Where to Find Historical Archives of The North American Post

Updated

The North American Post (napost.com) points researchers to its historical newspaper archives through the Nikkei Newspapers Digital Archive (NNDA), linked from the site's navigation. On napost.com itself, the main history-related entry points are the History of The North American Post page, the History of Seattle Nikkei Immigrants from "The North American Times" section, and recurring editorial series such as Omoide Story and Days of the North American Post. These are the pages to start with if you want either digitized back issues or narrative history of the paper and the Seattle Nikkei community.

The main archive: Nikkei Newspapers Digital Archive (NNDA)

The NNDA is listed on napost.com as a distinct resource alongside About, Corporate Info, and History of The North American Post. It is the destination the paper itself directs readers to for digitized historical newspaper content.

  • What it is: a digital archive of Nikkei newspapers, referenced directly from the napost.com navigation.
  • Why it matters: The North American Post describes itself as founded in 1902 and as the largest and oldest Japanese-language newspaper published in the Seattle area, so its back file is a primary source for regional Japanese American history.
  • How to reach it: from the napost.com site menu, select the NNDA link; the archive itself is a separate resource from the current news pages.

Note that napost.com does not state on the pages reviewed whether NNDA access is free, requires registration, or is limited to certain date ranges. Check the archive's own landing page for its coverage and access terms before planning research around it.

History pages and editorial series on napost.com

Beyond the NNDA, napost.com hosts several history-focused sections and columns. These are useful when you want context, profiles, or reprinted/curated historical material rather than raw scanned issues.

Entry point What it covers
History of The North American Post The paper's own institutional history
History of Seattle Nikkei Immigrants from "The North American Times" Immigrant history drawn from the earlier North American Times
Omoide Story Community memory and personal history series
Days of the North American Post Retrospective series on the paper
Discover Nikkei Nikkei-related content, listed among site sections
Yoemon Shinmasu, Life of My Grandfather in Seattle Family-history narrative tied to Seattle Nikkei experience
JCCCW Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington content

These pages are part of the current site rather than a searchable issue database, so treat them as secondary and contextual sources that complement the NNDA.

How to approach a search

  1. Start with the NNDA for digitized newspaper content, since it is the archive the paper itself links to.
  2. Use the History of The North American Post page to establish the paper's timeline and name changes (the site references both The North American Post and The North American Times).
  3. Check the themed series — Omoide Story, Days of the North American Post, and the North American Times immigrant history section — for names, events, and dates you can then verify against the archive.
  4. Cross-reference with community institutions named on the site, such as JCCCW, when a topic involves organizational records rather than newspaper pages.

Common sticking points

  • The archive is separate from the news site. napost.com is the current publication; the NNDA is the historical repository. Expect a different interface and possibly different access rules.
  • Two paper names appear. Material may be indexed under The North American Post or the earlier North American Times, so search both.
  • Language. The paper is described as Japanese-language, so some historical material may be in Japanese; the site also carries English-language history features.
  • Access terms are not stated on napost.com. Confirm coverage dates, digitization gaps, and any subscription or login requirement on the NNDA page itself rather than assuming open access.