Rooted in a century of community, The Oliver Club offers a modern ritual of grooming defined by craftsmanship, connection, and refined hospitality.
Little Tokyo, Los Angeles
The Oliver Club
1917
In 1917, schoolteacher Nellie Grace Oliver founded the Oliver Club in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, bringing young Japanese Americans together through sport, learning, and friendship.
Her guidance extended beyond the playing field. Members learned to speak with confidence, lead meetings, and find their voice at a time of anti-Japanese prejudice. Through these shared experiences, the club nurtured a sense of belonging within the neighborhood.
Park County, Wyoming
Heart Mountain
1942
Through the 1920s and 1930s, the Oliver Clubs became part of everyday life in Little Tokyo. Baseball, football, and basketball brought members together, building friendships and giving young Japanese Americans opportunities to lead, compete, and take pride in their community.
In 1942, the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans disrupted that life. Members and their families were sent to camps, including Heart Mountain in Wyoming. There, members of the Oliver Clubs formed teams and continued to play under the Oliver name.
Behind barbed wire, sport offered a familiar connection to the community they had been forced to leave.
Great-uncle of OCBS founder, Ets Yoshiyama and Babe Nomura
Black and white photograph of a vintage baseball game with players in uniforms, a batter swinging, a catcher on the ground, and an umpire standing nearby. Spectators watch from the bleachers in the background.
Black and white photo of a baseball game with players on the field, a batter stepping up to the plate, and spectators in the distance.
Los Angeles, California
The Olivers
1961
In 1961, former members came together to revive the Olivers and honor Nellie Oliver’s memory. Among them was Ets Yoshiyama, great-uncle of the barber shop’s founder. The reunion renewed friendships formed decades earlier through the clubs of Little Tokyo.
That year, the group established the Oliver Outstanding Nikkei Athlete of the Year Award, recognizing Japanese American high school athletes in Southern California. The award carried Miss Oliver’s commitment to young people into a new generation, preserving a connection between the club’s early members and those who followed.
Arts District, Los Angeles
Oliver Club Barber Shop
2022
Today, Oliver Club Barber Shop takes its name and inspiration from that history, with a family connection to the original club. In the Arts District, a short distance from its Little Tokyo roots, the shop gives that connection a present-day expression through careful barbering and personal hospitality.
Each visit begins with a conversation. Time is set aside for a precise haircut, a warm towel, and attention to the individual. Our purpose is to offer good company, care in the details, and a place guests feel comfortable returning to.
