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"ASAHI"
(1920 - 1923)

NIPPON ATHLETIC CLUB
(1924 - 1929)

JAPANESE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
(1930)

Renton, Washington


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Nishio was a star two-way player for the 1922 Asahi team.  Against Beacon Hill, both touchdowns came as a result of turnovers, Hamada recovering a fumble in the endzone, and S. Arai with a 30-yard scoop and score on a blocked punt.  The same would happen in the return match as Beacon Hill fumbled in the endzone and the Asahi earned the safety and the win.

Nishio, Sakano and Tokido starred in the 7-6 win over Tacoma in 1924, Nishio, the 144lb fullback intercepted a pass returning it 80-yards for a touchdown, then kicking the PAT for the game winning score.

 
 


Seattle's Asahi and Mikado baseball clubs merged with the Seattle Dojo to form the Nippon Athletic Club in 1924.  But eighteen months later this union dissolved.  "The youngsters who pulled out"; said the Seattle Times on Oct 31, 1926, "banded together under the name of the Taiyo Club," and the split was so acrimonious that the two teams refused to meet in city league football games.  It was rumored that should a game be scheduled, the Marines would have to be called out to keep order because game officials would not be able to.  The differences would be resolved and the teams would play each other in 1927.  By 1930, the two teams returned under a single banner as the Japanese Athletic Association.
 
Al Hall and "Ham" Green became the first black coaches leading the Nippon Athletic Club in the 1924 season.  "Ham's" Brother George left to coach the Taiyo squad in 1927.

Prior to the 1929 season, talks had been entered about combining the two Japanese teams, Taiyo and Nippon, to help strength the previously winless teams from the 1928 season.  The talks fizzled and the two teams remained separate.  Both teams went winless again until meeting each other and battling to a 7-0 Taiyo victory.  The "youngsters" had succeeding in humbling the "elders" and the two squads, having somewhat of a hand forced by the league declaring they would drop one team, combined forces in 1930.

Hamilton Greene would leave to focus on his law work, former West Seattle Yellowjacket Claude Norris would later be named coach of Broadway Athletic Club and new coach Charles Dvorak took over for the 1930 season.  Dvorak had been coaching Roosevelt High in Seattle following stints at Franklin and the University of Idaho as athletic director and track coach.  Charles competed in the 1900 and 1904 Olympic Games as a pole vaulter having set a 1903 World Record of 11' 11" using a bamboo pole, winning the gold medal in 1904.  He was awarded a controversial silver medal in 1900 at the Paris Olympics when issues arose over competing on the Sabbath.  The gold medal winner jumped 10'10" on Sunday, while Dvorak jumped 11' 1 3/4" the next day in a speical competition.

When the newly minted Seattle Nippons or Japanese Association team hit the field in a game with the Tacoma Marines, it was Sakai Arai keeping them in the game during a 7-0 loss.  His punting matched that of Colburn in changing field position.  By all sports writers accounts, the Japanese combined team was a much more competitive bunch even without dotting the win column.  Two-year Taiyo standout Tomeo Takayoshi earned Second-Team All-League honors as the sole Japanese representative on the 22-man list following the 1930 season.

After three consecutive seasons without a win, the Nippon made a move that seemed to fit better when the 1932 Interdistrict Commercial Football League was formed.  The concept would be weight-restricted to smaller players with teams like Green Lake, Queen Anne, Lower Woodland and Port Gamble along with former rival Broadway moving as well from the Community League.

Sakai Arai starting his athletic career as a young teen and along with being one of the best football players for the N.A.C. for a decade, he was also a star on the basketball court as one of the top point scorers.  In one 1923 game, he accounted for 31 of the 44 points scored from his forward position and against the "Stacy Shown" five, Sakai scored 28 points to his opponents 26, the final score was 32-26.  The Arai brothers, Kazunori "George", Sakai, and "Allan" Kichio were instrumental in the formation of the Nippon Club and the core of the baseball team as well.  Sakai would live to be 100-years old passing away in 2006 in La Palma, California as the last of his 8 siblings, his six sisters also being encouraged to assimilate into American culture by taking part in sports and clubs.
 

 


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1921 Players

Arai (E), Nishio (FB)

 

1922 Players:

Allen Kichio Arai (E), Shimamoru (T), Yonayama (G), Matsuda (C), Odani (G), Suzuki (T), Hamada (E), Sakai Arai (QB/E), Frank Nagamine (HB), Takata (HB), Nishio (FB/Capt), Yokatei (HB), Tokida (G), Takayoshi (T), Kono (QB), Kurosaka (FB)

 

1923 Players

George Yakamota (HB), Frank Nagamine (HB)

 

1924 Players:

Sakai Arai (E), Suzuki (T), Okubo (G), Takata (C), Sakano (G), Tokido (T), Maeda (E), Funai (QB), Suguyama (HB), Yamoaba (HB), Nishio (FB), Kanai (E), Konda (E), Kono (QB), Kawazoi (HB)

1925 Players

Osawa (HB), Arai (FB), Yoneyama, Okuno, Sakano (G)

 

1927 Players

Yoshitomi (E), Takahashi (T), Hamada (G), Takata (C), Mockyaki (G), Sakano (T), K. Arai (E), Unimoto (QB), Uno (HB), Myagawa (HB), Sakai Arai (FB)

 

1928 Players

S Arai (FB), Kaz Arai (E), George Hamada, Fred Okada (E), Muraoka (T), K. Hamada (G), Sakano (G), Takido (T), F. Hamada (QB), Takohaari (HB), Natori (HB), Sakai (G), Wainahee (E), Yoshitomi (E), Suzuki (T), Umamota (QB), Takashita (G)

1929 Players

Sakai Arai, Choppie Umemoto, Kelley Uno (HB)

1930 Players

Tajiri (E), Morimatsu (T), Fujita (G), Yoshimura (C), Hattori (G), T. Arai (T), Kaz Arai (G), C. Uno (QB), Kaniyuki (HB), K. Uno (HB), Sakai Arai (FB), Shegono, Takesheta, Taichi, Mikiyama, Tomeo Takayoshi (T), Maura Matsui (G)


1931 Players:

Mahato Nishikawa (T/G), Joe Yoshioka (FB), Frank Takashita (G), Frank Surakawa (HB), Henry Kono (HB), Sakai Arai (FB), Uki Kunyuki, George Nishitani, Hacki Yoshimura, Tack Arai, Morimatsu (T), Frank Arai, Jiro Mochizuki, T. Mochizuki (E), Yamaguchi (T), Shigano (C), Matsui (G), J. Mochizuki (E), Higashi (HB), Chashi (HB), Furakawa (FB), Nakayama, Fujita (G), Okubo (E), Kaz Arai (E), Ohashi (K)



1920
Independent 135lb
Record
Coach


1921
Independent
Record
Coach


1922




1923
Independent
Record
Mgr Osawa


1924
Seattle Community Football League
Record: 3-2
Mgr Mr. Miyasawa
Coach Al Hall
Asst Hamilton "Ham" Greene


1925
Independent
Record
Mgr Mr. Miyasawa
Coach Al Hall
Asst "Ham" Greene



1926
Seattle Community Football League
Record
Mgr Mr. Miyasawa / Fred Hamada
Coach "Ham" Greene



1927
Seattle Community Football League
Record: 2-5
Mgr Mr. Miyasawa / Fred Hamada
Coach "Ham" Greene



1928
Seattle Community Football League
Record: 0-4-1
Mgr Mr. Miyasawa / Fred Hamada
Coach "Ham" Greene


1929
Seattle Community Football League
Record: 0-8
Mgr Mr. Miyasawa / Fred Hamada
Coach "Ham" Greene / Claude Norris

1929 Awards
Kelly Uno (HB) All-League Hon Mention
Kazunori Arai (E) All-League Hon Mention
Sus Watanabe (HB) All-League Hon Mention

1930
Seattle Community Football League
Record: 0-7-1
Coach: Charles D'Vorak


1930 Awards
Tomeo Takayoshi (T) All-League 2nd Team


1931
Seattle Community Football League
Record: 0-6
Coach: Charles D'Vorak


1932
Seattle Commercial Football League Class B
Record: 0-6
Coach: Charles D'Vorak
Schedules and Results
Date Opponent Score
     
     
     
1920 Oct 24 Y.M.H.A 7-12
     
1920 Nov 28 Junimac All Stars 0-0
     
     
     
1921 Oct 30 Walla Walla Eagles 21-0
1921 Nov 6 South Park Athletic Club  
1921 Nov 13 South Seattle 14-7
1921 Nov 20 Hiawatha  
     
     
     
1922 Oct 15 West Seattle Athletic Club  
1922 Oct 22 Boldt's Cafe Specials 0-42
1922 Oct 22 Walla Walla Eagles Cancel
1922 Oct 29 Beacon Hill Merchants 12-0
1922 Nov 5 Fort Lawton Bulldogs 6-32
1922 Nov 12 South Park Athletic Club 14-6
1922 Nov 19 Beacon Hill Merchants 2-0
1922 Nov 26 Georgetown Athletic Club 20-0
1922 Dec 3 Mercer Athletic Club 19-0
     
     
1923 Oct 7 South Park Athletic Club 0-24
1923 Oct 28 Beacon Hill Athletic Club 6-6
1923 Nov 4 Beacon Hill Athletic Club 13-18
1923 Dec 3 Beacon Hill Athletic Club 0-20
     
     
     
     
1924 Nov 2 Fort Lawton 6-12
1924 Nov 9 Tacoma Athletic Club 7-6
1924 Rainier Valley Athletic Club W
1924 Nov 16 Portland Waterfront Athletics 6-13
1924 Nov 27 Tacoma Athletic Club Cancel
1924 Nov 30 South Park Athletic Club W
     
     
1925 Oct 25 University Athletic Club 13-0
1925 Nov 1 Grays Harbor All Stars Cancel
1925 Nov 1 Ballard Independents 0-13
1925 Nov 8 Aberdeen Legionnaires  
1925 Nov 15 Ballard Independents  
1925 Nov 22 Tiger Eleven 39-0
1925 Nov 26 St. Johns Bachelors 0-24
     
     
     
1926 Oct 4 St Johns Bachelors 3-0
1926 Oct 10 Bremerton All-Stars L FFT
1926 Oct 10 Broadway Athletic Club  
1926 Oct 17 Bremerton All-Stars 0-32
1926 Oct 24 Ballard Independents 0-20
1926 Oct 31 University Athletic Club  
1926 Nov 7 Broadway Athletic Club 6-26
1926 Nov 14 South Park Athletic Club PPD
1926 Nov 21 Fort Lawton Soldiers 0-13
     
     
1927 Oct 16 University Athletic Club 6-20
1927 Oct 23 Atlantic Street Merchants 0-23
1927 Nov 6 Broadway Athletic Club 0-18
1927 Nov 13 Georgetown Colonels 12-0
1927 Nov 20 Taiyo Athletic Club 0-6
1927 Nov 27 Taiyo Athletic Club 6-0
1927 Dec 4 Taiyo Athletic Club Cancel
1927 Dec 4 Ballard Athletic Club 0-12
     
     
1928 Oct 7 Jefferson Park Athletic Club 0-6
1928 Oct 14 Rainier District 0-12
1928 Oct 21 Broadway Athletic Club 0-19
1928 Nov 11 Taiyo Athletic Club 0-0
1928 Nov 18 Ballard Pacific Chair 0-64
     
     
1929 Oct 6 Madrona Athletic Club 0-23
1929 Oct 13 Ballard Commercial Club 0-15
1929 Oct 20 Atlantic Street Merchants 0-19
1929 Oct 27 Madrona Athletic Club 0-20
1929 Nov 10 Broadway Athletic Club 0-13
1929 Nov 17 South End Athletic Club 0-26
1929 Nov 24 University Athletic Club 0-25
1929 Dec 1 Taiyo Athletic Club 0-7
     
     
1930 Oct 5 Georgetown Colonels 0-19
1930 Oct 12 Madrona Athletic Club 0-26
1930 Oct 19 Broadway Athletic Club 6-7
1930 Oct 26 University Athletic Club 0-7
1930 Nov 2 Atlantic Street Merchants 0-13
1930 Nov 9 Tacoma Marines 0-7
1930 Nov 16 Rainier District 0-0
1930 Dec 7 Broadway Athletic Club 0-7
     
     
1931 Oct 11 Georgetown Colonels 0-20
1931 Oct 18 Atlantic Street Merchants 0-13
1931 Nov 1 Broadway Athletic Club 0-6
1931 Nov 15 Woodland Heights Athletic Club 0-21
1931 Nov 22 Atlantic Street Merchants 0-39
1931 Nov 29 Broadway Athletic Club 7-14
     
     
     
1932 Oct 16 Bye  
1932 Nov 6 Lakeside Athletic Club 0-0
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
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