Yoko Shimojo
Japanese American National Museum
© 2015
100 North Central
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 830-5615
Email: Collections@janm.org
URL: http://www.janm.org/
Japanese American National Museum. All rights reserved.
Takeshi Ban Papers
Collection number: 96.5.200
Japanese American National MuseumLos Angeles, California
- Processed by:
- Yoko Shimojo
- Encoded by:
- Yoko Shimojo
© 2015 Japanese American National Museum. All rights reserved.
Title: Takeshi Ban papers
Dates: 1902-1986
Bulk Dates: 1930-1939
Collection number: 96.5.200
Creator:
Ban, Takeshi, 1884-1956
Collection Size:
10 linear feet
Repository:
Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Los Angeles, California 90012
Abstract: Takeshi Ban was an Issei congregational minister from Kumamoto prefecture, and a president of the Pacific Society of Religious
Education. The collection consists of documents, publications, and phonographs records, and 3D objects spanning from 1902
to 1986. The film portion of the collection has been transferred to the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern
Art, Tokyo in 2007.
Physical location: Japanese American National Museum, 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90012
By appointment only.
Please Contact the Collections Management and Access Unit by email (collections@janm.org) or telephone (213-830-5615).
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Hirasaki
National Resource Center at the Japanese American National Museum (collections@janm.org).
[Identification of item], Takeshi Ban papers. 96.5.200, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.
Gift of the Ban Family, 1996.
This finding aid was created as part of a project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The
project started in 2007. Project Director was Cris Paschild. Project Archivists were Yoko Shimojo and Marlon Romero.
Biography / Administrative History
Takeshi Ban, an Issei congregational minister from Kumamoto prefecture, moved to Hawaii in 1910 and to mainland in 1913. After
1931 he established the Pacific Society of Religious Education (Taiheiyo Bunka Kyoikukai) and was the principal of the Pacific
Cultural Institute (Taiheiyo Bunka Gakuin) in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. He went around the nation giving lectures about
Japanese culture to Nisei youth. He also showed Japanese films with his lectures. He was connected with Fuji-kan theatre in
Little Tokyo before the war and was a benshi (narrator) for the Japanese silent films. He was also the president of the Pacific
Bureau of New Musical Study, which distributed Japanese records to Academic institutions in the United States.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Takeshi Ban papers contains account books, administrative records, clippings, correspondence, flyers, journals, notebooks,
publications, phonograph records, and 3D objects.
The Takeshi Ban Papers is broken down into the following series:
Series 1: Account books, 1927-1936 (4 books)
This series contains financial records of Takeshi Ban's farm operation and financial records of Orange County Japanese Independent
Christian Church Japanese school.
Series 2: Administrative records, 1937-1949 (4 folders)
This series contains administrative records including contracts, statements, film lists, financial records, stock certificate,
and a photograph. Majority of the records are of Nihon Eiga Renmei (Japanese Theatre Association) and Taiheiyo Bunka Kyoikukai
(Pacific Society of Religious Education). It also includes constitution and publication for Pacific Bureau of New Musical
Study.
Series 3: Clippings, 1938-1948 (1 folder)
This series contains clippings of film advertisements from newspapers such as Tokyo Nichi-Nichi Shinbun and Hawaii Times.
Series 4: Correspondence, 1938-1952 (4 folders)
This series contains correspondence of Takeshi Ban. Majority of the correspondences are from Noboru Tsuda from Japanese Theatre
Association, Inc. and Suimin Matsui from a film-distributing agency.
Series 5: Flyers, ca. 1935 (1 folder)
This series contains Japanese film flyers: Nihon no Shocho: A Symbol of Japan, Byakui no Kajin, and Tsuki yori no Shisha.
The flyers are oversized and stored separately.
Series 6: Journals, 1933-1941 (18 books)
This series contains journals of film screenings including dates, titles, locations, donator name lists, attendance, fees,
and notes. The location covers from the West coast to the East coast such as, California, Washington, Colorado, Illinois,
and New York.
Series 7: Notebooks, ca. 1913 (2 books)
This series contains notebooks with drafts. One has a title "Toyoko san" and the other contain poems.
Series 8: Publications, ca. 1902-1986 (6 linear feet)
This series contains publications including Japanese textbooks. Most of the publications are in Japanese and the subjects
vary including biography, directory, religion, immigration and novels by Japanese American authors. The Japanese textbooks
are mostly from Hawaii and California and the level is from elementary to middle school.
Series 9: Phonograph records, ca. 1930s (6 boxes)
This series contains records of Japanese songs mainly from the 1930s. Some are pressed and made in Los Angeles. There is a
record of songs called "Rafu Ondo" (LA March) and "Amerika Ondo" (America March), which were made for the Japanese community
in L.A.
Series 10: 3D objects, (3 small boxes)
This series contains rubber stamps (32 objects), stamp pads (2 objects), and business cards of Takeshi Ban and Pacific Society
of Religious Education Inc. It also includes date and film flyer stamps.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Ban, Takeshi, 1884-1956
Christianity
Japanese Americans
Music
Clergy
Taiheiyo Bunka Kyoikukai
Nihon Eiga Renmei
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Boyle Heights (Calif.)
The film portion of the collection has been transferred to the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art,
Tokyo in 2007. There is also another collection belonged to Takeshi Ban, which can be found under the ID number 96.61.
Box 1
Box 1
Series 2 Clippings 1938-1948
Physical Description: 4 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains administrative records including contracts, statements, film lists, financial records, stock certificate,
and a photograph. Majority of the records are of Nihon Eiga Renmei (Japanese Theatre Association) and Taiheiyo Bunka Kyoikukai
(Pacific Society of Religious Education). It also includes constitution and publication for Pacific Bureau of New Musical
Study.
Box 1
Box 1
Box 1
Box 1
Series 6 Journals 1933-1941
Physical Description: 18 books
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains journals of film screenings including dates, titles, locations, donator name lists, attendance, fees,
and notes. The location covers from the West coast to the East coast such as, California, Washington, Colorado, Illinois,
and New York.
Box 1
Box 2-9
Series 8 Publications ca. 1902-1986
Physical Description: 6 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains publications including Japanese textbooks. Most of the publications are in Japanese and the subjects
vary including biography, directory, religion, immigration and novels by Japanese American authors. The Japanese textbooks
are mostly from Hawaii and California and the level is from elementary to middle school.
Box 10-15
Series 9 Records ca. 1930s
Physical Description: 6 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains records of Japanese songs mainly from the 1930s. Some are pressed and made in Los Angeles. There is
a record of songs called "Rafu Ondo" (LA March) and "Amerika Ondo" (America March), which were made for the Japanese community
in L.A.