Unclaimed BC Sports Hall of Fame Asahi medals

The Invincible Asahi – Unclaimed BC Sports Hall of Fame Asahi medals 

2010-26-3-(1)

In 2005, the Vancouver Asahi Team was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Medals were made for individual players but many remain unclaimed by family members.

Last year’s 100th anniversary of the first Asahi team and the film Bancuba (Vancouver) no Asahi produced by Fuji TV brought much excitement and celebration of the legendary Asahi baseball team, not only locally but in Japan and Hollywood. The National Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre (NNMCC) participated in the red carpet premiere showing of the film. Soon to be released is a documentary about the Asahi by United Television Broadcasting (UTB) in Hollywood. And currently Gordon McLennan and Greg Masuda are working on Nikkei Stories, another film project that will include a story about the Asahi. 

Last year Yobun Shima from Japan, a relative of the former Asahi player Shoichi Shima, visited NNMCC and received a medal. In previous years, Mr. Nakanishi and Mr. Furumoto claimed their relatives’ medals. 

Recently, through the efforts of Norio Goto, the author of Bancuba no Asahi Monogatari (The Vancouver Asahi Story), Satoshi Matsumiya and Yobun Shima, families of three medal recipients were found. Two of these medals will be delivered by the Shin Asahi Team on their Japan Baseball Tour in March 2015. 

The beautiful medals had been stored at the NNMCC since the 2005 induction and have recently been returned to the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Jason Beck, Director and curator of the Hall, is happy to distribute them to families interested in claiming them and provide them with a photo opportunity. Listed are the remaining unclaimed medals.

Tamio Aoki     
K. Endo     
Fukunaga
Junji Ito
Barry Kasahara
George Kato
Ken Kitamura
Motoji Kodama
Roche Korenaga 
Mousie Masuda
Yoshio Miyasaki
Tom Miyata
Ken Noda
Dr. Seitaro Nomura
B. Oda
Yosh Oka
Toshiro Omoto
Ken Suzuki
Mickey Terakita
Yuji Uchiyama
Otto Yanagisawa
Reggie Yasui
Ross Yonemoto
Harry Yoshioka

Please contact Jason Beck at the BC Sports Hall of Fame if you wish to claim the coveted BC Sports Hall of Fame Induction medal on behalf of a former Asahi player. 

Jason Beck, Curator and Facility Director BC Sports Hall of Fame 
jason.beck@bcsportshalloffame.com  p: 604.687.5520 x 30