukai of the Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant on Vashon Island on August 21, 1933.
1933
2 2
Seattle Women's Club; New England Fish; Capitol Hill Park
1 film reel (130 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
People disembarking a ship, using a gangplank marked "Alaska." View of the Seattle skyline from a ship. Kushi walking out of the T. N. Kushi Company store. The Kushi family walking out of the Seattle Art Museum (now the Seattle Asian Art Museum), and past the water tower and the koi pond at Volunteer Park in Seattle. Brief view of a camel behind a fence. The Kushi's posing for the camera by the water at Madison Park, in Seattle. View of a ship coming in to dock.
Notes on original can in Japanese: "Crystal Springs, Seattle waterfront, Capitol Hill Park, Vancouver, Bellingham, Mt. Baker, New England Fish office, Seattle Women's Club".
circa 1933
3 3
Yamashita House; Picnic
1 film reel (200 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A house exterior, and a wedding with people in Japanese dress. Tanejiro and a group of people gathering for a party in a park by the water. Many in the picnic group are dancing and waving American flags.
1933-1934
4 4
Seattle Waterfront and Smith Tower
1 film reel (200 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A short Felix the Cat cartoon, followed by views of Puget Sound, where a military vessel is seen. Views of the Seattle skyline, including King Street Station and Smith Tower. Japanese festivities in a park, with flags strung along lines. Crowds gathering and a procession moving through, everyone dressed in white. A person at the front holding a flag bearing a flower with a Japanese character on it. A large group of women in white dresses performing a dance. Toyosuke, Katsuno, and others sitting among the trees. Women carrying Japanese umbrellas, and men sparring with sticks and swords. View of the grounds of a Salvation Army Fresh Air camp. People are seen in a raft on a river. A man walking up from the river with fishing gear, smiling at the camera as he walks by. Children swimming in the river, balancing on logs, and playing tug-of-war. Parents with their young children.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "1934, Seattle waterfront, Smith Tower, picnic".
1934
viewcopy
VC350 5
Mukai Residence on Vashon Island; Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant
Exterior view of the Mukai residence on Vashon Island, and the Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant. Masahiro Mukai sitting on the porch with his wife, Mamie, and their son, Milton. View of strawberry fields. A series of intertitles only, without corresponding images: "Kanabiki Falls, Miyazu," "Amano Hashidate," "Heian Shrine, Kyoto," "Kintai Kyo, Iwakuni,""Hemeji Castle," "Kinkakuji, Kyoto," "Lake Biwa."
Original1 film reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
circa 1934
VC353 6
Festivals and Floats; Ship Departure
Brief scenes of a parade, from the Golden Potlatch Festival in Seattle. View of a torii (a traditional Japanese gate), a gift from Japanese American Chamber of Commerce to city of Seattle. Crowds gathering in Volunteer Park, where Tanejiro is seen with Katsuno, Toyosuke, and their children. Children performing a stage production in the park. A woman dancing in a white dress. Flags decorating the streets. View of the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. A float designed in the fashion of the Kamakura Period, with men and women in period dress. More of the parade: shriners, "Uncle Sam," military bands, people in Native American and Middle Eastern dress, and floats. Tanejiro, Katsuno, and Toyosuke standing by a docked ship bearing a Rising Sun flag. Japanese men standing in front of the camera, and people waving as the ship departs.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "1934 city festival, 1935 city festival car [float], 1936 Viewliner [line/procession], 1936 Kantai [Fleet] July 4th [trip], departure [ship clearance] time."
Original1 film reel (200 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
1934-1936
Reel
7 7
Snow and Skiers
1 film reel (110 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
View of the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs; snow covering the ground. Tanejiro and Katsuno getting out of their car. View of snow covered mountains and trees. Horses towing a car full of people. People skiing downhill. Building a bonfire near a group of cars at the base of hill. A crowd watching as skiers fly off a ramp on hill. The Kushi family playing in the snow in Ellensburg, Washington, throwing snowballs. View of snow covered mountains and hills. Parked car by a snow drift; a plow shooting snow in the air. Brief scene of people on a ship; people looking up from dock.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "1935 January 10[th trip] to Ellensburg, Cascade Mountains. Feb. 15 Mamie [trip]".
1935
8 8
East Coast Sightseeing
1 film reel (200 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Chrysler Building and the New York City skyline. View of New York and the Statue of Liberty. Kushi with Toyosuke and Toyosuke's wife. Tanejiro taking their picture by several buildings in field. A man walking down a sidewalk, smiling and holding a rake, with a boy following him. Views of Prospect Park. A man reading a park notice. In a Japanese garden with koi pond, torii gate, trees in blossom. Prometheus statue at Rockefeller Center. Paramount marquee for Mae West in Goin' to Town . Scenes of Coney Island at night. View of the steamship Normandie. A dirigible flying overhead. Statue of William T. Sherman in Central Park. A group gathering in a courtyard for group photos, one of them wearing traditional Japanese costume. Views of Niagara Falls. Sign for "Cave of the Winds" and for "Rock of Ages."
Goin' to Town is a 1935 musical comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Mae West.
1935
9 9
On the Way Back Home From the East
1 film reel (200 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A group of travelers waiting with luggage next to train. Five Native American men standing together at Glacier National Park in Montana, the man at the end smoking a cigarette. A large lodge, with mountains behind and teepees in front. A crowd waiting at the train station, and views of mountains and countryside from the train. Arriving in Dunsmuir, California. A view of what appears to be a hotel, with a central tower next to a curved bridge. Outside Mann's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, with the hand and foot imprints of Constance Talmadge. View of a beach, buildings, and derricks in Long Beach, California. Scenes from the California Pacific Exposition in San Diego: ornate buildings, walkways, grounds, flags, a Japanese Tea Garden, and an amusement park.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "On the way back home from East [Niagara Fall [sic][overwritten]], 1935 July, T.N. Kushi Calif. San Diego, Mexico".
1935
10 10
UW; Golf; Biwa Song
1 film reel (175 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Tanejiro, Toyosuke, and other men walking from a porch to a car in the snow. Views of the Seattle cityscape in the snow. A ferry appears to be coming in to dock and a crowd of people are seen disembarking. Playing golf at the Inglewood Country Club in Kenmore, Washington. A scoreboard showing the ranking of the Japanese team versus the P.N. P.G.A. team. Scenes of the University of Washington campus including Denny Hall, Suzallo Library, and the Quad. View of a mountain covered in snow which might be Mount St. Helens. A group of people eating a meal at a picnic table in the woods. A view of Mount Rainier. Three people riding horses. People swimming in a pool. A marching band moving along a downtown Seattle street.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "1935: University of Washington, April 28 Japan Golf [Association] Player, 琵琶歌 [biwa-uta — vocalization with biwa accompaniment] person, office, "maneki nite", Jan. 13 Kiyameru, Winslow."
1935
11 11
California; Pacific Oceanside; Portland
1 film reel (120 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Japanese gardens and buildings. Traveling in the countryside, and El Capitan at Yosemite National Park. A crocodile walks up ramp while a man watches. Walking through zoo grounds. Signs for Drive-In Theatre: "Now Showing: Ceiling Zero." On the shore by a dock, with cliffs. Views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and of a ferry. Family on the roadside by the ocean. Three children playing. Family in the car in the snow.
The Drive-In Theatre was the first of its type to be opened in California, and it opened on September 9, 1934. By 1943, it was known as the Pico Drive-In, and was closed and demolished in 1947. Ceiling Zero is a 1936 adventure/drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien.
1935-1936
12 12
Kushi Company Sign; Graduation
1 film reel (130 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A young boy and girl in traditional Japanese dress walking in a yard, and a group of men walking around the yard with the children. Two women are with the children, likely Katsuno and Harue. Cars parking at what appears to be a ranger station in Oregon. People waiting by cars while others appear to be getting information. A group standing by a waterfall. Tanejiro, Katsuno, Motoko, and Koretake standing next to a large cross-section of a tree, with dates marked next to some of the rings. Women arranging flowers in a room. Views of mountains, trees, a torii gate. A group sitting on the grass while two women are playing shamisen. A sign reads "Kushi Bro's Shoyu Co." A girl walking down steps toward the camera in a graduation cap and gown, holding a diploma.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "1936 Jan. 6 S.P. Home, 1936 Aug. Seward Park, two Matsudas, Lincoln Park, 1937 January, April, Motoko, Koretake."
1936-1937
13 13
Pacific School; Maypole Dance
1 film reel (40 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Exterior views of Pacific School. A trolley coming to a stop on a residential street. Students sitting at their desks in a classroom. In the schoolyard, girls in bonnets are practicing a choreographed dance while a woman is operating a phonograph player. Boys practicing their own program. Children circling around a maypole.
Note on original film box in Japanese: "Pacific School". Notes on original film box in English: "May 18, 1937 [date stamped, probably for processing/shipping], From T.N. Kushi, 170 11th Ave. Seattle, Wash."
circa 1937
14 14
Tanejiro Memorial
1 film reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A young boy walking around the yard. Footage of the memorial in place for Tanejiro Kushi with bouquets of flowers. A picture of Tanejiro is seen at the center, between two candles. A group of people are seen outside in suits and dresses.
Note on film box: "Aug 22, 1938 [date stamped, probably for processing/shipping], From Mrs K. Kushi, 2324 Alaska St. Seattle, Wash."
1938
15 15
Visitors; Children on the Lawn
1 film reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Various unidentified people standing in front of the camera, and children playing on a lawn.
Notes on original film box in Japanese: "From Mrs T.N. Kushi, 2324 Alaska St. Seattle, Wash."
circa 1938
16 16
Man in a Wheelchair
1 film reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A young girl pushing an older man in a wheelchair. The girl is twirling an umbrella. A group of men and women posing for the camera, including the girl and the man in wheelchair.
Note on film box: "From Mrs T.N. Kushi, 2324 Alaska St. Seattle, Wash."
circa 1938
17 17
Tanejiro Kushi Memorial
1 film reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Footage of the Tanejiro Kushi memorial, and the deceased's family standing together. Women sitting on the grass.
Notes on original film box: "Aug 21, AM [date stamped, probably for processing/shipping], From Mrs K. Kushi, 2324 Alaska St. Seattle, Wash." Other notes on original film box in Japanese: "49[th] Day. 1939 [Memorial] ceremony [In Japanese Buddhist tradition, the 49th day after death is marked with a ceremony for urn disposition]; Bad Picture."
1939

Japanese FilmsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel item
18 18
Japanese Streets and Gardens; Osaka; Kyoto
1 film reel (150 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
City streets, somewhere in Japan. A man walking over tied logs floating in a harbor. People stacking wood against what appears to be a warehouse. Two women in traditional dress walking towards the camera. Brief scenes of a city street and a garden. A sign: "Miiderashita" (meaning, "where one disembarks"). Views from a boat on a canal. Rapid scenes of streets, gardens, signs, and buildings.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "Osaka, Kyoto, Mt. Fuji".
circa 1933
19 19
Tanejiro Relaxing
1 film reel (160 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A crowd of people holding up banners with writing and the Rising Sun image. Four men standing in front of the camera in military uniforms. Tanejiro with a group, smiling in front of the camera. Scenes of the shoreline, with rocky cliffs and pinnacles jutting out into the water. Tanejiro smoking at a lighthouse with two others, and walking with a man who may be a monk.
circa 1933
20 20
In Yokohama, Japan
1 film reel (200 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Toyosuke standing in a doorway with his children, Motoko and Koretake, along with an unidentified girl. A woman in traditional Japanese dress walking outside a house, smiling at the camera. Scenes of three children running and playing together. Views of what appears to be a school, including a basketball court and pool. The Kushi's posing for the camera, and walking near a school campus. A group of people disembarking an airplane, and bowing and shaking hands with another group. In Yokohama, people throwing streamers off a large ship named the Heian Maru . The ship sets sail. A group gathers at the dock, smiling at the camera.
circa 1933
21 21
Kobe
1 film reel (175 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
In Kobe, Japan: An older man in a suit smiling at the camera outside of a building. Man with a cane standing by buildings, with a large Japanese flag waving in the background. Tanejiro and group taking a gondola ride. A tethered monkey is seen, as well as caged birds. Views of traditional buildings and gates.
Notes on original can in Japanese: "Akashi, Kobe [station?], Top of Mount Maya [in Kobe], Daimaruya [department store now known as Daimaru], Rokko Mountains ropeway."
circa 1933
22 22
Tokyo and Yokohama
1 film reel (200 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A ship leaving the dock. People standing on deck with bouquets of flowers, throwing streamers down to onlookers. People on dock begin running along the side as the ship is departing. Views of a city in Japan from a moving car. View of Mt. Fuji from a car.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "Yokohama, Tokyo, Mt. Fuji."
circa 1933
23 23
Picking Mikan
1 film reel (130 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Men and women in traditional dress standing in front of the camera, and a man in a tie is tilting up an older man's head. Women removing fruit from a tree with knives. An older man and woman standing in front of fruit trees, the woman feeding the man harvested fruit. An older man standing in a field, picking flowers. A family posing for the camera in a garden. Women gardening and picking flowers for children. A family other than the Kushi's posing for the camera in a field.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "Picking mikan [Japanese fruit, aka citrus unshiu]."
circa 1933
24 24
Japanese Buildings, Gates, and Bridges
1 film reel (130 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Tanejiro with a man, a woman and children outside of Japanese buildings. Family in front of jagged cliffs. Views of a city, coastline, and islands from high elevation. A man being carried in wheel-less carriage by two men. Brief scenes of people in traditional dress in a garden. A man feeding a group of deer along the coastline. Machiya houses, torii gates. Different groups of people in front of camera. View of people walking over Kintai Bridge in Yokohama. Views of machiya houses. A woman looking out over a body of water where a bridge of land stretches through the middle. A woman standing next to a waterfall.
Original note on reel in Japanese: "Naeba".
circa 1933
25 25
Matsuda
1 film reel (150 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Groups of people standing in front of a camera by a house on a rural coastline. Views of the coastline, cliffs, and mountains. A group of people sitting and looking out at the ocean.
Original note on reel in Japanese: "Matsuda, Ebesu [possibly Narita/Chiba]".
circa 1933
26 26
Japanese Firemen
1 film reel (175 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
A large group of people walking over a bridge, the men raising their hats as they pass by. Tanejiro bowing and shaking hands with each person in what appears to be a send-off. The waves crashing on the rocks on the coastline. A man in front of a building holding up a placard or sign in Japanese. Men in black and white uniforms, presumed to be firemen, carrying a ladder, flags, and an engine down a road. Two fountains of water shooting in the air. Firemen are operating the engine connected to the fire hoses while other firemen are standing at attention. A group of firemen holding up axes. Several men working on the roof of a building. The frame of a building is seen under construction. A man in a white robe and a dark hat sitting on the ground, performing a ceremony while people stand by. A man in a suit, also sitting on the ground, is performing the same bowing motion. Men pulling at ropes tied to a derrick, likely digging a well.
circa 1933
viewcopy
VC466 27
Hachiman Shrine; Parade
A man and woman paying respects in a cemetery. Views of machiya buildings, and a group of four women walking along a train platform. Two young boys wrestling each other to the ground. Young boys in uniform waving their arms in the air. View of mountains and harbor. A large number of uniformed men standing in rows, performing calisthenics as directed by a man at the front. Scenes from a parade, with people dancing and playing instruments in costumes.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "Hachiman [a shrine dedicated to Shinto spirit Hachiman], Tounan [South-East]."
Original1 reel (150 feet) : silent, black and white; 8mm
circa 1933
Reel
28 28
Snowy Town; Deer
1 film reel (175 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
Several groups of people standing in front of the camera. Children playing on a playground. Views of cliffs and buildings in a mountainous town. A view of a waterfall in the snow. People walking in the snow amongst trees and buildings. A woman standing by buildings along the coast, with jagged rocks seen off the shore. People standing amongst deer in the snow.
Notes on original reel in Japanese: "Toshimaen [amusement park], Kisu River [Yamizo Mountains]".
circa 1933

Commercial FilmsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel item
29 29
Felix Follows the Swallows
1 film reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white ; 8mm
After failing an acting audition at a studio, Felix decides to migrate south for the winter. A chef in a tropical land soon mistakes the airborne Felix for a large bird, and is convinced that he would make a "dandy dish for the king." After knocking Felix out of the sky, the chef chases the black cat around in an attempt to prepare him for lunch. In the course of the pursuit by the chef, Felix mistakenly aggravates a forceful monkey that ultimately tosses him back to where he came from.
1925

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Family vacations--United States
  • Festivals--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Immigrants--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Japanese Americans--Washington (State)--Seattle

Personal Names

  • Kushi, Tanejiro--Archives

Corporate Names

  • T.N. Kushi Company

Family Names

  • Tanejiro Kushi family--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Japan--Buildings
  • Seattle (Wash.)--Buildings
  • United States--Description and travel
  • Vashon Island (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Amateur films

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Kushi, Harue, (performer)
    • Kushi, Katsuno ()
    • Kushi, Mamie, (performer)
    • Kushi, Tanejiro, (performer)
    • Kushi, Toyosuke, (performer)
    • Mukai, Masahiro, (performer)
    Corporate Names
    • Mukai Cold Process Fruit Barreling Plant

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)