Nakagama’s celebrating 75 years

By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on August 30, 2022.

Herald photos by Ry Clarke Ken Nakagama showcases the variety of product his store has expanded on throughout the 75 years of business at Nakagama's Japanese Foods and Giftware.

The locally owned Nakagama’s Japanese Food and Giftware will be celebrating its 75th anniversary here in Lethbridge this September.

Owned and operated by three generations of family members the store’s rich history has carved out a place for itself in the heart of downtown.

“It’s a three-generation family operation. My parents, my wife and myself, and now my daughter Kendra, who is interested in taking over. We’ve been able to live here for 75 years, and very thankful to all the Japanese population, and southern Alberta, because our business has evolved over time,” said Ken Nakagama, store owner.

Starting back in 1947, Nakagama’s would have a rich journey before ever opening its doors to the community. Ryutaro Nakagama, the store’s first owner, had his first shop in Steveston, BC, where he would move to Alberta to work on a farm when Japanese Canadians were forced away from their homes on the West Coast.

“In 1942, the relocation occurred, and my parents were one of the last Japanese relocated out of Steveston. The reason why is he had the store, so the population was there. But when it came down to the last few families, then they moved here, coming by rail car,” said Nakagama. “He didn’t like fishing or farming, and he always dreamed of getting back into retail. He was able to gather some money and get a truck and start a business.”

Ryutaro was able to deliver products to many Japanese families in the area, seeing a desire for Japanese goods amongst Japanese Canadians who had restrictions halting their ability to go into town and shop. In the 1940s Japanese Canadians were not permitted inside the city unless they worked in the homes of sponsors or were given special permission by the RCMP.

With a strong desire to keep his dream alive Ryutaro was able to deliver to local Japanese people working on farms in the area, gaining more funds to eventually apply for a business license in 1947, on which he was turned away on his first attempt.

“It wasn’t an automatic application. He was told “maybe you should come back and the city would think about it.”

“It went on and on until he finally got his license in September. We moved in to our first store on 1st Avenue, it was a two-storey restaurant and rooming house. We were among the first independent Japanese families to live in Lethbridge,” said Nakagama.

Moving to its current location on 322 Second Avenue South in 1955, the store has continued to be a pillar for the Japanese community, but also expanding to all residents with growing interest and globalization.

“When he started, 99-per cent of our business was catered to the Japanese population. Now it’s probably closer to 60-percent, maybe 70, non-Japanese customers, and 30-per cent Japanese. Our world is more global now, people are really aware of different foods, and we have a lot of non-Japanese people who love their sushi, raw fish, Japanese rice, and miso,” said Nakagama. “75 years is a fair length of time. We’ve seen a lot of things happen. Located in this area.”

Evolving with time, Nakagama’s has stood strong, a pillar to the Japanese community with a rich heritage that continues to meet the changing demand. The store has seen many customers turn into friends and watched the family and business evolve.

“We have a fairly decent sized group of people who are our friends as well as customers,” said Nakagama. “There are still a few people who will remember me doing my Elvis songs in the 1950s. It’s kind of embarrassing. Oftentimes we have a long-standing relationship with many of our customers. It’s neat, because I remember serving their grandparents, and then their parents and now themselves as they are bringing their own families in to shop. I’ve seen four or five generations of people coming through our store,”

With a pride of ownership that comes from a family run business, Nakagama’s has become a speciality for the city.

“We are a niche store. We have become a destination. People who want the specialty products that we have come to us,” said Nakagama. “I think that’s one of the secrets for us, our store offers a lot of service to the customer. People come in and ask for help and we are always willing to provide. We are very proud to be here this long. Grateful to all the friends and customers that have come through our doors. It’s their support that has enabled us to continue.”

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