History Unveiled
San Francisco Boy Scout Troop 58
“The Boys of Japantown” -
The Scouts of Troop 58 and the Japanese American Experience
What began as a simple presentation of historic photos for the 70th Anniversary of Konko Church’s Boy Scout Troop 58 became a documentary film. Its members and families shared a cultural and community bond in San Francisco’s historic Japantown despite struggles after World War II and the internment of Japanese Americans.
The Konko Church of San Francisco, the sponsoring organization of Troop 58, was established in 1930 by the late Rev.Yoshikao Fukuda and moved to its present site at 1909 Bush Street in 1932. Rev. Fukuda then founded Troop and Pack 68, the precursor to Troop 58, in 1939. With the interruption of WWll, the Boy Scouts organization reestablished in 1947.
Troop 58's basketball program started shortly thereafter. The original Konko Church backyard was a small concrete paved area about 300 sq. ft. with a wooden backboard and basket at one end. The church's backyard was the recreational and social gathering place of generations of kids who lived in Japantown, and the birthplace of some great Japanese American players.
Collaborators: Steve Ducich, Grace Horikiri, Karen Kai and Kathy Inouye Chu
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